Overview
Ronde van Vlaanderen
The Tour of Flanders is a men's Monument held each April in Belgium, crossing Flanders on a route shaped by short, steep cobbled climbs and narrow roads where positioning is critical. First run in 1913, it has become the defining race of the cobbled classics season.
Also known as: Tour of Flanders De Ronde Vlaanderens Mooiste
The Ronde is where cobbled greatness gets measured: Boonen, Cancellara, and Van der Poel all used it to define eras.
Race Notes
UpdatedMarch 5, 2026
MarketUnited States
Race hubs are the canonical route for evergreen context, route notes, and current watch destinations. Broadcast rights can move by market, and edition-level details stay current when race week approaches.
Why this race matters
Ronde van Vlaanderen feels like a national championship raised to Monument scale. It compresses the whole cobbled season into one afternoon of bergs, crosswinds, and constant fights for position, then asks the strongest riders to keep attacking after everyone else has already started to crack. Winners here are not just durable; they know exactly when to force separation. That is why the Ronde keeps producing career-defining victories and why its winners list matters far beyond Belgium.
Route DNA
The race is usually decided in the final 50 kilometers, when a succession of short, steep cobbled climbs strips the field down to riders who can still accelerate under pressure. The Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg form the defining sequence, and gaps opened there often do not come back. Positioning into each climb matters almost as much as the power to crest it. A solo win is common. A small-group sprint is possible. A large bunch finish is rare.
Oude Kwaremont
The long cobbled climb that appears twice in the final 50km. The second passage is where the Monument is typically decided.
Paterberg
Immediately after the Oude Kwaremont, the steep Paterberg at 20% is the last serious climb. Riders who attack here ride to the finish alone or in a tiny group.
Repeat Passages
The final circuit through the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg is raced twice, compounding fatigue and punishing anyone who lost position on the first passage.
Flat Run-In
After the Paterberg, roughly 13km of flat road remain. A solo leader can hold the gap; a small group will sprint for the Monument.
Iconic Moments
Most recent winner: Tadej Pogacar (2025)
Memorable Editions
2023
Pogacar shatters the mold
Tadej Pogacar attacked on the Oude Kwaremont with 40km to go and held off the entire Flemish classics field solo, becoming the first Grand Tour champion to win the Ronde in modern history.
2020
Van der Poel outsprints Van Aert
In a COVID-delayed October edition, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert went head to head in the most anticipated Flemish duel of their generation. Van der Poel won the sprint.
1985
Eric Vanderaerden storms Wetteren
In drenching rain, Vanderaerden won from a reduced group in the old Wetteren finish, producing one of the most iconic images in Belgian cycling.
1969
Eddy Merckx wins his first Ronde
The Cannibal attacked from distance and won solo, setting the template for how the race could be won by overwhelming force.
Iconic Victories
Tom Boonen
Three Ronde wins (2005, 2006, 2012) made the Belgian the face of modern Flemish classics racing and the most celebrated home winner of his era.
Mathieu van der Poel
Three wins (2020, 2022, 2024) in the Pogacar-van der Poel era have established the Dutchman as the supreme cobbled racer of his generation.
Tadej Pogacar
Pogacar broke the Ronde open from distance in 2023 and 2025, proving a Grand Tour rider could master Flanders through raw power and audacity.
Fabian Cancellara
Cancellara won three Rondes (2010, 2013, 2014) with devastating attacks on the Oude Kwaremont, dominating through sheer time-trial power on cobbles.
Johan Museeuw
The Lion of Flanders won three times (1993, 1995, 1998) and embodied the Flemish identity of the race like no other.
Signature Landmarks
The hellingen of Flanders: short, steep, cobbled, and arranged in a sequence that rewards endurance as much as explosive power.
Climb Oude Kwaremont
A 2.2km cobbled climb tackled twice in the finale. The second passage with 55km to go is where the race begins in earnest.
Climb Paterberg
The steepest climb on the course at 20%, just 400m long but decisive. The last real launchpad before the flat run to Oudenaarde.
Climb Koppenberg
One of the most feared cobbled walls in cycling. Its 22% gradient has forced riders off their bikes in wet conditions.
Climb Kanarieberg
A steep early-race climb that begins the attrition. Not decisive on its own, but it starts wearing down the peloton.
Climb Muur van Geraardsbergen
The iconic chapel-topped wall was the old race decider for decades. Now used earlier in the route, it remains a symbol of the Ronde.
Finish Oudenaarde
The modern finish town. The flat approach from the Paterberg makes it a solo rider's race or a tactical sprint from a small group.
