World champion Tadej Pogacar won the Tour of Flanders cobbled classic for the second time on Sunday. He had previously won the title in 2023.
The Slovenian finished 1 minute, 1 second ahead of Mads Pedersen, who left behind Van der Poel in a four-man sprint for second, just ahead of Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven.
The three-time Tour de France champion gathered surmountable force on the penultimate climb — about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the finish — and not even defending champion Mathieu van der Poel could stay on his wheel.
It was expected to be another episode of the great rivalry between Pogacar and Van der Poel, who had won the recent Milan-San Remo.
The duel between the two heavyweights played out across the 17 hills in bright sunshine before Pogacar went solo.
The Slovenian failed to defend his title last year, when Van der Poel claimed a record-equaling third win.
“The goal was to win but at the end it’s hard to realise. I cannot be more proud of the team,” said a beaming Pogacar at the end of the 270km slog before 750,000 boisterous roadside fans.
In the Tour of Flanders women’s race, two-time world road race champion Lotte Kopecky rrcorded third Tour of Flanders victory. She made history as the first female cyclist to win three editions of the event. The Belgian previously won in 2022 and 2023.
The Olympic bronze medallist clocked a win time of 04:24:34 before beating Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Liane Lippert into second and third place, respectively. Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland finished in fourth place.
Also Read: Tracking The Path: List Of Climbs At Tour of Flanders 2025; Start Time, Streaming Details
Tour of Flanders 2025: Results (Top 10)
- Tadej Pogačar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 05:58:41
- Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl-Trek) +01:01
- Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +01:01
- Wout Van Aert (BEL, Team Visma | Lease a Bike) +01:01
- Jasper Stuyven (BEL, Lidl-Trek) +01:04
- Tiesj Benoot (BEL, Team Visma | Lease a Bike) +01:53
- Stefan Küng (SUI, Groupama-FDJ (+01:53)
- Filippo Ganna (ITA, TNEOS Grenadiers) +02:19
- Iván García Cortina (ESP, Movistar Team) +02:19
- Davide Ballerini (ITA, XDS Astana Team) +02:19
Tour of Flanders Women 2025: Results (Top 10)
- Lotte Kopecky (BEL, Team SD Worx-Protime) 04:22:34
- Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA, Team Visma | Lease a Bike) s.t.
- Liane Lippert (GER, Movistar Team) s.t.
- Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL, CANYON//SRAM) +00:01
- Kimberly (Le Court) Pienaar (MRI, AG Insurance – Soudal Team) +01:13
- Letizia Borghesi (ITA, EF Education-Oatly) s.t.
- Elise Chabbey (SUI, FDJ-SUEZ) s.t.
- Ellen van Dijk (NED, Lidl-Trek) s.t.
- Puck Pieterse (NED, Fenix-Deceuninck) s.t.
- Marlen Reusser (SUI, Movistar Team) s.t.
