Fierce rivals on the bike, but no sign of bad blood afterwards — that is the friendly side of the world’s top riders in 2026 in a nutshell. After the Tour of Flanders, it was once again on display with podium finishers Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel.In a backstage chat, the three could be seen laughing together. While the camera was focused on Pogačar and Van der Poel, Evenepoel suddenly walked through the shot with his backside in frame.
“Just giving the sponsor a bit of exposure,” he laughed, prompting Van der Poel to ask the Belgian about the gloves he had specially put on for the ceremony. “We’ve got a special sponsor for that,” Evenepoel fired back.
That led to more laughter. “Leave me alone, you’re bullying me,” Evenepoel then joked, as he squeezed himself in around his rivals.
Van der Poel then pulled out his phone for a selfie, which later appeared on his social media. Evenepoel had one final request: “Make sure you get my glove in there too!”
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Video: standoff between Van der Poel, Pogacar and Evenepoel after Tour of Flanders