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Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Flanders Classics / Tour of Flanders 2025)Tour of Flanders 2025 - Everything you need to knowTour of Flanders 2025 - RouteTour of Flanders 2025 contenders - Can anyone beat Tadej Pogačar?Race situationThe race begins at 9.15 BSTHello and welcome to the 2025 Tour of Flanders!It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for. After a spring full of drama and excitement, the Tour of Flanders is the climax of the Belgian classics, and promises to be one of the events of the whole season.
The Ronde is always a special race, but promises to be even more so this year thanks to the great rivalry between Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej PogačarPart one was won by Van der Poel at Milan-Sanremo, when Pogačar proved unable to drop him despite multiple blistering attacks, and today will be their meeting on the cobblestones. They’ve both been unstoppable when they’ve raced apart - but today, something will have to give, and only one can win.In cycling history, having two such decorated riders race against each of in as big a race as this at the very peak of their powers is a rarity.
They both go into the race on seven career monuments, seeking an 8th to go joint-sith on the all-time list.The riders are on the move in Bruges, making their way through the neutralised one. Excitement is building!Though the pair of Van der Poel and Pogačar have attracted all the hype, this isn’t quite a two-man show, and many of the world’s best are here to play a starring role.
Mads Pedersen has been brilliant all spring, and won Gent-Wevelgem with an attack even more far out than the other two; Filippo Ganna is in the classics form of his life and Wout van Aert has the class, if the form.(Image credit: Getty Images)The riders at the start, greeted by blue skies. It does not appear rain will affect this year's Tour of Flanders.
OFFICIAL STARTAnd we're off!Lots of movement at the front of the bunch, but no gaps yet. A Wagner Bazin WB rider is the first of the day's early attackers to get a gap of more than just a few bike-lengths.Jelle Vermoote is that Wagner Bazin WB rider.
260KM TO GOVermoote has been brought back, and the peloton is all together. (Image credit: Getty Images)No rider has managed to get a gap since Vermoote. There are lots of riders trying, but too many for an appropriate break to form.
The likes of EF Education-EasyPost, Picnic PostNL, Intermarché - Wanty and Wagner Bazin WB are particularly prominent at the front, wanting to be a part of the break that will eventually form.(Image credit: Getty Images)Tadej Pogačar is happy to hover around the back for now. The only riders massed at the front are those trying to make sure they're part of the break.
250KM TO GOAlmost 20km into the race, and still no break. It's strangely subdued - the pace is high, and lots of teams want to get into the break, but most are chasing rather than trying to take the initiative and form the move.A group of about 15 has just become the first for a while to get a small gap of a few seconds, but has been reabsorbed too.
Bob Jungels has a gap of a few seconds. This must be the biggest gap we’ve seen so far, approaching ten seconds. Jungels is all out on his own though.
Crash in the peloton, the first of the day - Carlos Canal and Lennert Van Eetvelt are invlolved.Jungels has eased up and been caught, and now two counter-attackers have passed him to lead the race - a Wagner Bazin WB rider and one from Flanders - Baloise.The Wagner Bazin WB has sat up, for unclear reasons.
The Flanders - Baloise rider, Jules Hesters, is continuing on though. 240KM TO GOHesters has been caught. Still no break has formed, after nearly 40 minutes of racing.
A Q36.5 rider is the latest to get a small gap, but, once again, has no company. He's brought back, as is a group of about 10 that briefly had a few seconds.
There are too many wanting to get into the break for anybody to be happy with whatever group threatens to form.This move looks promising - it contains about 8 riders, and they've been allowed 10 seconds..
