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James Moultrie

'I was riding 650 watts and still couldn't follow' – Mathieu van der Poel cracks to finish second again behind 'unbeatable' Tadej Pogačar in Tour of Flanders

van der Poel Tadej Pogačar Mathieu van der Poel Flanders Tour of Flanders BELGA MAG JASPER JACOBS Philip Roodhooft Cyclingnews
Second Dutch Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech arrives on the podium of the men's race of the 'Ronde van Vlaanderen/ Tour des Flandres/ Tour of Flanders' UCI WorldTour one day cycling race, 278 km from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Sunday 05 April 2026.BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS (Photo by JASPER JACOBS / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP).

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) revealed that even 650 watts weren't enough for him to hold onto the back wheel of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) when he made his final race-winning move on the Oude Kwaremont during the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

The Dutch three-time winner once again played second fiddle to the superior World Champion, who became the eighth rider to claim a record third crown at De Ronde, and simply had to accept that Pogačar was stronger as he put on another exhibition over the cobbles of Flanders.

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