<\/p>\n
That assessment reframes the expected battle in Flanders. While Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert remain the most obvious challengers on this terrain, Bugno\u2019s view suggests the gap is not simply down to legs, but to how the race can be controlled long before the decisive climbs.<\/p>\n
Team strength shaping the race<\/p>\n
In recent editions, the Tour of Flanders has often been reduced to moments on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, but the route to those points is increasingly dictated by depth and positioning across the full 278 kilometres.<\/p>\n
For Bugno, that is where Pogacar\u2019s advantage becomes most apparent. With UAE Team Emirates – XRG able to impose structure early and sustain pressure deep into the race, the Slovenian is rarely forced to respond in isolation.<\/p>\n
That dynamic contrasts with riders such as Van der Poel and Van Aert, who, despite their own strength, have more frequently found themselves navigating decisive phases without the same level of collective backing.<\/p>\n
Bugno\u2019s wider view of the race reflects that imbalance, even as he acknowledges the quality across the field. \u201cThis time the number one favourite is Tadej Pogacar, although watch out for Van der Poel. We will also have to see how Van Aert is\u2026 and Remco Evenepoel, who is riding it for the first time. He could surprise, because I think the nature of this race suits his characteristics.\u201d<\/p>\n
A race shaped beyond individual strength<\/p>\n
That does not diminish Pogacar\u2019s individual standing in Bugno\u2019s eyes. If anything, it reinforces it, placing him at the centre of a race that can be bent to his strengths in multiple ways. \u201cThere are not several favourites, but just one. Truly, he has no rivals. He is a fantastic cyclist.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also pointed to Pogacar\u2019s recent performances as further evidence of the gap he has opened. \u201cDid you see his superiority at San Remo or Strade Bianche? It will be extremely difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even so, the presence of Van der Poel, Van Aert and the debuting Evenepoel ensures that Flanders will not be defined by one scenario alone. The question is not only who has the strongest legs, but who can navigate a race increasingly shaped by collective control as much as individual moments.<\/p>\n
Bugno\u2019s reading offers a clear shift in emphasis. Pogacar may stand at the top of the sport on his own merits, but in a race like the Tour of Flanders, it is the strength of the team around him that could prove decisive in turning that status into victory.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That assessment reframes the expected battle in Flanders. While Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585254,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85,6494,167262,19805],"class_list":["post-585253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-tadej-pogacar","tag-tour-of-flanders","tag-uae-team-emirates-xrg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}