Tour of Flanders 2026 will go down as one of the great editions of De Ronde. Tadej Pogačar won for the third time, joining the elite club of Boonen, Cancellara and Van der Poel, but the race delivered so much more than just another Pogačar victory — a level crossing that stopped half the peloton, a stunning Evenepoel debut, Van der Poel pushed to his absolute limit, and a finale that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Chaos Before the Race Even Begins
The drama started early. A closed level crossing halted a large section of the peloton in the opening kilometres, handing the thirteen-rider breakaway — which included Silvan Dillier, Connor Swift and Luke Lamperti among others — a gift of over five minutes of lead time. It was a chaotic and slightly farcical start to cycling’s most serious one-day race, though ultimately it would have no bearing on the outcome.
Evenepoel’s Shock Entry Dominates the Conversation
The biggest talking point heading into the race was Remco Evenepoel’s surprise debut. Announced on April Fool’s Day and very much not a joke, the Belgian’s entry had electrified the build-up. He had never started this race before. Nobody quite knew what to expect. What followed was one of the most remarkable debut performances in Flanders history.
The Race Comes Alive on the Koppenberg
As expected, the first half of the 278km route from Antwerp was controlled chaos — the breakaway gradually reeled in, the peloton thinning across the hellingen, teams positioning their leaders for the decisive sequence. The race truly ignited on the Koppenberg, 45km from the finish. With its brutal 600 metres averaging 13% and peaking at 22% on slick cobblestones, it is the climb that breaks the race apart every year.
Pogačar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel were all still together here — and remarkably, Evenepoel was not just surviving, he was riding strongly. Van Aert and Pedersen were just behind, a small group forming that would contest the finale.
Evenepoel Fades, Pogačar and Van der Poel Go Clear
After the Koppenberg came the Taaienberg, the Oude Kruisberg and then the final decisive sequence — the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg for the third time. It was on the Oude Kwaremont with 16km to go that the race was won. Pogačar attacked on the cobbles and Van der Poel, visibly on the absolute limit, simply had no answer. The gap opened, yawned and then became unbridgeable.
Evenepoel, who had been within 19 seconds of the leaders at one point, faded as the repeated efforts took their toll. Van Aert and Pedersen were further back, unable to close the gap to the front. It came down to one man — Pogačar — riding alone toward Oudenaarde with the race won.
He sat up with 500 metres to go, soaking in the moment, before crossing the line to take his third Ronde title. Behind him, Van der Poel rode to second place, while Evenepoel — in his very first Tour of Flanders — completed a remarkable podium in third. Van Aert finished fourth.
Final Podium
1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe)
4. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
5. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
What This Means
Three wins at the Tour of Flanders is a landmark that only the very greatest have reached. Pogačar now stands alongside Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Johan Museeuw and Van der Poel himself. He has won three Monuments this spring alone — Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, and now Flanders. The question for next Sunday is simple: can anyone stop him at Paris-Roubaix? He has said it is the race he wants more than any other — the one Monument still missing from his palmarès.
For Van der Poel it is another Flanders defeat to the man who has become his great rival. For Evenepoel, a podium on debut is a result that will only grow in significance — and raises serious questions about whether we will see him back on these roads for many years to come. For Van Aert, fourth place and another year without De Ronde. The story of this race never really changes for the Belgian.
The Classics season isn’t over yet. Paris-Roubaix awaits.