tour of flanders news

Tour of Flanders 2024

Latest news from the race.

'I start to feel a little bit like myself again' says recovering Wout van Aert

Tour of Flanders gallery: Mathieu van der Poel and Elisa Longo Borghini's spectacular triumphs in pictures

Cancellara's Classics column: Mathieu van der Poel will break the Tour of Flanders record, it's just a matter of time

Tour of Flanders: Mathieu van der Poel smashes Monument with massive solo victory

As it happened: Mathieu van der Poel makes history with record-equalling Flanders win

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took an astounding solo victory at the Tour of Flanders 2024 when he rode away from the field with 45km remaining to stretch out to a winning margin of 1:02.

Behind him, a two-man breakaway of Alberto Bettiol (EF Education–EasyPost) and Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) was caught on the finish line by a chase group from which Luca Mozzato (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) sprinted to second place and Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) took third.

Matthews was later relegated for dangerous sprinting, allegedly deviating from his line to not allow Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) to pass him, meaning that fourth-place finisher Pollit moved onto the podium.

Van der Poel was in a league of his own when he attacked on the Koppenberg ascent, with only Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) able to keep any semblance of pace with the World Champion. However, with 40km remaining, Van der Pel moved to a margin of over 30 seconds and was squeezing seconds out of Jorgenson every kilometre.

By the ascent of the Kwaremont, Van der Poel had extended his margin over Jorgenson, Pedersen, and the growing chase group, leaving the remaining 37km an informal victory procession.

Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the Spring Classics- including reporting, breaking news and analysis from Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and more.  Find out more .

Tour of Flanders route

In 2024, the 108th Tour of Flanders returns to Antwerp which hosts the Tour alternately with Bruges. This year, the 279.8km course underwent several changes for safety reasons , but the finale, featuring Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont, remains unchanged. The pairing is among 17 climbs on the route, which also includes seven cobbled stretches.

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Tour of Flanders teams

• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Arkea-B&B Hotels
• Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora - hansgrohe
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
• EF Education - EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• INEOS Grenadiers
• Intermarché - Wanty
• Movistar Team
• Soudal Quick-Step
• Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL
• Team Jayco AlUla
• Team Visma - Lease a Bike
• UAE Team Emirates
• Israel - Premier Tech
• Lotto Dstny
• Uno-X Mobility
• Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
• Team Flanders - Baloise
• Tudor Pro Cycling Team

• Tour of Flanders 2024 route
• Tour of Flanders winners 1913-2023
• Tour of Flanders 2024 – Analysing the contenders

Latest Content on the Race

By Simone Giuliani published 7 April 24

News 'I never received more messages, presents, mails… This made me smile more and suffer less' says rider after Dwars door Vlaanderen crash

By Laura Weislo published 1 April 24

Premium Rain creates chaos on the Koppenberg as World Champion and Italian Champion fly to victory

By Fabian Cancellara published 1 April 24

Analysis Alpecin-Deceuninck come up big for the world champion on the big occasion

Now for Paris-Roubaix: Flanders winner Mathieu van der Poel trains in Spain for Hell of the North

By Alasdair Fotheringham published 1 April 24

News World Champion could complete Classics campaign at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Rebuilding a destroyed rider - Longo Borghini dedicates Tour of Flanders win to trainer

By James Moultrie published 1 April 24

News ‘He was the one that had faith in me, always believing that I could come back and come back strong’ says Italian champion

‘Hopefully I can fight for the win one day’ – Magnus Sheffield shows resolve at Tour of Flanders

By Barry Ryan published 1 April 24

News American takes sixth after a day chasing the ‘alien’ Mathieu van der Poel

'Immortalise this moment' – Mozzato's Tour of Flanders second gives Arkea B&B its first Monument podium

By Simone Giuliani published 31 March 24

News 'If someone had said to me this morning you’re going to be in the top 20 I’d have been happy' says race runner up

'A nightmare' – Koppenberg brings havoc to Tour of Flanders

By Barry Ryan published 31 March 24

News Ronde winner Van der Poel dismisses idea climb should be removed from race

'The lights went out' - Matteo Jorgenson fades behind Van der Poel at Tour of Flanders

By James Moultrie published 31 March 24

News Young American last to drop on the Koppenberg in brutal edition of De Ronde but falls to 31st by the line

'I knew the Koppenberg would be chaos' – Mathieu van der Poel conquers Tour of Flanders on toughest climb

News Dutchman solo for 44km as he claims record-equalling third Ronde win

Top News on the Race

Michael Matthews relegated from third place at Tour of Flanders for dangerous sprinting

‘We need to get in front of Van der Poel’ - Riders prepare to attack early at Tour of Flanders

‘I don’t care’ – Julian Alaphilippe downplays impact of Patrick Lefevere criticism

'You can never count us out' - Matteo Jorgenson warns against underestimating Visma in Tour of Flanders

Former Tour of Flanders winner Asgreen predicts 'new dynamic' on Sunday

Related features.

