De Ronde van Vlaanderen Race Report: World champion Tadej Pogačar won a very exciting 2025 Tour of Flanders. The UAE Emirates-XRG leader attacked several times, but managed to take a gap on the last time up the Oude Kwaremont. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) couldn’t answer Pogačar’s move. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) were also in the final battle; Pedersen sprinted to second place, Van der Poel was third and Van Aert fourth.
*** The full ‘PEZ Tour of Flanders Race Report’ very soon. ***
De Ronde 2025 highlights
Route:
The Tour of Flanders started in Antwerp last year, so this year it is the turn of Brugge and the peloton will leave from the Markt at 10am. There are a few small changes to previous years: The run-up to the finale has been adjusted slightly, but the finale itself is unchanged.
2025 De Ronde van Vlaanderen map
In the first hundred kilometres of the race, the riders will pass through Beernem, Aalter and Zulte, and other towns/villages. After 109 kilometres, the riders will hit the first obstacle, the cobblestones of Doorn, then there is the first of three climbs of the Oude Kwaremont. The second climb is the Eikenberg, which was not part of the route in 2024, when the start was in Antwerp. There is also a change compared to 2023, the last time the Tour of Flanders started in Bruges. After the Eikenberg, Wolvenberg and Holleweg, the Karel Martelstraat replaces the cobbles of Kerkgate. So there are a few changes, but the finale of the Tour of Flanders stays the same. Starting with the cobbles of Jagerij, the climb of the Molenberg, the Paddestraat, the Berendries and finally the Valkenberg, all within thirty kilometres. The summit of the Valkenberg is just under 90 kilometres from the finish, after 180 kilometres. An attack on the Berg Ten Houte or the Hotond, the next hills on the course is possible, but very early. After the Hotond, the route goes to the Oude Kwaremont for the second time and then the Paterberg. The first passage of the Paterberg always provides action, as the Koppenberg is coming up. The very tough Koppenberg is where the favourites will show their hand. The Steenbeekdries and Taaienberg come very soon. Then the Hotond, which it is about ten kilometres before the last passage of the Oude Kwaremont.
2025 De Ronde van Vlaanderen profile
That last passage of the Oude Kwaremont comes 16.7 kilometres from the finish. This is where a leading group of top men will put the pressure on for the penultimate time. 13.2 kilometres from the finish the Paterberg comes again, it is less than 400 metres long, but made for the puncheurs. After the top of the Paterberg, there are 13 flat kilometres to Oudenaarde. A solo isn’t impossible, but the wind will be a factor as it can be quite strong. If a large group is still together, then tactics will be important. The finish is on the wide Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde. Perfect for a group sprint or a solo victor.
Climbs
1. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 metres at 4%)
2. Eikenberg (1,200 metres at 5.1%)
3. Wolvenberg (645 metres at 7.9%)
4. Molenberg (463 metres at 7%)
5. Berendries (940 metres at 7%)
6. Valkenberg (540 metres at 8.1%)
7. Berg Ten Houte (1,100 metres at 6%)
8. Hotond/Nieuwe Kruisberg (2,500 metres at 5%)
9. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 metres at 4%)
10. Paterberg (360 metres at 12.9%)
11. Koppenberg (600 metres at 11.6%)
12. Steenbeekdries (700 metres at 5.3%)
13. Taaienberg (530 metres at 6.6%)
14. Hotond/Nieuwe Kruisberg (2,500 metres at 5%)
15. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 metres at 4%)
16. Paterberg (360 metres at 12.9%).
Cobbles
1. Doorn (1,650 metres)
2. Holleweg (900 metres)
3. Karel Martelstraat (1,300 metres)
4. Jagerij (800 metres)
5. Paddestraat (2,500 metres)
6. Mariaborrestraat (2,400 metres)
7. Stationsberg (600 metres).
The fans were out for the start in Brugge
The top favourites spoke at the start. Wout van Aert: “It remains very special to receive so much encouragement so early and far before the final. You really don’t get used to that. I did get a bit nervous because of that presentation. But I also enjoyed it immensely. We had a good debriefing (after Dwars Door Vlaanderen). On Thursday morning I said to myself: now it’s time to switch. Then I spent three long days looking forward to this moment. That is very difficult in De Ronde (to dominate), but on Wednesday we showed that that is our way of racing. We have been successful very often that way. That will remain in the back of our minds. You often have a south-westerly wind in Belgium, now an easterly wind. That is not to the advantage of the escapee, but the race is so tough that everyone is often exhausted on that last stretch after the Paterberg. But there are more stretches in the final where the wind is now against us, where it normally is. That can influence the race, yes.”
Can Wout van Aert show his best self?
Tadej Pogačar “It’s a bit fresh, but the atmosphere is great in Bruges. I’m really looking forward to it. He (Van der Poel) is perhaps in the best shape of his career at the moment. It’s going to be hard to beat him, but I feel great too. Let’s make it a good battle. I have to think not only of Mathieu, but also of Wout and the other riders. The weather conditions are perfect for a nice race. It’s cool now, but it’s getting a bit warmer. It will be a beautiful day for the riders and the spectators.
