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2022 Tour of Flanders - Ronde van Vlaanderen (World Tour)

106th edition: Sunday, April 3, 2022
Complete results

Complete results of every Tour of Flanders | 2021 edition | 2023 edition | Map | Photos | Start list | Video of Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story.

Antwerp - Oudenaarde, 272.5 km, 18 hills and 7 cobbled sectors.

Mathieu van der Poel was by far the strongest rider. A very deserved win. Photo: Getty Sport

Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Oudenaarde, Belgium at 1:30 PM, local time: 7C (45F), partly cloudy, with the wind from the northwest at 5 km/hr (3 mph). There is a 10% chance of rain.

The race: Two riders did not start: Wesley Kreder (Cofidis) & Soren Kragh Andersen (Team DSM)

Here's the organizer's race summary:

Just like in 2020 and 2021, the Tour of Flanders ended in a nerve-racking sprint. And just like the past two years, Van der Poel was one of the main protagonists. The Dutchman took his second victory in the Minderbroedersstraat, ahead of Van Baarle and Madouas.

The start of the 106th Tour of Flanders in Antwerp takes place at 10am. The fans are there to cheer on their favourites. After 15km we know the escapees of the day who will write the first hours of the race story. There are 9 of them: Dewulf (AG2R Citroën Team), Grignard (Lotto Soudal), Boaro (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Kanter (Movistar Team), Cofidis (Bohli), Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), De Vylder (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Mozzato (B&B Hotels - KTM) and Van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux).

The race remains closed for a while and the gap of the breakaway increases up to 4 minutes. With about 90km to go, the peloton is in turmoil. First Koch (Bora-hansgrohe) and Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) go off. Not much later a group separates with among others Stybar (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Bettiol (EF Education-Easypost), Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) and Vermeersch (Alpecin Fenix).

In the peloton, the men of TotalEnergies, Bahrain Victorious and UAE Team Emirates have to work hard. For a moment it looks like Asgreen and Van der Poel will make the jump to the front with an attack on Berg Ten Houte, but that doesn't happen. The trio of Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Geniets (Groupama-FDJ) and Swift (Team Arkéa-Samsic) goes for an attack on Kanarieberg and can make the crossing to the group of Pedersen. Meanwhile, the lead of the early breakaway riders drops below half a minute.

On the second climb of the Oude Kwaremont the peloton splits up. None other than Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) puts on a phenomenal acceleration and in one go sprints up the chasing group and the leading group. With Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) in his wheel he also takes Pedersen and Turner with him. Van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix) and Küng (Groupama-FDJ) initially miss the jump, but at the end of the Oude Kwaremont they can join too. On the Paterberg a new acceleration follows. Now Asgreen has a hard time.

After the Paterberg, Van Baarle (INEOS Grenadiers) and Wright (Bahrain Victorious) get away with two. More and more people join in the chasing group. On the Koppenberg it is again Pogacar who shakes the tree. Van der Poel follows, and so does Madouas (Groupama-FDJ). Then the gap falls. On the Taaienberg, Pogacar and Van der Poel join the front and we get a breakaway of five.

At the last time on the Oude Kwaremont, Pogacar sets the pace again. The only one who can follow is Van der Poel. The duo pull together to the final climb of the Paterberg. On the final climb it's Van der Poel who gets in trouble in the gutter, but Pogacar doesn't get away. The two of them ride to the finish in the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde. There the leaders play poker. Van Baarle and Madouas join their slipstream at 250m from the finish, just when Van der Poel starts his sprint.

Van der Poel takes his second victory, ahead of Van Baarle and Madouas. Pogacar gets blocked in the sprint and finishes in fourth place.

Complete results:

Photos

165 riders started, 62 abandined, leaving 103 classified finishers.

272.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 43.197 km/hr

2022 Tour of Flanders map:

2022 Tour of Flanders photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:

The start city of Antwerp provides a stunning setting for the team's presentation ceremony.

Team TotalEnergies is presented

Dylan van Baarle and Fred Wright on the Koppenberg

Tadej Pogacar on the Koppenberg with Valentin Madouas & Mathieu van der Poel just behind him.

Jan Tratnik

Here's Alexander Kristoff enjoying the cobbles of the Koppenberg.

Mads Pedersen

Sandy Dujardin

Mathieu van der Poel wins the Tour of Flanders.

Mathieu van der Poel celebrates his win.

The podium, from left: Dylan van Baarle (2nd), Mathieu van der Poel (1st) & Valentin Madouas (3rd)

Start list with back numbers, April 2, 2022:

Video of Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story