Cancellara’s Classics column: Attack might be Mathieu van der Poel’s best form of defence in chaotic Tour of Flanders

Mathieu van der Poel in a world of his own ahead of Tour of Flanders

'I'm the last of the romantic racers' - Alberto Bettiol returns to the Tour of Flanders with form and ambition

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Singing in the rain: Untouchable Van der Poel wins Tour of Flanders for record-equaling 3rd time

Netherland’s Mathieu van der Poel of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team holds his bike up at the finish line after taking first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Elisa Longo-Borghini of the Lidl-Trek team, center, crosses the finish line to take first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Netherland’s Mathieu van der Poel of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, center, is congratulated after taking first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Netherland’s Mathieu van der Poel of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team reacts after crossing the finish line to take first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Netherland’s Mathieu Van Der Poel, center left, rides with the pack through the historical center of Oudenaarde, Belgium, during the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Norway’s Jonas Abrahamson of the Uno-X Mobility team, center, and Serbia’s Dusan Rajovic of the Bahrain Victorious team, center right, ride with the pack through the historical center of Oudenaarde, Belgium, during the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Netherland’s Mathieu Van Der Poel, center, rides with the pack through the historical center of Oudenaarde, Belgium, during the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Elisa Longo-Borghini of the Lidl-Trek team, center, speaks with the media after crossing the finish line to take first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Elisa Longo-Borghini of the Lidl-Trek team crosses the finish line to take first place in the Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, Belgium on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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OUDENAARDE, Belgium (AP) — World champion Mathieu van der Poel was untouchable in tough, rainy conditions on Sunday as the Dutch rider claimed a record-equaling third win at the Tour of Flanders cobbled classic, one of cycling’s most challenging one-day races.

In the absence of several rivals, Van der Poel was the favorite from the start. He met expectations in style with a long-range attack in a brutal climb.

The Tour of Flanders is one of the “monuments” of cycling — the five most prestigious one-day events in the sport — along with Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro di Lombardia.

First held in 1913, the race is also known as De Ronde (The Tour). It features multiple short but punishing climbs and is one of the two classics with cobblestone sections along with Paris-Roubaix.

Elisa Longo Borghini won the women’s race to claim a second title following her 2015 victory in Flanders. She won a sprint ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma and Shirin van Anrooij.

Van der Poel attacked from a group of contenders in the ascent of the Koppenberg, with about 45 kilometers (28 miles) left in the race.

Ivan Garcia Cortina, the lone remaining breakaway rider, had a mechanical problem and was swallowed on the cobbles made slippery by the rain. Most of the riders had to dismount and walk up the iconic climb while Van der Poel, sitting firmly on his saddle, used his immense power to reach the top of the hill first, and then destroyed the field.

Spurred on by thousands of vociferous fans lining the roads, Van der Poel did not look back afterward and opened a huge gap as he continued his amazing solo effort in the remaining climbs. Van der Poel slowed down near the finish and, once he crossed the line, held up his bike in triumph.

Van der Poel joined a group of riders with the most Tour of Flanders wins (3), along with Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara.

Luca Mozzato was the best of the chasers to clinch second place, ahead of Nils Politt after Michael Matthews was relegated from third to 11th following a jury decision.

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar skipped the race this year, focusing instead on his preparations for Liege-Bastogne-Liege on April 21 and the Giro d’Italia in May. Other big names missing included Wout van Aert and fellow Belgian rider Jasper Stuyven, who were both ruled out after crashing at high speed during a preparation event last week.

Cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

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Mathieu van der Poel crushes rivals to claim third Tour of Flanders title

• Men’s world champion produces devastating attack on cobbles
• Elisa Longo Borghini wins women’s race in sprint finish

The men’s world champion, Mathieu van der Poel, crushed his rivals with a devastating long-range attack to claim his third Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

In the women’s race, the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini came home first after outsprinting Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma and Shirin van Anrooij of the Netherlands.

Van der Poel, who now has five Monument titles to his name, produced a trademark brutal acceleration in the Koppenberg’s cobbled ascent, 45 kilometres from the finish, and never looked back as several riders had to step off their bikes. The cycling calendar has five Monuments: Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro di Lombardia.

Van der Poel also won Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix last year. He will be the heavy favourite for the Flanders-Roubaix double when he rides in the “Queen of the Classics” next Sunday.

The Dutchman, the first rider with five consecutive podium finishes on the Tour of Flanders, was in a class of his own in the Belgian rain in an event Wout van Aert missed after sustaining injuries in the Dwars door Vlaanderen one-day race on Wednesday.

The warm-up race was won by Matteo Jorgenson but the American cracked as he was chasing Van der Poel after the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider’s attack. The 29-year-old Van der Poel was in a class of his own and crossed the line more than a minute ahead of the Italian Luca Mozzato and the German Nils Politt, after the Australian Michael Matthews, initially third, was demoted following an irregular sprint after 270.8km.

Britain’s Josh Tarling (Ineos) was 17th, Owain Doull (EF Education-Easypost) was 19th, Tarling’s teammate Ben Turner was 38th and Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) was 50th of 87 finishers. Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion, did not take part in the race as he is focusing on a Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double this season.

Longo Borghini, of Lidl-Trek, was celebrating her second Tour of Flanders title, having won it first in 2015. Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) was the highest-placed British rider in the women’s event, 1min 46sec off the lead in 13th place.

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Tour of Flanders Men - Road race Men

Latest news

Gilbert tips van der poel as ‘favourite’ for paris-roubaix after ‘hardest ever race’.

02/04/2024 at 16:28

Victorious Van der Poel rode final 20km 'almost with my eyes shut'

31/03/2024 at 18:51

LIVE: Antwerp - Oudenaarde

Tour of Flanders Men - March 31st, 2024

Follow the Tour of Flanders Men Antwerp - Oudenaarde stage live with Eurosport. Antwerp - Oudenaarde starts at 8:20 AM on March 31st, 2024.

