Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, April 6, 2026
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know. - Thomas Aquinas
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- April 6 - 11: Itzulia Basque Country (Tour of the Basque Country)
Upcoming racing:
- April 7 - 10: Région Pays de la Loire Tour
- April 8: Scheldeprijs
- April 12: Paris-Roubaix
Latest completed racing:
- April 5: Ronde van Vlaanderen
- April 4: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 4: NXT Classic
- April 3: Classic Adélie de Vitré
- April 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
- March 31: Paris-Camembert
- March 23 - 29: Volta a Catalunya
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- March 29: Gent-Wevelgem
- March 29: La Roue Tourangelle
- March 28: Classic Loire Atlantique
- March 27: E3 Saxo Classic
- March 25: Ronde Van Brugge - Tour of Bruges
- March 21: Milano-Sanremo
- March 20: Bredene Koksijde Classic
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from winner Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
Becoming the first rider in cycling history to win four Monuments in succession, Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG won the Ronde van Vlaanderen on Sunday afternoon. The world champion produced another exceptional performance in Belgium to defend his Tour of Flanders title and win De Ronde for the third time.
In doing so, Pogačar becomes a joint-record holder with three editions of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. This exclusive club also includes the runner-up on Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech). The two riders went toe-to-toe for the second Monument in a row, and just as at Milano-Sanremo in March, it was Pogačar that came out on top.
Tadej Pogacar wins the 2026 Tour of Flanders. Sirotti photo
The Slovenian has now won four Monuments in a row, dating back to last year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and this latest triumph takes him to 12 Monument Classics in total. Moving past Roger De Vlaeminck, who ended his illustrious career with 11 Monument wins, Pogačar now sits second in the all-time list, trailing just the great Eddy Merckx (19).
Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen success was achieved in a similar manner to his two previous victories, with Pogačar making his race-winning attack on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. Going solo with 18km to ride, Pogačar held his advantage over Van der Poel to the finish in Oudenaarde, where he could celebrate another legendary victory for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
It was another win that saw the whole Emirati squad deliver faultless displays in service of their leader, Pogačar.
First up for UAE Team Emirates-XRG was Mikkel Bjerg, who almost single-handedly controlled a 13-man breakaway for much of the day. With their advantage pegged, teammate Nils Politt came to the fore to reduce the time gap, before António Morgado dropped the hammer in favour of Pogačar. All the while, the defending champion had been ushered into position by the expert, Rui Oliveira.
Benoît Cosnefroy was unfortunate to be taken out by a crash at the foot of the Eikenberg, but even down a man, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates pressed on. It was soon to be Florian Vermeersch who made a race-defining acceleration on behalf of Pogačar.
Delivered to the foot of the cobbled climb by the selfless Politt, Vermeersch delivered a devastating acceleration from the very foot of the Molenberg climb. It was a repeat display from Omloop Nieuwsblad earlier in the spring, with the Belgian bending this unforgiving climb to his will.
Vermeersch’s turn of pace was enough to shred the peloton apart, with an elite selection of riders forming a breakaway group that would never again be caught by the peloton. Inside this group were both Vermeersch and Pogačar from UAE Team Emirates-XRG – a perfect situation for the Emirati squad.
From here to the finish, it was always going to be the strongest legs that made the difference, and so it proved.
On the penultimate ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogačar unleashed his first vicious acceleration, and it was enough to see off all but two of his competitors, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Van der Poel. The dogged Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) fought and fought to maintain contact, but the six-second gap over the top of the climb proved too much for the Belgian to close.
With 52km to go, the leading trio hit the Paterberg climb with fury, and this time it was Evenepoel who could not handle the pace of Pogačar. The Olympic champion was distanced heading over the crest of the climb, and would spend the rest of the race in no man’s land between the group of Pogačar/Van der Poel, and those chasing from behind.
As for the race-winning attack, this would come from Pogačar on the third and final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. There, the Slovenian made his move from the very start of the cobbles, to which Van der Poel could not respond. A gap of six seconds over the top of the climb was extended to 18 seconds over the top of the Paterberg, and from here to Oudenaarde, it only extended.
It was Pogačar’s third outing of the 2026 campaign, and his third victory taken with a solo attack. After Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo earlier in the spring, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider mastered the cobbled climbs of the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Now, a date with Paris-Roubaix awaits in a week’s time.
Pogačar: “It was a really crazy race today, I think. It was super hard from I don’t know which kilometre, and then it was a little bit of a waiting game before it was putting power through the pedals when the group formed. I was happy that we kind of cooperated and then it was in good favour for me.
“For sure, I didn’t want Remco back into the group [with me and Van der Poel], because I know how well his endurance is as a rider. He can always overcome in the end, and beat you, so I really tried to make a gap and it was good.
“I don’t race too much, so when I race, there is pressure to win. So far, everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy and then coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated and try to enjoy the cobbles.”
