The image will be remembered. The fearsome Koppenberg in the rain, the wet cobblestones, the wheels slipping on the torture of the ramp. He was Ivn Garca Cortina the first to set foot on the ground, when he challenged his dreams, escaped to hurry up the options of those classics that he adores. All those who were chasing him imitated him, unable to stay on their bicycles. All except the new god of spring, imposing at the key point where no one would be able to follow him. Mathieu Van der Poel He then headed towards Oudenaarde alone, more than 45 kilometers to achieve his third Tour of Flanders.
The skill on the mud, the power, the intelligence. Van der Poel is now history, equaling the six (Adrial Buysse, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fiorenzi Magni and Fabian Cancellara) with three wins in De Ronde, increasing his legend, always in even years (2020, 2022 and 2024), fourth in his debut in 2019 and second in 2021 and last year behind Tadej Pogacar. The first in history to chain five podiums in a row. The fastest too, as he completed the more than 270 kilometers from Antwerp at 44.5 kilometers per hour, surpassing last year’s record. When they crowned the Koppenberg, with Matteo Jorgenson In a few seconds that soon became more than a minute, it was a walk of watts and agony towards glory. Empty while the others chased him.
The absence, due to the fall suffered in Through Flanders a few days ago, of Wout Van Aert, marked everything in the previous one. “Now he will have more pressure,” confessed the leader of Alpecin, the team that bet everything on his dominance, this time leaving out Jasper Philipsen, winner in San Remo. And after a somewhat calm start, with the brave men of the day, bullets soon came from all places to Poulidor’s grandson, with Mads Pedersen and the Visma especially intense.
But they could not isolate him, not even when in Old Kwaremont, with Oier Lazkano In the lead, a select group became. There was no loophole in Van der Poel, who walks along the cobblestones of Flanders as if through the patio of his house. So sure of himself that it scares him. Only Gilbert in 2017 scored a ‘solo’ longer than his (then, the Belgian attacked 56 from the finish line).
He didn’t even need to insist too much. In that imps of the Kopperberg, I accelerated while everyone tried to stay upright. Only he, Jorgenson and Pedersen saved him on the bicycle. “I didn’t have any grip. I wasn’t the only one. It was impossible,” confessed a helpless García Cortina, who finally could only finish 25th when at times he had a much more noble position so close. The rainbow towards the goal, like it did last time Peter Sagan (2016). Before, other myths: Louison Bobet and 1955, Rik Van Looy and 1962, Eddy Merckx and 1975 y Tom Boonen in 2006. It is already the fifth Monument for Van der Poel, at only 29 years old. At 1:02 the chasing group arrived, in which the sprinter surprised Luca Mozzato (Arkea), second ahead of Michael Matthews.