Catch the latest cycling news and find Tour of Flanders Men results , standings and routes. After Antwerp - Oudenaarde is done, be sure to check out the full schedule of stages and get live updates for the next stage. You can also find a list of previous winners .

Follow Rui Costa, Mathieu van der Poel, Mark Cavendish and other key riders to see who is dominating this season. See the hottest cycling teams in action - Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers and Cofidis to name a few.

Cycling fans can read breaking Tour of Flanders Men news headlines, interviews, expert commentary, replays & highlights. Keep up with all of this season’s top events, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

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Tour of Flanders Essentials: Favorites, Maps, Profiles, Course Changes, TV Listings, Start Lists, and More

World champions lotte kopecky and mathieu van der poel headline the belgian monument with some key route alterations: 'the kortekeer and the kanarieberg will not be included in the course this year.'.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

The Tour of Flanders brings the northern monuments to warp speed Sunday with arguably the greatest one-day race of the season.

Mathieu van der Poel and Lotte Kopecky line up in the rainbow bands as the five-star favorites in what will set the tone for two spectacular races.

Perhaps only Paris-Roubaix can surpass De Ronde for pure racing action, ultra-prestige, and high-level competition.

This year’s editions saw some late-hour drama, especially on the men’s side, with Wout van Aert set to miss the big date. On the women’s side, the unfolding contract talks about the future of Demi Vollering could play out on the roads this weekend.

Date : Sunday, March 31, 2024 Editions: 108th men, 21st women Start : Antwerp (men), Oudenaarde (women) Finish : Oudenaarde, both races Distance : 270.8km (men), 163km (women) Weather : 7C for start, 17C for finish. Slight chance of showers in morning, otherwise mostly cloudy. Easterly, southeasterly winds, 7 to 19km/h, with gusts up to 40km/h. Defending champions : Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)

TV listings: Plenty of options

USA : FloBikes will livestream the Tour of Flanders via its app for paid subscribers. Coverage starts for the men’s race at 03h55 EST and the women’s race at 09h00 EST.

Europe : Eurosport and Discovery+ will broadcast De Ronde via its app for paid subscribers. Some European nations will also pick up the broadcast, including RTBF, NOS, and RAI, and others.

Australia : SBS will be covering both the women’s and men’s races. Check local listings for times.

Favorites men’s race: No Wout, no Pogačar

Two big names are missing, and their collective absences will mark the outcome of the race.

Van Aert crashed so heavily at Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen that the Belgian superstar saw his entire spring campaign, including Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Amstel Gold, over in an instant.

Other injuries and illness on the super squad could see Matteo Jorgenson, already on a hot streak this spring, emerging as the leader at Visma-Lease a Bike.

The other missing star is defending champion Tadej Pogačar, who is bypassing Flanders altogether. After ripping across the Volta a Catalunya , he races next at Liège-Bastogne-Liège before heading to the Giro d’Italia.

That puts Van der Poel, already on a tear so far in 2024, firmly in the driver’s seat as the five-star favorite.

The reigning world champion can also match a record. A third win would put him on the same number of wins as Buysse, Magni, Leman, Museeuw, Boonen, and Cancellara.

Right behind him will be banged up Mads Pedersen. The big Dane also crashed Wednesday, but wasn’t nearly as bad as his teammate Jasper Stuyven, who’s out with a broke clavicle.

Other big names include Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Alberto Bettiol (EF Education – EasyPost), Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates), Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), and Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team).

Who will win? Without Van Aert or Pogačar to complicate things, Van der Poel is the odds-on favorite.

Top-10 in 2023

Favorites women’s race: SD Worx the favorites

Lotte Kopecky currently shares the record of most wins in Flanders’ Finest with Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel, Judith Arndt, and Annemiek van Vleuten

Joining Kopecky in Team SD Worx-Protime in Oudenaarde will be Marlen Reusser, Demi Vollering, and Lorena Wiebes, by far the deepest and strongest team in the race.

Lidl-Trek will be banging on the door, with Elisa Longo Borghini, Elisa Balsamo, Lizzie Deignan and Shirin Van Anrooij.

Marianne Vos is hot off a win at Dwars, with Canyon/SRAM Racing lining up with Katia Niewiadoma and Chloé Dygert bringing on the heat .

Kopecky has nearly been perfect so far this spring, and will be hard to beat.

Top 10 in 2023

A few key course changes for safety

There are a few significant changes for both courses.

After starting in Bruges last year, Antwerp will host the rollout Sunday, and the bunch will plow south straight toward the Flemish Ardennes. The finish of both races remains on the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.

The modern classic finales of the Paterberg-Oude Kwaremont combo remains unchanged for both the men’s and women’s races, but there are a few tweaks for safety reasons, with wider and faster roads.

“The changes in the first 100 km are safety-related choices. We have been looking even further for wide roads so that the peloton has more space in which to build up speed,” said race director Scott Sunderland. “The edition from Bruges, where we carried out a similar exercise for the opening hours of the race, showed how these wide roads led to high averages in the opening hours. That speed ultimately helped to determine the shape of the race and the strategic choices of the teams.”

As everyone saw with the tragic consequences in the men’s Dwars door Vlaanderen , the Kanarieberg and Kortekeer have been removed from the route.

“On the way to Kortekeer, the speed is high and the pressure within the peloton is very high,” Sunderland said. “But then we have also seen in the past two years that a few teams decide to quietly ride up the Kortekeer. The question then is: why should we want such a narrow climb on the course so early in the race? Isn’t it better to take out the Kortekeer and keep the race open?”

