Tour of Flanders 2023

The road

At the start

Bruges, and the Kwaremont three times

271 kilometres to Oudenaarde over nineteen bergs, with the Oude Kwaremont climbed three times. Three men stand clear of the rest after E3: Wout van Aert, who won it, carrying Belgium and still a Monument short; Mathieu van der Poel, two Rondes to his name and Milan-San Remo a fortnight ago; and Tadej Pogačar, runner-up here on his debut, the only rider to distance Van Aert on the Kwaremont that day.

How it was won

1. 145 km to go

   Koppenberg

   The brutal wall of the Koppenberg rears up and the favourites go clear of everyone else. By the summit only a select handful of the strongest men are left with any hope of the win.

2. 224 km to go

   Pedersen forces the pace

   Mads Pedersen drives clear at the front while behind him Pogačar and Van der Poel mark each other, Trentin shepherding his UAE leader into position for the finale on the Kwaremont.

3. 317 km to go

   Pogačar attacks on the Oude Kwaremont

   On the long cobbles of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogačar simply rides away. Van der Poel cannot answer; the acceleration is savage and instant, and within seconds the Slovenian is alone on the most famous climb in Flanders.

4. 413 km to go

   Paterberg

   Over the steep Paterberg Pogačar only stretches his lead, catching and dropping Pedersen. Behind, the chase fractures and cannot organise. The race is won.

5. 5At the line

   Oudenaarde

   Pogačar rolls into Oudenaarde alone, arms wide, the first Slovenian ever to win the Ronde, with Van der Poel leading the chase across sixteen seconds later.

The result