Content continues below the ads
Here's the Tour of Flanders report from third-place Remco Evenepoel's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
Remco Evenepoel finished his debut at the Ronde van Vlaanderen in third place. He secured the podium in Oudenaarde, 1:11 minutes behind winner Tadej Pogacar.
Remco completed the last 50 kilometres as a lone rider. When the race went over the Paterberg for the first time, Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, with whom Remco was still travelling at the time, took advantage of their routine on the cobblestones. For a long time, his gap to the leading duo was only a few seconds before the gap widened somewhat.
Remco Evenepoel: "It was an almost perfect debut for me. And as a team, we were outstanding too. It put me in a great position at the crucial moments. When the final got underway, it all came down to my legs. I believe I finished in the place I deserve. I definitely want to come back."
Remco Evenepoel finishes third. Sirotti photo
Once again in this classics season, the entire team performance was in a class of its own. Gianni Vermeersch in tenth place, Tim van Dijke in eleventh place and Laurence Pithie in 14th place were convincing. No other team can boast a comparable breadth in the final result.
Zak Dempster, Chief of Sports: "Remco's third place is a result that he can be really proud of. And also the whole team is proud on him, not only for the result but also the way for it. On top of everything we placed four riders in the Top 15. We were not only part of the race, we made it. The third place is the reward for the hard work."
For Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, it is the first podium in a Monument since Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2019.
Content continues below the ads
Here's the Tour of Flanders report from fourth-place Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Wout van Aert finished fourth in the Tour of Flanders after a strong race. The 31-year-old Belgian showed himself in the finale, just like Christophe Laporte, who eventually finished ninth. A bid for victory, however, was never really on the cards. Tadej Pogacar soloed to victory in Oudenaarde.
In the 110th edition of the Tour of Flanders, attention quickly turned to the demanding hilly section. As the riders hit the Wolvenberg, it was Laporte who made his move and helped open up the finale early on.
The race then completely exploded on the Molenberg. A group of favourites, including Laporte and Van Aert, created the first major split. On the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogacar then put in a hard acceleration. Van Aert initially looked like he might be able to follow, but eventually had to let the favourites go.
Wout van Aert finishes fourth.Sirotti photo
The Belgian, however, did not give up and kept fighting in the chase, which ultimately resulted in a fourth-place finish behind Pogacar, who soloed to victory. Further back, Laporte also rode a strong race, finishing ninth.
“The legs did the talking today,” Van Aert reflected honestly afterwards. “I was well positioned going into the Oude Kwaremont for the second time, but in the end I just couldn’t hold on for long enough. At the end, I blew up a little, which is something I’m quite disappointed about.”
Van Aert still produced a strong finish in the chase. “Mads and I worked well together in the chase, after which I kept fighting all the way to the finish. I’m satisfied with my performance, but I had hoped for a better result.”
Head of Racing Grischa Niermann also reflected on today’s race: “Unfortunately, Wout just couldn’t quite go with them, but the pecking order was clear today. Pogacar was by far the strongest. Wout can be proud of the race he rode. There were simply three riders who were stronger. Christophe also rode a strong race.”
Content continues below the ads
And here's the Ronde van Vlaanderen report from sixth-place Jasper Stuyven's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Jasper Stuyven continued his solid Classics campaign at the 110th Ronde van Vlaanderen, which this year took in 278.2 kilometers and 16 climbs. The fifth-longest edition of the legendary one-day race got underway from Antwerp and concluded in Oudenaarde, where the soon-to-be 34-year-old Belgian finished a remarkable sixth for his 12th top-ten in a Monument.
Jasper Stuyven on the Oude Kwaremont. Sirotti photo
Molenberg was one of the real difficulties of this long day, and also the place where the race was blown apart and the peloton got ripped to pieces after a big acceleration at the front of the already stretched out bunch. Stuyven didn’t miss a beat and quickly booked a spot in the strong group that formed and pushed clear, setting out in pursuit of the original breakaway.
Shortly thereafter, rain began falling, but that didn’t stop this group of big hitters from padding their advantage to more than half a minute, in the process catching the leaders with 80 kilometers to go. The second time up the Oude Kwaremont, a brutal acceleration narrowed down the newly-formed move to just three riders. Behind, Jasper did his best to limit the damage and went over the summit of this legendary hill as one of the eight riders in the chasing group that soon became clear would fight for the remaining places in the top ten.
Bad luck hit the experienced Belgian on the descent off the Koppenberg, where a rider crashed just in front of him; Stuyven couldn’t avoid him and he too hit the deck, but quickly got himself up and continued the race. Part of a trio that arrived at the finish after holding onto their gap over the chasers on the last ascent of the Paterberg, Jasper proved to be the fastest on the long finishing stretch and took sixth for his second Monument top ten of the season.
“It’s a pity that I crashed in the final 40 kilometers when that guy in front of me went into the ditch. Initially, I thought that my race was over, but despite this setback, I kept believing and giving everything I had. I felt good towards the finish and took a lot of heart from the fact others began losing contact with us. We can be content with our race, it was a good day for our team, and this makes us even more confident for next Sunday”, Jasper explained after the finish.