Everybody anticipated Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to journey away together with his third Tour of Flanders title, particularly after rival Wout van Aert crashed and broke his collarbone, ribs and sternum in a crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen within the days main as much as the 2024 version.
Writing your identify into the historical past books because the seventh rider to win De Ronde thrice is much from a easy activity, nonetheless.
The world champion by no means put a foot unsuitable within the race, even because the rain fell and assaults flew. The legendary Koppenberg was Van der Poel’s launching pad and his fellow opponents struggled, slipped and slid out in his wake as he stormed away on the punishing gradients.
A race that’s selected the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg within the closing 20 kilometres was carried out and dusted earlier than Van der Poel even reached these climbs, and the one stunning second of the race was Luca Mozatto (Arkéa-B&B Inns) successful the dash for second over Nils Politt (UAE Workforce Emirates).
The ladies’s race was a really totally different story: Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) gained her second Tour of Flanders whereas World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) crashed within the early a part of the race and struggled uncharacteristically after two years of dominating the Tour of Flanders.
The Koppenberg was a large number for the ladies, too, and even Kopecky needed to run because the rain pounded down.
As an alternative, Lidl-Trek proved to be the strongest group, with Shirin van Anrooij launching a powerful solo assault earlier than the Oude Kwaremont with 21km to go and looking out as if she would journey away to the win.
On the Paterberg, Van Anrooij’s teammate attacked to bridge throughout, bringing Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) alongside. Longo Borghini got here from behind within the three-rider dash to grab the win from the Polish rider.
Pictures by Zac Williams/SWPix.com until in any other case famous.
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Mathieu van der Poel trying unbothered by his standing of outright favorite at the beginning
World Champion Lotte Kopecky (left) was additionally the outright favorite earlier than the beginning
Jasper Jacobs/Getty Pictures
The Flanders flag was flown all around the course
The early kilometres have been run on wider roads for security
The peloton loved dry roads within the first half of the race
The early breakaway within the girls’s Tour of Flanders
Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures
Oscar Riesebeek represented Alpecin-Deceuninck within the early breakaway
Riders go one of many picturesque windmills
Rain falls on the ladies’s race
Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures
Biniam Girmay on the Oude Kwaremont
Mathieu van der Poel within the peloton with a tailwind apparent by the Flanders flags
Mathieu van der Poel involves the fore on the Oude Kwaremont
Mads Pedersen leads Oier Lazkano
Matteo Jorgenson rides facet by facet with Mathieu van der Poel
Lucinda Model rides within the peloton
Jasper Jacobs/Getty Pictures
Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar) on a solo transfer earlier than the Koppenberg
Poor Ivan Garcia Cortina was off the entrance on the Koppenberg however had a mechanical and needed to run
Mathieu van der Poel attacked on the Koppenberg within the rain to averted the mayhem
picture David Pintens/Getty Pictures
Behind Van der Poel, it was pure chaos on the Koppenberg
On the different finish of the peloton, riders slid out and brought on site visitors jams
Mikkel Bjerg finds that slipping on the Koppenberg isn’t the way you need to stretch the adductors
Lotte Kopecky (proper) runs up the Koppenberg
After the Koppenberg, Van der Poel was on his personal
Followers take pleasure in all of the motion
Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike) offers his all
Josh Tarling and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers)
Van der Poel makes gentle work of the Paterberg
UAE Workforce Emirates’ kits are barely seen underneath all of the filth however the group stacked the highest 10 with Politt, Bjerg and Morgado
Van der Poel on his solo assault
With out Wout van Aert after his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen, Visma-Lease a Bike have been at a drawback
Mathieu van der Poel on the ultimate climbs earlier than his third Tour of Flanders victory
Alberto Bettiol flies the flag for EF Training-EasyPost
Oliver Naesen (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Antonio Morgado (UAE Workforce Emirates) experiences the agony of the Tour of Flanders for the primary time, ending fifth
Ecstasy for Mathieu van der Poel
Thrills for Elisa Longo Borghini
Much less ecstasy for Stefan Küng who completed forty first
Demi Vollering after ending eighth
Lotte Kopecky was the highest SD Worx-Protime rider in fifth place
Van der Poel gathers himself after a gruelling effort
Shirin Van Anrooij (left) will get a hug from teammate and race winner Elisa Longo Borghini
Valuable reminiscences for the rostrum finishers
