\n<\/p>\n
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders in imperious fashion after dropping Mathieu van der Poel 18km from the finish.<\/b><\/p>\n
The 27-year-old has now won both Monument races this season, having triumphed at Milan-San Remo in March.<\/a><\/p>\n Sunday’s victory draws Pogacar level with Van der Poel and six other cyclists on three wins at the Belgian event, having also won in 2023.<\/p>\n He now has 12 victories in Monuments – the five most prestigious one-day events in men’s road cycling – putting him clear in second in the all-time list behind only 19-time winner Eddy Merckx.<\/p>\n “It was a really crazy race today. I don’t know what to say – super hard from I don’t know which kilometre,” Pogacar told Belgian television.<\/p>\n “I don’t race too much, so when I race there is pressure to win. So far everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy.<\/p>\n “Coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated, but I try to enjoy the cobbles.”<\/p>\n On his Flanders debut, <\/b>double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held off fellow Belgian Wout van Aert for third in the 278km race, which features punchy climbs and a number of cobbled sections.<\/p>\n With 57km left to race Pogacar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel dropped the rest of the field with an acceleration on the second of three ascents up the Oude Kwaremont.<\/p>\n Evenepoel was left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, and steadily drifted away from the leading pair, who have won six of the last seven stagings of this event.<\/p>\n Pogacar and Van der Poel rode together for nearly 40km before the former put in a race-winning push on the final ride up the Oude Kwaremont.<\/p>\n Having crested the climb with a six-second advantage, the Slovenian world champion pulled away to deny his Dutch rival a record fourth win in the event.<\/p>\n Pogacar has now won all three of his races this season, and if he finishes first in Paris-Roubaix next weekend, he will become just the fourth man to win all five Monuments after the Belgian trio of Merckx, Rik van Looy and Roger de Vlaeminck.<\/p>\n He finished second on his debut at the event last year and will face fierce resistance from Van der Poel, who has won the last three Roubaix contests.<\/p>\n There was drama early on in the Flanders race when the peloton was forced to stop at a level crossing as the light turned to red as it approached.<\/p>\n But, with still more than 200km of the race remaining, a group of chasers – including Pogacar and Evenepoel – slipped across the tracks in pursuit of the early leaders.<\/p>\n “Suddenly, three guys jumped in the middle of the road and started waving to stop. How can you stop in one second?” said Pogacar.<\/p>\n