'I could retire today and be proud' - Tadej Pogacar after brilliant Tour of Flanders win

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) basked in a day he will “never forget” after winning a maiden Tour of Flanders title on Sunday with a scintillating solo attack. The two-time Tour de France champion, who somehow contrived to finish fourth in a two-horse race in 2022, made his decisive attack on the penultimate climb – the Oude Kwaremont – distancing Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and quickly reeling in, and then passing, lone leader Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo). Ad He crested the final climb – the Paterberg – with a 14-second lead over Van der Poel, leaving a 12km time trial into the finish in Oudenaard.

Although Van der Poel had a real crack at the chase, the gap started to creep up, allowing Pogacar to start his celebrations on the home straight. Ronde van VlaanderenPogacar topples Van der Poel in Flanders thriller3 HOURS AGO “It was amazing. Today I will never forget,” the 24-year-old said.

“To go solo, I knew I had to go on Kwaremont the last time. I just gave it my all. I almost cracked on the Paterberg but I knew it was going to be tough.

It was the only way to get to the finish.” He added: “I could retire after today and be proud of my career.” Kopecky destroys field to defend Flanders crown Girmay run over in 'horrible' crash at Flanders, forced to abandon 'Awful' — Most of peloton wiped out in horror crash after Maciejuk hits puddle Pogacar joins Eddy Merckx as the second rider to win three different Monuments before the age of 25. Pogacar has won Liege–Bastogne–Liege (2021) and Giro di Lombardia (2021 and 2022), with Milano-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix the only Monuments missing from his bulging palmarès. The Slovenian was asked about a potential Monument sweep but admitted adding the last two will