The organization also took out the Kanarieberg and the high-speed approach that provoked the horrific crash Wednesday that took down Van Aert and a host of others.

“There is a direction along which we have to go to the Kanarieberg. That goes downhill and the peloton reaches a speed of 90 km/h. Whereupon the road narrows from three lanes to one,” he said. “When you talk about safety, you have to look at it seriously.

“We have analyzed the editions of recent years. We looked at whether someone who attacked on the Kanarieberg or the Kortekeer ever stayed ahead. So no one.”

The race really starts to kick off at the Koppenberg, about 45km from the finish.

Unlike in previous years, the men and women will be taking the same route to the Bult van Melden this year.

“We have opted to change the approach for the men and to make it the same as the one for the women,” Sunderland said. “A choice for equality, but above all for reasons of safety. To be specific, this change means that after the first climb of the Paterberg, the riders will cycle on roads where it is easier to keep track of things. We are making the approach to the Koppenberg more straightforward and are taking out the descent and sharp bend just before the climb.”

With this change, the cars in the women’s race can follow the same detour as for the men’s race and team leaders can assist their riders all the way to the foot of the Koppenberg. With this change, the organization is eliminating a few points where the race had threatened to stall in recent years, something that caused a race stoppage in Wednesday’s Dwars race for the women.

“These situations were becoming too dangerous,” Sunderland said. “Safety is our highest priority. Furthermore, we also want to adapt our course to the way in which the peloton races. We want to anticipate and continue to develop the Tour to better serve the riders. And that is what we are doing with this change, but it does mean that both the Kortekeer and the Kanarieberg will not be included in the course this year. But we are adding the Kapelleberg.”

Americans in Flanders: A rare presence

Here’s a good trivia question for your next group ride: name the only U.S. rider to win the Tour of Flanders.

The answer is only one: Coryn Labecki in 2017, when she out-kicked Gracie Elvin and Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak in a reduced bunch sprint with Team DSM.

Kristin Armstrong was twice second (2008 and 2012) as the only other U.S. women to hit the prestigious podium.

On the men’s side, no American has ever won De Ronde, and George Hincapie finished third in the 2006 edition as the only U.S. men’s podium in race history.

Expected U.S. starters Sunday include Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), Ruth Edwards and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Labecki and Kristin Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale), and Heidi Franz (Lifeplus Wahoo).

Men’s starters Sunday include Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), and Riley Sheehan (Israel Premier Tech). Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), fifth last year in a breakout ride, is sidelined with injury .

Can one of them break through?

All in a day’s fun: Timeline from start to finish

08h15: Men’s team presentation, Antwerp Grote Markt 10h00: Start of the Men Elite, Ernest Van Dijckkaai Antwerp 11h45: Women’s team presentation, Markt Oudenaarde 13h05: Passage of the Men Elite, Markt Oudenaarde 13h25: Start of the Women Elite and first passage, Markt Oudenaarde 15h15: Passage of the Women Elite, Markt Oudenaarde 16h30: Finish of the men’s race, Minderbroedersstraat Oudenaarde 17h45: Finish of the women’s race, Minderbroedersstraat Oudenaarde

Women’s start list: Kopecky tops the charts

Women’s race map and profile

Men’s start list: Van Aert KO’d

Men’s race route and profile

Ranking the favorites: Kopecky and Van der Poel

Women’s race: 4 stars: Kopecky 3 stars: Vollering, Longo Borghini 2 stars: Niewiadoma, Reusser, Persico 1 star: Dygert, Vos, Van Anrooij

Men’s race: 4 stars: Van der Poel 3 stars: Pedersen, Jorgenson, Küng 2 stars: Skujiņš, Wellens, Mohorič, Benoot 1 star: Trentin, Bettiol, Merlier, Alaphilippe

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Paris-Roubaix 2024: Mathieu van der Poel retains classic cycling title in style

A blistering attack 60km from the finish saw Mathieu van der Poel make it back-to-back wins in the Paris-Roubaix men's road cycling classic.

The Dutch star, who last weekend claimed a third victory in the Tour of Flanders , surged clear of the lead group at the start of sector 13 -- the sectors count down from 29 to one - of the cobbles.

And the reigning road race world champion was able to avoid mechanical mishaps on the infamous terrain, coming home exactly three minutes clear on Sunday (7 April 2024) in the hardest one-day race on the road cycling calendar.

Speaking after the race, van der Poel said of his break, "I just wanted to make the race hard from thereon because I know that’s my strength. I felt super good today. When I had the gap, I knew that it was a tailwind to the finish for the most part.

"You always know in Roubaix a puncture is never far away, but I had quite a gap and the car also behind me so I was confident. And I could really enjoy the moment more than I could last week. I was really at my limit last week but today I felt incredible and I could really enjoy the last part.”

He also gave thanks to his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates, including second-placed Jasper Philipsen , saying, “I’m super proud of the boys and very happy to finish it off."

The 29-year-old is the first man since Tom Boonen in 2009 to win back-to-back Paris-Roubaix races, with the Belgian going on to claim a record-equalling four victories.

Van der Poel also became the eighth man to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same year, a feat last achieved by Fabian Cancellara in 2013.

Fellow world champion Lotte Kopecky claimed the fourth edition of the women's 'Paris-Roubaix Femmes' race on Saturday.

