Sport

Cycling: Pogacar wins Tour of Flanders

The best of the Italians in the Tour of Flanders was Filippo Ganna, who finished eighth, while Davide Ballerini finished tenth.

6 April 2025

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World champion Tadej Pogacar won the Flanders Tour by a distance, bringing the number of his successes in cycling's 'monumental classics' to eight.

This time he did so by attacking several times on the cobbled walls of Flanders: Four times his deadly sprints were answered by someone capable of reacting, but on the fifth time, during the passage over the Oude Kwaremont, with 18 minutes to go, none of the breakaway group, which included Mathieu Van der Poel, Wout Van Aert (who had just been caught after a timid attempt to escape) and Mads Pedersen, could keep up, and for Pogacar it meant flying to victory.

His advantage gradually increased until he 'pierced' the one-minute barrier. Already in the previous passage over the Kwaremont, 55 kilometres from the finish, the Slovenian had set off fireworks to break away from the leading group, then at -18 he was gone, and demonstrating what this cycling phenomenon is capable of was also the fact that, despite taking turns, the pursuers, all people of considerable value, continued to lose ground. And this right from the wall following that of the decisive sprint, the Paterberg, where 'Pogi' had already reached a 30″ lead over the quartet of pursuers, and there it was clear that he would win.

Now, next Sunday, the 'new Merckx' who rides like a train will be aiming straight at the jewel he still lacks, that Paris-Roubaix, which for many seems to be the only classic not suited to his means, but which he is eager to add to his collection of triumphs, not least to disprove the sceptics. It will be his first time in the French classic, but Pogacar, who has now won in the rainbow jersey like Van der Poel last year and Peter Sagan in 2016, will want to leave his mark.

Ganna best of the Italians, he is 8/o

And the Italians? The best was Filippo Ganna, always with Roubaix in mind and meanwhile eighth in this Flanders. Together with Davide Ballerini (who finished tenth) and Matteo Trentin, he was one of the animators of the race, trying to anticipate the big favourites by attacking with 100 kilometres to go to get back into the day's breakaway.

But Italy's hopes were ended by Van der Poel's pulls and, above all, by the attacks of Pogacar, who caught the breakaway group, with the three Italians, after the first passage over the Paterberg.

"The goal was to win, but it was tough," Pogacar said after crossing the finish line. "Now I couldn't be prouder of myself and my team. Everything went perfectly in the end, and I am so happy to have won wearing the world champion's jersey. The plan was to attack right where I did, and the team worked very well despite losing a couple of pawns to crashes. Everyone made their contribution.

What about next Sunday? "Roubaix is a completely different race," Pogacar replied, "but I like to accept challenges, and I want to give my best there too, although it is clear that Flanders suits my characteristics better. But with the form I'm in now, I think I can try to win Paris-Roubaix as well". The opponents, Ganna in primis, are warned.