It was a dominant display that we\u2019ve become accustomed to as witness to Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a>. But every time we see it, it remains impressive. Every year, Poga\u010dar sets a climbing record, wins a record number of races, or breaks a 100-year-old curse.<\/p>\n On Sunday, he became a three-time champion of the Tour of Flanders, and we will soon see if this is the season where he can win all five monuments. Tadej Poga\u010dar is better than ever, and we have his power data to back it up. This is how he won the 110th edition of the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n The Four-Hour Warmup<\/p>\n In any monument, there is a multi-hour warmup period that is often forgotten. These are the kilometers that occur before most of us turn on the TV. But when it comes to performance and data analysis, these periods must not be forgotten.<\/p>\n The average rider at the Tour of Flanders burned 3,500-4,500 kJs in the first four hours of racing. This was the \u201ceasy\u201d part, by the way. As we get into the numbers below, remember that these are fatigued performances, not fresh numbers.<\/p>\n Why am I setting the cut-off at four hours of racing when there was still 100 kilometers to go? Because that\u2019s when Poga\u010dar started attacking.<\/p>\n Just before the Molenberg, UAE Team Emirates-XRG surprised the peloton with a full leadout into the base of the climb. Nils Politt and Florian Vermeesch went to the front and started pulling like freight trains with Poga\u010dar tucked in their wheels. Van der Poel was in good position whereas Van Aert was floundering. It took a few teammates sacrificing their races for him, but the Belgian made it back to the front just in time.<\/p>\n Vermeesch smashed up the Molenberg with such pace that only 10-15 riders were left at the front of the race. Poga\u010dar was there of course, along with Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Mads Pedersen. Also among the group was a Tour of Flanders debutant, a 63kg Belgian named Remco Evenepoel. If there was ever a race situation perfect for Evenepoel, it was this. With a group of about 15 riders going clear, there wouldn\u2019t be major battles for position. Rather, it would become a survival of the fittest.<\/p>\n At this point of the race, UAE Team Emirates-XRG\u2019s strategy was clear: death by a thousand cuts.<\/p>\n Instead of one big move on the Kwaremont, Paterberg, or Koppenberg, Poga\u010dar started launching attacks on every climb. With 57km to go, Poga\u010dar launched his telegraphed attack on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. He launched from the front of the group, so everyone could see it coming, but only Van Aert managed to immediately close the gap to his wheel.<\/p>\n Over the next three minutes, the entire race is flipped on its head.<\/p>\n First, Van der Poel started coming back to the lead group. Pedersen was dropping the wheel, Poga\u010dar and Van Aert were riding away, and Evenepoel was stuck in the middle. Nearing the top of the Kwaremont, Van Aert was starting to get dropped, while Van der Poel and Evenepoel had managed to catch Poga\u010dar\u2019s wheel. This is the moment where the elastic snapped for Van Aert. He was only three seconds behind the leaders at the top of the climb, but that gap would explode over the next few kilometers. One thing was now clear: the podium at this year\u2019s Tour of Flanders would be Evenepoel, Poga\u010dar, and Van der Poel \u2014 but in what order?<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar \u2013 Attack on the Second Oude Kwaremont<\/p>\n Time: 2:50 The next climb was the infamous Paterberg, a sharp and steep ascent lasting just over a minute. After all the brilliant work to make the lead group, Evenepoel ruined his race here by pulling with Poga\u010dar. The Belgian even took the lead partway up the Paterberg, half-wheeling Poga\u010dar before the Slovenian put in another acceleration. Just as Van Aert had been gapped on the Kwaremont, Evenepoel was now in the same position atop the Paterberg.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel climbed the Paterberg in 58 seconds, while Evenepoel was four seconds slower at 1:02. Those four seconds soon turned to five, then six, then eight\u2026The Belgian could almost reach out and touch the leading duo, but one final acceleration from Poga\u010dar blew open the gap for good. The winner of the Tour of Flanders would be either Van der Poel or Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar \u2013 Dropping Evenepoel on the First Paterberg<\/p>\n Time: 58 seconds Before the final attacks from Poga\u010dar, one could argue that the race was won and lost just after Evenepoel was dropped. This is the moment that Van der Poel started working with Poga\u010dar. For as strong as he is, Poga\u010dar is slower than Evenepoel on flat roads. The Belgian is a world and Olympic time trial champion, arguably the fastest rider ever in an aero position. Poga\u010dar could put a few seconds into Evenepoel on each climb, but then the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider would take back that time and more on the flats.<\/p>\n But the race changed when Van der Poel started to pull. That\u2019s when the gap on the flats stopped coming down. Instead, the gap started expanding, and Evenepoel lost sight of the leaders. Now it was down to two: Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel. The Dutchman looked stronger than ever, but so did Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar Deals the Knockout Blow<\/p>\n On the final ascent of the Kwaremont, Poga\u010dar gapped Van der Poel almost immediately. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider held the gap initially, but then it exploded after the Kwaremont\u2019s crest. Six seconds at the top turned to 13 on the descent, and 16 seconds by the top of the Paterberg. Tadej Poga\u010dar was simply too strong.<\/p>\n UAE Team Emirates-XRG\u2019s strategy is revealed in the climbing times. Poga\u010dar went 12 seconds slower on the final Kwaremont ascent compared to the second, but he still dropped Van der Poel. The Slovenian\u2019s greatest strength isn\u2019t his explosive power; it\u2019s his fatigue resistance. There are plenty of riders in the world who can match Poga\u010dar\u2019s 2:50 ascent of the Kwaremont. But after nearly six hours of racing, five full gas attacks, and two hours of swapping turns with Van der Poel and holding off Evenepoel, that\u2019s what makes Poga\u010dar the best rider in the world.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar \u2013 Dropping Van der Poel<\/p>\n Kwaremont: 3:02 at 480w (7.4w\/kg) The world champion won solo with a 34-second gap over Van der Poel and one minute 11 seconds over Evenepoel. Van Aert was fourth at more than two minutes down, with Pedersen finishing fifth, another 44 seconds behind.<\/p>\n For as dominant as his performance was, Poga\u010dar winning Paris-Roubaix is far from a certainty. Poga\u010dar didn\u2019t win the Tour of Flanders by a million miles, and his rivals made a number of key mistakes that directly contributed to their downfalls. If Van Aert had made the front group on the second Kwaremont, if Evenepoel hadn\u2019t overextended on the Paterberg, and if Van der Poel hadn\u2019t wasted precious energy pulling with Poga\u010dar, who knows that could have happened in the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n Power Analysis data courtesy of Strava<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Power](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Z8D_7083-2.jpg\"\/)
(Photo: Gruber Images)
\nPoga\u010dar\u2019s Countless Attacks<\/p>\n
Estimated Average Power: 530w (8.1w\/kg)
Attack on the steepest section: 1:13 at 640w (9.8w\/kg)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Pogacar-First-Paterberg.png\"\/)
Pogacar \u2013 First Paterberg<\/p>\n
Estimated Average Power: 650w (9.9w\/kg)<\/p>\n
Paterberg: 1:04 at ~610w (9.3w\/kg)<\/p>\n![\"Power](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Z8D_7651-2.jpg\"\/)
Tough day at the office. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/p>\n