Mighty Pogacar equals record with third Flanders win

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders in imperious fashion after dropping Mathieu van der Poel 18km from the finish.

The 27-year-old has now won both Monument races this season, having triumphed at Milan-San Remo in March.

Sunday's victory draws Pogacar level with Van der Poel and six other cyclists on three wins at the Belgian event, having also won in 2023.

He now has 12 victories in Monuments - the five most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling - putting him clear in second in the all-time list behind only 19-time winner Eddy Merckx.

"It was a really crazy race today. I don't know what to say - super hard from I don't know which kilometre," Pogacar told Belgian television.

"I don't race too much, so when I race there is pressure to win. So far everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy.

"Coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated, but I try to enjoy the cobbles."

On his Flanders debut,double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held off fellow Belgian Wout van Aert for third in the 278km race, which features punchy climbs and a number of cobbled sections.

With 57km left to race Pogacar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel dropped the rest of the field with an acceleration on the second of three ascents up the Oude Kwaremont.

Evenepoel was left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, and steadily drifted away from the leading pair, who have won six of the last seven stagings of this event.

Pogacar and Van der Poel rode together for nearly 40km before the former put in a race-winning push on the final ride up the Oude Kwaremont.

Having crested the climb with a six-second advantage, the Slovenian world champion pulled away to deny his Dutch rival a record fourth win in the event.

Pogacar has now won all three of his races this season, and if he finishes first in Paris-Roubaix next weekend, he will become just the fourth man to win all five Monuments after the Belgian trio of Merckx, Rik van Looy and Roger de Vlaeminck.

He finished second on his debut at the event last year and will face fierce resistance from Van der Poel, who has won the last three Roubaix contests.

European champion Demi Vollering won her third Monument with victory in the Women's Tour of Flanders.

The Dutch rider, 29, made an similar move to Pogacar, dropping her challengers and cresting the Oude Kwaremont with a 19-second lead over Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Puck Pieterse.

Vollering finished the 164km race with a 45-second gap to Ferrand-Prevot, who easily beat Pieterse in the sprint for second, while record three-time winner Lotte Kopecky had to settle for fourth.