Kopecky was in a group of six riders entering the the Roubaix Velodrome, and the Belgian outsprinted Elisa Balsamo to secure her first Paris-Roubaix triumph.

Tour of Flanders 2024: Mathieu van der Poel converts Koppenberg attack into third triumph

• Mathieu van der Poel exclusive on switching between cycling disciplines: “It used to be easier”

Van der Poel on top again despite course criticism

The build-up to the 119th edition of the 'Hell of the North' was dominated by concerns about crashes after a number of riders were injured in the Itzulia Basque Country race on Thursday.

Two-time reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard suffered multiple injuries including a collapsed lung and broken collarbone, while Jay Vine avoided requiring spinal surgery having slid off into a concrete ditch.

The Australian will spend up to six weeks wearing a neck brace and is doubtful for both the Tour de France and the Olympic Games Paris 2024 .

Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic also face time on the sidelines after being caught up in the mass collision.

A new sharp U-turn was introduced on the Paris-Roubaix course this week to slow riders down before the Arenberg Forest section, a measure van der Poel had questioned on social media with the words, "Is this a joke?"

The 55.7km of cobbles in the 259.7km test are notoriously hard on both body and bike, but the pre-Arenberg chicane was free of incident. And the riders had not even reached the cobbles when a pile-up forced Elia Viviani to abandon.

The early cobbled sectors and strong winds triggered big splits in the peloton before the halfway stage.

Just after the Arenberg Forest section, a group of three made the first serious break with Stefan Küng , Nils Politt and van der Poel's Alpecin teammate Gianni Vermeersch going clear.

Tom Pidcock was among those working hard at the front of the pack, and the trio was soon reeled in before van der Poel made his decisive attack.

Denmark's former world road race champion Mads Pedersen tried to close the gap, but the presence of Alpecin riders Vermeesch and Philipsen in the chase group made his task almost impossible as van der Poel extended his lead to two minutes with 35km remaining.

Vermeesh was then dropped from the chase group, and New Zealander Laurence Pithie lost his front wheel on a bend transitioning from tarmac to the cobbles while in second place.

Despite a mighty effort, Pithie was unable to close the gap leaving Philipsen, Pedersen, Küng and Politt to fight it out for the podium places.

Philipsen attacked with 10km to go with Küng unable to go with him, but could not shake off the others.

Pedersen led the three into the velodrome, Politt moved alongside, but Philipsen found a gap down the inside to make it an Alpecin one-two ahead of the Dane with Politt fourth.

Results from Paris-Roubaix 2024 men's race (top six):

• Mathieu van der Poel (NED, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 5:25:58
• Jesper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3'00"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl-Trek) +3'00"
• Nils Politt (GER, UAE Team Emirates) +3'00"
• Stefan Küng (SUI, Groupama–FDJ) +3'15"
• Gianni Vermeersch (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3'47"

Results from Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2024 (top six):

• Lotte Kopecky (BEL, Team SD Worx-Protime) 3:47:13
• Elisa Balsamo (ITA, Lidl-Trek) +0"
• Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0"
• Marianne Vos (NED, Team Visma Lease A Bike) +0"
• Amber Kraak (NED, FDJ-Suez) +0"
• Ellen van Dijk (NED, Lidl-Trek) +6"

Related content

2024 Tour of Flanders: Preview, schedule, how to watch men's and women's cycling classic races live

Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Mads Pedersen beats Mathieu van der Poel in two-man sprint finish; Lorena Wiebes takes women's title

Milan-San Remo 2024: Jasper Philipsen wins in frenetic sprint to the finish

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How to Watch the Tour of Flanders

The fields for Sunday are absolutely stacked for one of the most exciting races on the spring calendar.

This season’s second Monument just might be the best.

The warm-up races with names we can barely pronounce wrapped-up with Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen, which means it’s time for the biggest race in Belgium and one of the hardest races on the men’s and women’s calendars: the Tour of Flanders (known locally as the Ronde van Vlaanderen , or more simply as the Ronde ). Here’s everything you need to know about the season’s second Monument.

For the first time since 2016, the 273K men’s race begins in Bruges. The course then zig-zags its way southeast toward the hills of the Flemish Ardennes, a region packed with short, steep (often cobbled) climbs which the locals call bergs . Once the race passes through Oudenaarde (home to the Tour of Flanders Museum), the action centers around two big loops, each featuring two climbs—the Oude Kwaremont (long, steady, and cobbled) and the Paterberg (short, steep, and cobbled)—that often determine the outcome of the race.

Filled with narrow farm roads (more like bike paths) that seem to wind endlessly around the Flemish countryside, it often takes years for riders to master the nuances of the course. And it’s early April, which means weather can be a factor as well (there’s nothing more slippery than cobblestones covered in wet manure). No wonder Belgians have won the race 69 times.

Of the 19 climbs in this year’s men’s race, the Koppenberg (44K from the finish line) is probably the most famous. Super-steep, cobbled, and narrow, this is where the race’s final phase begins. Riders who don’t hit the climb at the front of the peloton are often forced to get off their bikes and walk as the sudden deceleration caused by the abrupt change in terrain ripples backwards through the pack. The race is essentially over for anyone who doesn’t make it over the top in the top-25.

After the Koppenberg, five climbs remain, and recent editions of the Ronde have seen race-winning attacks launched on just about all of them. Lately it’s all come down to the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg combo, with special attention often given to the rolling road in between as riders try and surprise their rivals while they recover from the Kwaremont and prepare for the Paterberg.

