First news: the bad weather that had invaded Belgium over the past forty-eight hours had decided to take a break for the great annual mass of cycling in Flanders, marked by the absence of national champion Wout van Aert due to Covid.
After a morning break made up of nine riders and a minor fall by Tadej Pogacar shortly after the start, the race finally settled down on the climb to Molenberg (500m at 6.7%) about a hundred kilometers from the arrival with a first attack from the Dutchman Nahan Van Hooydock (Jumbo-Visma) and the German Jonas Koch (Bora-Hansgrohe).
In the Berendries (900 m at 6.8%), under the impetus of the Spaniard Garcia Cortina (Movistar), things were moving again with a runaway of nine runners in which the Dane Mads Pedersen (Trek -Segafredo), the Briton Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) or the French Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ).
But we had to wait for the ascent of Vieux Quarémont, 55 kilometers from the finish, to see the favorites finally put their noses out the window. It was Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) in person who ignited the powder by placing a huge acceleration that Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorius), Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers) and Laurent Madouas (Groupama-FDJ).
It was at this same strategic point in the race that the outgoing winner of the Round, the Dane Kasper Asgreen, lost all his chances due to a mechanical problem. In the same way as the entire Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl formation which was sadly absent from the debates throughout the day.
But it was said that this 106th edition of the Tour of Flanders should come down to a duel between the two big favourites, Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu Van der Poel. On the last climb of Quarémont, 17 kilometers from Oudenaarde, the Slovenian and the Dutchman managed to get rid of their runaway comrades. But not for good since looking at each other too much in anticipation of the final sprint, the pair of favorites saw the return of Van Baarle and Madouas three hundred meters from the line. Finally, Van der Poel made his burst of speed speak for himself to take the second Tour of Flanders of his career ahead of the Dutchman Van Baarle and the Frenchman Madouas. Pogacar, a great animator of this Round, had to settle for fourth place.