Tour of Flanders 2026 men’s race LIVE – Tadej Pogacar powers to his third Flanders victory, his fourth Monument title in a row

A couple of minutes down. For Mads Pedersen make it one more. This race has not disappointed.

A fantastic result for Evenepoel who surpassed the expectations of many and really gave the race something special.

And not a bad second, as they go.

A third Flanders, a twelfth monument, another in rainbows. Remarkable.

Yes, he knows. After 267km of hard riding, he looks as comfortable as ever.

He must know it's almost done. The tailwind means the kilometres are flying by.

Has someone given up? Has the other found something more? Perhaps a bit of both.

He hasn't given up on the podium, but 40 seconds at this point is a lot to ask of himself.

The last thing he wants is to fall victim to the dreaded bonk.

With the climbing done it looks over from where we are, with the time gap jumping around, but averaging around 20 seconds. But stranger things have happened. Evenepoel looked good on the Kwaremont but he's almost a minute further behind the Dutchman.

Pogacar flies around the corner to take on the short steep slope and gnarly cobbles of the Paterberg. This is where he's going to make sure, it seems.

Completing the climb in 3'02. That is monstrous. The clock says 12 seconds between the top two.

It looks like it, but maybe not. Certainly Pogacar has not shattered the belief of his big rival. It can't be more than ten seconds between them at halfway. This is less convincing than we've seen in the past.

And the gap opens immediately. One bike length, two. But Van der Poel is not giving up.

Just 2000m for Pogacar and Van der Poel to the foot of the Kwaremont. What is going through their minds?

In the distance, on the long straight sections of road, but close enough to encourage him to keep riding. Because it isn't over until it's over.