Leaving out the portion from Bruges, the 156K women’s race begins and ends in Oudenaarde, with 13 of the bergs featured in the men’s event including–for the first time last year–the Koppenberg. In fact, the women’s and men’s finales are identical, with the Kruisberg, the Oude Kwaremont, and the Paterberg coming in quick succession providing the final launchpad for riders hoping to escape.

From the top of the final ascent of the Paterberg it’s only 13K to the finish line in Oudenaarde, a distance that several riders have covered alone in recent years. Sprints are rare in the Ronde–the race is too hard to see large groups make it to the finish line still in contention for the win–so if they happen they only happen in groups of 3 or 4.

How to Watch

We’ll be up early on Sunday, April 2 to watch the men as they hit the Oude Kwaremont for the first time (about 7:30 a.m. EDT). If that’s too early for you, set an alarm for about 9:30 a.m. EDT, the second passage over the cobbled ascent on the first of the Ronde’s two final circuits.

The men’s race should finish around 10:45 a.m. EDT, at which point the women (depending on their average speed) should be nearing or just over the Koppenberg. Their race should finish around 11:45 a.m. EDT, which means you’re in for at least 2+ hours of fantastic racing.

What Happened Last Year

With Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) out after testing positive for COVID-19, the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) entered the day as the top favorite. But van der Poel had a new foe: Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who was making his Flanders debut 1) to get a taste of the cobblestones in preparation for July’s Tour de France, and 2) because he’s Tadej Pogačar and he can pretty much be a contender in any race he enters.

And that proved to be the case as the two-time Tour de France champion attacked on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, then again on the Koppenberg, and finally on the last ascent of the Oude Kwaremont–with van der Poel the only rider able to follow him. The duo worked well together until the final kilometer, when van der Poel slowed, almost daring Pogačar to start the sprint. His deceleration allowed a small group of chasers to rejoin the duo, at which point the Dutchman accelerated, winning the race for the second time in three years. His compatriot Dylan van Baarle (INEOS Grenadiers) finished second, and France’s Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) took third. After botching the sprint, Pogačar was forced to settle for a disappointing fourth-place finish.

About an hour later, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) saved the day for the home fans, winning the women’s Tour of Flanders in the black-yellow-red jersey of the Belgian national champion.

An elite group of six came together after the final ascent of the Paterberg, including Kopecky, her teammates Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (who won the Ronde in 2021) and Marlen Reusser, and Movistar’s Annemiek van Vleuten (the defending champion).

With strength in numbers, SD Worx played its cards well. Reusser was the first to attack, a move quickly countered by van Vleuten. Then van den Broek-Blaak went, initially catching van Vleuten off-guard. The two-time Ronde winner recovered though, chasing down van den Broek-Blaak–but bringing Kopecky along for the ride. Once caught, van den Broek-Blaak rode for her teammate, leading out the sprint for the Belgian champion. She’s only the second Belgian to win the women’s Ronde.

Riders to Watch

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Winner of two of the last three editions–and Milan-Sanremo two weeks ago–van der Poel is the top favorite heading into Sunday’s men’s event. Yes, he lost last Friday’s E3 Saxo Bank Classic (a mini-Tour of Flanders) to van Aert, but he was clearly the strongest rider in the race and would have won had van Aert not (wisely) opted for a long-distance sprint (the Dutchman prefers shorter, more sudden accelerations). A win Sunday would put van der Poel alongside some of the sport’s greatest Classics riders atop the Ronde’s record books with an incredible three wins in five starts.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

Van Aert missed last year’s race after testing positive for COVID-19 a few days before the event, a big shame since the Belgian was in the form of his life and looked ready to avenge his narrow loss to van der Poel in 2020. Belgian seems to have timed his form just right again: he won Friday’s E3 Saxo Bank Classic and finished second after giving the win to his teammate, France’s Christophe Laporte , in Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem.

Van Aert seems to have finally learned to play a bit more poker, saving his energy for well-timed attacks and forcing other riders to share the responsibility of chasing other moves and driving key breakaways. If all goes as planned, on Sunday he’ll win his first cobbled Monument, becoming the first Belgian to win the Ronde since 2017.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Pogačar raced in two of last year’s cobbled Classics–Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders–seemingly just as preparation for the cobbled stage of July’s Tour de France. But Pog doesn’t start races for training: he finished 10th in Dwars door Vlaanderen and 4th in Flanders. Well, after messing up last year, he’s back and committed to winning it. Forming the third piece of a star-studded breakaway in Friday’s E3 Saxo Bank Classic, the Slovenian joined van der Poel and van Aert in the winning move. But winning Flanders is a tall order for the Slovenian: the climbs in Flanders aren’t long enough for him to drop the other two–and he can’t outsprint them. Watching Pogačar try and figure out a way to win could be this year’s most exciting storyline.

Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ)

We won’t be surprised if this plays out in a way similar to the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, with van der Poel, van Aert, and Pogačar breaking away to hog all the glory for themselves. But if there is an “upset,” we won’t be shocked if Mohorič or Küng is the rider to pull it off. Over the past two seasons they’ve put themselves firmly on a tier right below the “Big Three” in the cobbled Classics. Their teams are deep and experienced, and they both could profit should there be a stalemate among the top three contenders. Mohorič is an opportunist and will likely try and escape earlier than the others might expect; Küng is a time trialist and could prove hard to catch if he gets a gap late in the race.

Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx)

Team SD Worx is far and away the strongest in the race, and as they showed last year, they have several cards to play. Their captain will likely be Kopecky , the defending champion. Able to win alone or in a small group sprint, she should be the focal point of the team’s plans.

Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx)

Kopecky’s toughest competition might come from within her own team, most likely in the form of a rider who played a big role in helping her win last year: Reusser. The Swiss time trialist scored an amazing solo victory in Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem . A strong time trialist, if she gets away late in the race and other teams refuse to chase her (for fear of giving Kopecky a free ride to the finish line) they may never see her again.

Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx)

A stark contrast to Laporte and van Aert’s 1-2 finish in Ghent-Wevelgem (in which van Aert openly gifted the win to his teammate), Vollering outsprinted Kopecky to win Strade Bianche in March, a result that certainly made for some awkward post-race comments. Well, we could be in for a repeat: Vollering won Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen , and we’re wondering how she and Kopecky will coexist on Sunday. Will Vollering ride for her Belgian teammate? Will Kopecky chase her if she doesn’t? The race within this team will go a long way toward determining the Ronde’s final outcome.

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar)

Racing her final season as a professional, van Vleuten has had a relatively quiet spring thus far: she hasn’t competed since Strade Bianche (in early March) and shockingly hasn’t won a race yet this year. That said, we’ve learned to never discount the current world champion, who had a quiet spring in 2021 but then won both Dwars door Vlaanderen and Flanders in the same week. Overlooking her could prove fatal for the opposition.

Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma)

Vos has only raced twice so far this season, but the Dutch rider finished third in Dwars door Vlaanderen, a result that shows she’s right where she needs to be to add another Tour of Flanders to her resume (she won the race way back in 2013). She could be using Flanders to put the finishing touches on her form for next weekend’s Paris-Roubaix (one of the only major races missing from her palmares), but if a large group hits the finish line in Oudenaarde, she’s a good bet to win the field sprint.

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Tour of Flanders live stream 2024: How to watch Flemish cycling, start time

I t's safe to say that for Belgian cycling fans the Tour of Flanders is bigger than Christmas — way bigger. The climax to the Flemish cycling 'holy week' and the second cycling Monument of 2024 will see the worlds best Classics riders cover an epic 271 kilometers between Antwerp and Oudenaarde, taking in no less than 17 brutal cobbled climbs. 

Read on and we'll show you how to watch Tour of Flanders 2024 live streams from anywhere with a VPN , and potentially for FREE .

The build up is over and it’s time for the big one, the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen’. The hype has been growing since opening weekend in late February and has now reached fever pitch with the whole of Belgium buzzing in anticipation. 

Leaving Antwerp, the first half of the race is predominantly flat. Then, after 136 kilometers, the route arrives at the first of three ascents of the Oude Kwaremont and from here on it's brutal. The climbs and cobbled sectors come in rapid succession, each one hitting the riders hard and testing their strength and skill to the absolute limit.

The Koppenberg, the Mariaborrestraat, Steenbeekdries and Stationsberg will lead the riders to the climbs of the Taaienberg and Oude Kruisberg before hitting the Oude Kwaremont for a second time. Then the final combination of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg coming just 13 kilometers from the finish line is where the killer blows will almost certainly be dealt.

Last year’s winner Tadej Pogačar has decided to skip the race this year so the role of favorite passes over to Mathieu van der Poel who is in scintillating form having destroyed the field to win the E3 Saxo classic and also take second behind Mads Pederson at Gent Wevelgem. It’s Pederson who will lead the challenge against Van der Poel.

Read on to see how to catch the action from wherever you live.

FREE Tour of Flanders live streams

If you live in Belgium then you can look forward to a FREE Tour of Flanders live stream in 2024. Belgium's Sporza is set to serve up a free stream of this one-day UCI World Tour race.

Another great option for those in need of an English language commentary is the Tour of Flanders free live stream on SBS On-Demand in Australia.

But what if you're based in Belgium or Australia but aren't at home to catch that free Tour of Flanders coverage? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?

Don't worry — you can watch via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

Tour of Flanders 2024 live streams around the world

It's only natural that you might want to watch a 2024 Tour of Flanders live stream from your home country, but what if you're not there when the race is on?

Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.

They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite right now is NordVPN . It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 5,000 servers, across 60 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend.

Save loads on NordVPN in the spring sale! VIEW DEAL ON

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice . As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view an Australian service, you'd select Australia from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to SBS or another streaming service and watch the action.

How to watch a Tour of Flanders live stream in the U.S.

Cycling fans in the U.S. can watch the 2024 Tour of Flanders on  FloBikes . A subscription will set you back US$149.99 for the year or US$29.99 on a monthly basis.

And if you're currently out of the U.S. but still want to watch the race, then don't forget to explore  NordVPN  set out above.

How to watch a Tour of Flanders live stream in the U.K.

Live coverage of Tour of Flanders will be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+.

A 'standard' subscription to Discovery+ which includes Eurosport's cycling coverage will set you back £6.99 per month. The package includes year-round cycling streams as well as other live sports including snooker, tennis, motorsports, the Paris Olympic Games, and more.

A premium subscription, which includes all that plus TNT Sports (Premier League, Champions League and Europa League football plus rugby, wrestling, UFC, and MotoGP) costs an additional £30.99 per month.

If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch from abroad.

