Tadej Pogacar and Lotte Kopecky emerged as the standout winners at the 2025 Tour of Flanders, claiming victory in the men’s and women’s races respectively in a thrilling day of racing in Belgium.
Pogacar, back at the Tour of Flanders after skipping the 2024 edition to focus on the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, showed his class with a dominant ride. The Slovenian launched a powerful 19km solo attack from the Oude Kwaremont, pulling away from his rivals and never looking back. Crossing the finish line in Oudenaarde with arms raised in celebration, he secured his second career victory in the prestigious race, having first triumphed in 2023.
The 26-year-old came into the race as one of the favourites, riding high on a season that already included major titles at the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championships. His triumph also served as sweet revenge for his defeat to Mathieu van der Poel at Milan-San Remo earlier in the year.
Van der Poel, a three-time winner of the Tour of Flanders, was chasing a record fourth title but had to settle for third place. He was involved in a large crash during the race but managed to recover with help from teammate Edward Planckaert. Despite his efforts, he was unable to match Pogacar’s power on the climbs. Mads Pedersen of Denmark finished second, while Belgian favourites Wout Van Aert and Jasper Stuyven rounded out the top five.
Pogacar revealed that the plan had always been to make a move on the Oude Kwaremont. Even with setbacks caused by crashes that affected teammates like Jhonatan Narváez, Tim Wellens, and Florian Vermeersch, the team stuck to their strategy. Vermeersch, in particular, was praised for his resilience in chasing back to help with the final push.
Attention now turns to Paris-Roubaix, the next Monument on the calendar. While Pogacar admitted that Flanders suits his riding style more, he expressed readiness to embrace the challenge, buoyed by his current form.
In the women’s race, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky delivered a historic performance to claim her third Tour of Flanders title. After earlier wins in 2022 and 2023, she entered the race as the favourite and lived up to expectations. Kopecky managed the early chaos, which saw several crashes including one that ended the race for defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini.
Kopecky initially struggled to find her rhythm, feeling nervous and lacking good form on the first climbs. However, her confidence grew as the race progressed. Eventually, she found herself in a breakaway group of four riders. In the final kilometres, she timed her sprint to perfection, powering to victory ahead of France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Germany’s Liane Lippert.
Kopecky’s calm under pressure and tactical awareness made the difference in a race marred by crashes and unpredictability. Her win cements her place as one of the top classics riders of her generation and adds another prestigious title to her growing palmarès.
With Flanders complete, the Monument season rolls on, with Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Il Lombardia still to come. Pogacar and Kopecky have set a high standard, and both will now look to carry their form into the next major races.
