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Tour of Flanders: van der Poel bends Pogacar in a bewildering final sprint

2022-04-03T15:19:14.664Z


Already winner in 2020, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) won his second Tour of Flanders after a sprint he maneuvered


A beefy duel on Sunday between a Classics regular and a Ronde neophyte in a completely crazy final.

After being isolated for more than 15 km, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) almost stopped in the final straight, playing the best bluffer, before starting the sprint victorious.

A suspended moment which allowed Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) and Dylan van Baarle (Ineos-Grenadiers) to get back on their wheels!

The moment chosen by van der Poel to launch his sprint and frustrate Tadej Pogacar who found himself stuck in this quartet.

The Dutchman thus won his second Round ahead of van Baarle and Madouas, who became the first Frenchman to stand on a podium in the Tour of Flanders since Sylvain Chavanel in 2011. For his first participation in this Monument, Tadej Pogacar contented himself with fourth place.

#RVVmen



The podium of the 106th edition of Flanders' Finest!

💐


đŸ„‡Van der Poel @AlpecinFenix


â€‹â€‹đŸ„ˆVan Baarle @INEOSGrenadiers


đŸ„‰Madouas @groupamafdj_ct #RVV22

— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) April 3, 2022

Pogacar the strongest in Old Kwaremont

Under the gray clouds of the Flanders countryside, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) led a fierce fight until the last hectometres of the Tour of Flanders.

Despite the absence of one of the main favorites, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), positive for Covid, this Round 2022 has kept all its promises.

This year, the Belgian event was divided into several stages, but each time under the impetus of one of the two strong men of the day.

The fight started in Old Kwaremont (2,200 m at 4% average with max at 11.6%) 55 km from the finish.

As the breakaway of the day ended, Tadej Pogacar placed a first acceleration, leaving Mathieu van der Poel slightly off the hook while defending champion Kasper Asgreen and Mads Pedersen took the wheel of the Slovenian.

Madouas in contact with the royal duo

Then, the first passage in the Paterberg (360m at 12.9% average) allowed two surprise guests to try their luck.

Dylan van Baarle (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) had the opportunity to take about fifteen seconds ahead of the group of favorites.

A nest egg that the two men kept for a few kilometres.

Behind them, Tadej Pogacar gave a layer in the Koppenberg (600 m at 11.6% on average with max at 22%) before "suffering" the counter of his opponent of the day Mathieu van der Poel.

In this duel, only Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) managed to interfere in the role of referee.

The trio then rushed on the breakaway until taking it back 37 km from the finish in the Taaienberg (530 m at 6.6% on average with max at 15.8%).

🚮 ♂ Incredible duel between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel in the Paterberg!!

We are going to have an epic final between the two phenomena of world cycling.

#RVV22



▶ Follow the Tour of Flanders live: https://t.co/NQ0rJo5Psn pic.twitter.com/1Q8hfnyOKo

— francetvsport (@francetvsport) April 3, 2022

But the long-awaited fight between the last winner of the Tour de France and the winner of Through Flanders five days ago could only be a final clash for victory.

We had to wait until the second and final pass in Old Kwaremont, in front of a furious crowd to see the two strong men isolate themselves.

Tadej Pogacar tried to make a last attack in the Paterberg but this last mountain could not decide between the two men who concluded their epic on a final of the most tactical.

Surprised by van der Poel's wait-and-see attitude in the final of the Round, Pogacar, taken over by van Baarle and Madouas, threw up his hands in spite.

By discovering the Tour of Flanders, the Slovenian suffered the law of a master of the Classics who could not have waited a second longer before launching his sprint towards victory.

A stroke of genius that ejected Pogacar from the podium, who is not likely to forget it anytime soon.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2022-04-03

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