Mighty Pogacar equals record with third Flanders win

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders in imperious fashion after dropping Mathieu van der Poel 18km from the finish.

The 27-year-old has now won both Monument races this season, having triumphed at Milan-San Remo in March.

Sunday's victory draws Pogacar level with Van der Poel and six other cyclists on three wins at the Belgian event, having also won in 2023.

He now has 12 victories in Monuments - the five most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling - putting him clear in second in the all-time list behind only 19-time winner Eddy Merckx.

Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held off fellow Belgian Wout van Aert for third in the 278km race, which features punchy climbs and a number of cobbled sections.

With 57km left to race Pogacar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel dropped the rest of the field with an acceleration on the second of three ascents up the Oude Kwaremont.

Evenepoel was left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, and steadily drifted away from the leading pair, who have won six of the last seven stagings of this event.

Pogacar and Van der Poel rode together for nearly 40km before the former put in a race-winning push on the final ride up the Oude Kwaremont.

Having crested the climb with a six-second advantage, the Slovenian world champion pulled away to deny his Dutch rival a record fourth win in the event.