On Easter Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar will face each other in the Tour of Flanders. The Dutchman has already won the monument three times, making him one of the record holders. With a fourth victory, the 31-year-old from Alpecin-Premier Tech would be the first rider ever to reach this mark. Pogačar is aiming for his third triumph, which would make him co-record holder. The 27-year-old Slovenian has already won eleven monuments in his career, including Flanders twice, Liège-Bastogne-Liège three times, the Tour of Lombardy five times and, most recently, Milan-Sanremo.
The monumental duel
The rivalry between Van der Poel and Pogačar has developed into one of the most fascinating duels in cycling in recent years. While the Dutchman shines with his explosive power and tactical skill on the cobbled classics, the Slovenian impresses with his extraordinary versatility and dominance across different race formats. In addition to his competitiveness in the classics, Pogačar has won the last two Tours of France and is also the top favourite in all other tours. Last year, Pogačar attacked at the Tour of Flanders 16 kilometres before the finish on the Oude Kwaremont and left Van der Poel behind. Proof of his superior endurance in the final phase of the long race. Both riders brought different strengths to this duel.
Strengths of the opponents
Van der Poel brings with him his experience as cyclocross world champion, which will stand him in good stead on the bumpy cobbled sections. His knowledge of the course is outstanding. On the descents and slippery bends, Dutch rider Tadej Pogačar is in no way inferior and even has his nose in front. However, the length of the race and the steep climbs towards the end pose a major challenge for the much taller rider. Pogačar proved his top form at the Strade Bianche at the beginning of March with an 80-kilometre solo after a climb. His endurance in the mountains makes him a favourite on the final climbs, as he showed last year. The longer and tougher the ramps, the better for the all-rounder. However, Pogačar also has to make the decisive difference here. If he fails to do so, he will hardly stand a chance against Van der Poel in the sprint.
The cards are looking good for Tadej Pogačar to also win the second monument of the cycling season. Presumably a little better than for his rival Mathieu van der Poel. But the latter will not admit defeat - the sole record victory is at stake.
Leon Weidner
Working student