How to watch a Tour of Flanders live stream in Canada

Cycling fans in the Canada can watch the 2024 Tour of Flanders on  FloBikes . A subscription will set you back CAN$150 for the year or CAN$29.99 on a monthly basis.

Not at home right now? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're still in Canada.

Tour of Flanders 2024 route map

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How to watch Tour of Flanders 2023: Everything you need to live stream the first cobbled Monument of the season

The key information for the Ronde van Vlaanderen, which will take place on 2 April

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

• Livestream quick-guide
• What to expect in the race

What time is Tour of Flanders on?

Quick guide to watching tour of flanders 2023.

Like all of the calendar's biggest races, you can live stream the Tour of Flanders on GCN+ and Eurosport in the UK and FloBikes in the US. Subscription costs range from £6.99/month to $150/year.

Date: 2 April

AUS FREE live stream: SBS On Demand

UK: Stream on GCN+ and Eurosport Player (£6.99/mon)

US: Stream on FloBikes ($150/year / $30/mon)

Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with ExpressVPN

There are many VPN options out there but ExpressVPN has consistently been highly rated by our colleagues at Cycling Weekly sister site TechRadar.

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What to expect at Tour of Flanders

The Tour of Flanders marks the second monument of the season, and the first to take place in the cycling heartland of Belgium. 

Now in its 107th edition, the event is one of the oldest on the calendar, and always makes for thrilling racing. 

This year, the men's race will begin in Bruges, where the riders will roll out on a 270km route, punctuated by challenging cobbled climbs, en route to the finish in Oudenaarde. The women's peloton will tackle the same series of hellingen , but on a shorter course of 158km, starting and ending in Oudenaarde. 

As is customary at the Tour of Flanders, the finale will likely play out on the iconic climbs of the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. These two ascents, which both come in the final 20 kilometres, have long been the launchpad of choice for the ultimate race winners. 

Should Mathieu van der Poel defend his title in this year's men's event, the Dutchman will join an exclusive group of riders who have won the race three times, joining the likes of Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Johan Museeuw. 

The women's race, first held in 2004, has crowned an array of different champions, with Annemiek van Vleuten one of just three riders to have triumphed on two occasions. 

Latest Tour of Flanders news

Route breakdown: Men's race | Women's race

How to watch Tour of Flanders in Australia

 In Australia, the Tour of Flanders will be broadcast live, for free, on SBS . You can head to the SBS On Demand streaming service and watch the action, as well as replays and highlights.

Aussies away from home can use a VPN to watch the Tour of Flanders live stream free from abroad. Download the VPN, set your location to 'Australia' using the in-app menu and watch live as if you are back at home.

How to watch a Tour of Flanders live stream from outside your country

If you find yourself overseas on 2 April and struggling to access your usual streaming platforms due to geo-blocking restrictions, there's an easy solution. 

By using a VPN, a software tool that offers online privacy and the ability to change your IP address, you can access on-demand content and live TV as if you were at home. 

There are plenty of free VPNs but our sister site TechRadar recommends the paid ExpressVPN, which it consistently rates as the best VPN provider.

Use a VPN to watch 2023 Tour of Flanders from abroad:

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How to watch Tour of Flanders in the US

In the USA, FloBikes has the rights to Tour of Flanders, streaming both the men's and women's race throughout the day. The TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android. Subscriptions cost $150 a year.

Watch Tour of Flanders live stream on <a href="https://share.flosports.tv/aff_c?offer_id=4&aff_id=1196&source=cyclingweekly&aff_click_id=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flobikes.com%2F%3Futm_source%3Daff%7Baffiliate_id%7D%26utm_campaign%3D%7Boffer_id%7D%26session%3D%7Btransaction_id%7D&aff_sub2=hawk-article-url" data-link-merchant="flobikes.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> FloBikes from $30 FloBikes brings live access to a healthy assortment of races over the season including the Tour de France, Giro, Tour de Suisse, LBL and plenty more including the Tour of Flanders. A monthly subscription will cost you $30 while a yearly account will set you back $150 ($12.50 per month).

How to watch Tour of Flanders in the UK

In the UK, the race will be shown live on Eurosport, with live streams available on the Eurosport player, Discovery+ website and GCN+. Buying a pass for either of the first two options costs just £6.99 a month, and will auto-renew until you cancel. 

Year-long passes are available for £59.99, equating to a saving of £23.89.

If you only want the cycling, and not the other things that Eurosport offers, you can get a GCN+ subscription at a cost of £39.99 for the year, or you can buy a race pass for £6.99 per month. This will also give you access to the full racing calendar on the platform, as well as its documentaries, which are created and produced in-house.

If you happen to be abroad when the Tour of Flanders is on, you can watch the race hassle-free with a VPN. Simply download a VPN, set the country to your home location and stream as usual. 

There are several VPN options out there, but we think going with Express VPN is the best. Express VPN will also give you a 30-day money-back guarantee .  

UK coverage of the men's race will begin on GCN+ and Eurosport at 8:55 GMT . The women's event will then start five hours later, at 14:00 GMT . 

In the US , the men's race will be on from 4:55 ET on FloBikes, with coverage of the women's race beginning at 10:00 ET . 

Australian audiences will be able to watch the men's race from 18:25 ACT . The women's race will be on from 23:30 ACT . 

Sadly, if you're an Australian or US GCN+ subscriber, you don't get the Tour of Flanders included in your package. You can find the full list of races that GCN will be broadcasting in your country over on their helpful racing schedule .

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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.

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