Top favourite – Tadej Pogačar
Mathieu van der Poel is looking for a record fourth win. “Two years ago, with the start here in Bruges, I also had a prize with the team (he was in the early second echelon). You know the saying of the donkey who doesn’t hit the same stone twice. I hope this doesn’t happen to me today. I think everyone makes mistakes on the way. Small errors, positioning. You don’t always have that in your own hands. I think it is mainly important to stay as calm as possible and control the situation. Especially with the team. He’s (Pogačar) going to make that race as difficult as possible. He did that two years ago and I expect a bit of the same scenario.”
The other top favourite – Mathieu van der Poel
After the start in Bruges, it took a while before the ‘break of the day’ formed. For more than 40 kilometers, there was a lot of attacking, but the right group couldn’t get away. The strong wind from the northeast and the control of the big teams were the main reasons. It was only when passing through Aalter that a group of eight managed to take the lead.
Filippo Ganna – What can he do today?
Elmar Reinders (Jayco AlUla), Timo Roosen & Sean Flynn (Picnic-PostNL), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise), Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana), Rory Townsend (Q36.5), Marco Haller (Tudor) and Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) made up the break, but they never had a lead of over 5 minutes. For a while, Jens Reynders (Wagner Bazin WB) and Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost) tried to join them but were stuck between break and bunch. In the peloton, Mikkel Bjerg and Silvan Dillier were at the front for Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. The World champion stopped for a ‘nature breal’, after which Arkéa-B&B Hotels attacked. This move was not appreciated by the other teams.
Edinburgh’s Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) made it into the break
On the Oude Kwaremont for the first time, just over 140 kilometres from the finish, the peloton started to get nervous. Things were the same on the run-up to the first time up the Eikenberg. There were several crashes and in a second crash Mathieu van der Poel was involved. He fell, but was able to continue on a new bike, but had lost a minute. With a lot of help from his teammates, Van der Poel managed to rejoin the peloton at the top of the Eikenberg. Tim Wellens, Jhonatan Narvaez, Jenno Berckmoes and John Degenkolb were also in the same crash.
Elmar Reinders (Jayco AlUla) leading the break of the day
There were many teams controlling the peloton
Van der Poel then stayed near the front. Stefan Küng and Tiesj Benoot jumped away to join Vito Braet and Davide Ballerini with 110 kilometres to go, while behind them a group formed with Quinten Hermans, Daan Hoole, Matteo Trentin and Filippo Ganna. They joined the Benoot group before the Berendries and then caught the last of the early escapees. The difference to the peloton was almost 1 minute. UAE Emirates-XRG had to do the chase work.
Van der Poel had a hard chase back after a crash with around 125 kilometres to go
Bjerg and Morgado worked hard, but the peloton lost some time. In the leading group, Ganna and Trentin had teammates, while back in the peloton other teammates tried to slow the chase. The gap grew to around 1:30, but in the run-up to the Oude Kwaremont for the second time at 55km from the finish, that lead was cut drastically.
When the race hit the climbs, the break started to lose time
On the Oude Kwaremont, Pogačar put in an early attack. Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Mads Pedersen reacted, while Van der Poel was further back and had to close the gap. Led by the World champion, these five pushed on, until Pogačar looked at the others. This allowed the peloton to come back. On the Paterberg, Van der Poel and Pogačar rode away together, but Pedersen, Van Aert, Jorgenson and Stuyven were able to get to their wheel. They were still 30 seconds behind the leading group with Ganna and Benoot.
The fans were having a great day on the Oude Kwaremon
At the Koppenberg, Pogačar hammered up with Van der Poel on his wheel. Pedersen couldn’t keep up, Van Aert and Jorgenson had already been dropped. The two top favourites pushed on and caught Ganna, Trentin, Küng, Benoot and Ballerini. The pace dropped a bit, which allowed Van Aert and the others to return. There was now 13 riders at the front, including three from Visma | Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek.
Visma had Tiesj Benoot in the break
On the Steenbeekdries, Pogačar jumped again, but Van der Poel and Van Aert didn’t let him go. On the Taaienberg, the Slovenian again put in a move, but again Van der Poel and Pedersen were on him, but were struggling. The Visma trio had no answer and had to chase with Küng and Stuyven. They joined just before the Oude Kruisberg, where Pogačar attacked again. Once again, Van der Poel was the one who could follow. Pedersen, Van Aert and Stuyven followed, with the group of Jorgenson, Benoot and Küng behind them.
Pogačar put in an attack on the Oude Kwaremont, but it didn’t quite work out… this time
Wout van Aert looked to have some of his old mojo back
Race over? Not yet…
Pogačar made his move
Van Aert and Van der Poel couldn’t hold on to the World champ
Tadej Pogačar’s second Tour of Flanders victory
# Stay PEZ for all the Flanders news and everything else in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Tour of Flanders Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG in 5:58:41
2. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek at 1:01
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
4. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Lidl-Trek at 1:04
6. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:53
7. Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ
8. Filippo Ganna (Ita) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:19
9. Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar
10. Davide Ballerini (Ita) XDS Astana.
The post FLANDERS’25: Pogačar Stuns on the Kwaremont appeared first on PezCycling News.
