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Pogacar Holds Off Rising French Talent to Win Third Straight Liège‑Bastogne‑LiègeWorld champion Tadej Pogacar surged ahead of 19‑year‑old French debutant Paul Seixas on the final climb, securing his third consecutive Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège title and his fourth overall victory in the monument.Race Dynamics: How Pogacar Outpaced Seixas on the Final ClimbsPogacar stuck to his proven strategy, launching an attack on the Côte de la Redoute and then accelerating on the Côte de la Roche‑aux‑Faucons, where he broke away with less than 14 km to go. Seixas stayed on Pogacar’s wheel for nearly 20 km before being dropped, finishing 45 seconds behind.Numbers on the Road: Time, Distance, and Margin of VictoryRace distance: 259.5 kmWinning time: 5 h 50 m 28 sVictory margin: 45 seconds over SeixasMonument tally: 13 career monument wins2026 season titles: Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège, Tour of Flanders, Milan‑San RemoImplications for Cycling’s Monument Landscape and Pogacar’s LegacyThe triumph puts Pogacar one Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège win away from equalling Belgian great Eddy Merckx’s record of five victories. It also underscores his dominance across the three spring classics, while French hopes for a first national win since 1980 were dashed as Seixas finished second.What Lies Ahead: Pogacar’s Quest for the Elusive Eddy Merckx RecordWith the Tour de France looming later in the summer, Pogacar will aim to add another monument and potentially close the gap with Merckx’s legacy. Analysts expect his team to focus on preserving form for the Grand Tours while still targeting the remaining spring classics.

Wout van Aert broke a ten‑year drought at the Paris‑Roubaix on Sunday, out‑sprinting world champion Tadej Pogacar in one of cycling’s toughest cobbled classics. Both Van Aert and Pogacar suffered punctures during the race, as did their fellow Belgian rival Mathieu van der Poel, who endured two mechanical issues and was unable to contest the final sprint. Van Aert’s victory secured his second Monument title, following his 2020 Milan‑San Remo win. After neutralising Pogacar’s repeated attacks on the cobbles, Van Aert unleashed a decisive burst of speed on the Roubaix Velodrome, crossing the line ahead of the world champion. Jasper Stuyven completed the podium, finishing 13 seconds behind the winner. Van der Poel, who was chasing a fourth consecutive Paris‑Roubaix triumph, fell to fourth place after a mechanical problem on a treacherous sector cost him more than two minutes. “It’s everything to me, it’s been a goal since I first did this race. I stopped believing a lot of times but I would start believing again the next day,” Van Aert said, reflecting on the personal significance of the win after years of bad luck in the “Queen of the Classics.” The Visma‑Lease a Bike rider dedicated his victory to former teammate Michael Goolaerts, who tragically died after a cardiac arrest in the 2018 edition of the race. “Arriving for a final sprint with the world champion and beating him in a sprint is very special,” he added. Pogacar entered the race after clinching the first two Monument classics of the season – the Milan‑San Remo and the Tour of Flanders – and was aiming to become the first Tour de France champion to win Paris‑Roubaix since Bernard Hinault in 1981.

Tadej Pogacar, the winner of the Tour of Flanders for a record-equalling third time, is among the riders under investigation for allegedly running a red light at a railway crossing during the race on Sunday. The incident occurred when Pogacar, along with a group of riders, proceeded through the crossing without stopping, while most of the peloton behind them had to halt before the railway. Belgian officials have confirmed that an investigation is underway into the riders who allegedly ran the red light. Although no further details were provided immediately, local media reports suggest that the riders could face fines ranging from €320 to €4,000 (£279 to £3487) and a driving ban of eight days if found guilty. Pogacar, who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, explained after the race that the signal to stop came too late for them. He described the situation, saying, “Suddenly three guys jump on the middle of the road and start waving to stop. How can you stop in one second? I think they could prevent this by stopping us before, no? Not 10 metres before the crossing. I was thinking: ‘Maybe it’s like some protesters or something crazy is going on.’” The Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reported that the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office intends to prosecute the riders. Riders could face significant penalties, including fines and a driving ban, if convicted. Race officials ordered the riders who went through the red light to slow down so the rest of the peloton could catch up. The Tour of Flanders, also known as De Ronde (the Tour), is one of cycling’s most challenging one-day races and a “monument” of the sport. This year’s 278km route featured 16 short but punishing climbs and several cobblestone sections. Pogacar’s victory was notable, but the incident has overshadowed his achievement.

On Sunday, Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar captured his third Tour of Flanders title, matching the historic record after dropping his main rival Mathieu van der Poel with 18 km left to ride.Van der Poel had been chasing a fourth victory in the Monument, but Pogacar, fresh from a Milan‑San Remo win last month, completed a flawless spring‑classic double.The triumph raises Pogacar’s Monument tally to 12 victories, cementing his place second on the all‑time list behind Eddy Merckx. Having won all three of his races this season, a Paris‑Roubaix win next weekend would make him only the fourth rider ever to claim all five Monuments.Describing the race as “crazy” and “super‑hard”, Pogacar told Belgian TV that limited racing opportunities increase the pressure to win, but he was “more than happy” with how the day unfolded and will head to Roubaix “motivated” while trying to enjoy the cobbles.Last year’s Roubaix debut saw Pogacar finish runner‑up to Van der Poel, who secured his third consecutive victory there.Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel secured third place, ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert, after more than six hours covering 278 km of Flanders’ hilly, cobbled terrain.The event unfolded as a showdown among four of cycling’s biggest stars. Pogacar’s decisive move came on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, 57 km from the finish, where he shed all rivals except Van der Poel and Evenepoel.Evenepoel was subsequently left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, eventually finishing over a minute after Pogacar.After riding together for roughly 40 km, Pogacar launched his race‑winning attack on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont, gaining a six‑second edge that expanded to a comfortable margin at the line.In the women’s race, European champion Demi Vollering mirrored Pogacar’s tactics, breaking away on the Oude Kwaremont and winning by 19 seconds, with a 45‑second gap to second‑placed Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot.Vollering’s victory marks her third Monument win, adding to two Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège titles, while Lotte Kopecky finished fourth.