Tour of Flanders 2024: When is it? Who is riding? How to watch

The second Monument race of the season will see the best men’s and women’s riders in the world tackle the gruelling cobbled climbs around Flanders.

The Tour of Flanders is one of the most iconic races on the cycling calendar and has been won by the likes of Eddy Merckx, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar and Lotte Kopecky.

Pogacar was victorious in the men’s race in 2023, while Kopecky claimed victory in the women’s race for the second year in a row.

Who will be crowned champions this time around?

We look at everything you need to know about the Tour of Flanders, including when the men’s and women’s races take place, how to watch on discovery+, the route, and who is racing…

When is the 2024 Tour of Flanders?

The 2024 Tour of Flanders will take place on Sunday, March 31.

How to watch Tour of Flanders

You can watch all of the action from the Tour of Flanders live on discovery+.

Coverage of the men’s race starts at 8:30 UK time, with the women’s race available to watch from 14:00.

Who is riding the Tour of Flanders?

Pogacar made a solo attack to win last year and deny Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) another triumph at the race.

Van der Poel, who has finished first, second, first, second over the last four years at the Tour of Flanders, is the favourite in the men’s race.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) should also be a leading contender.

Kopecky (SD Worx) looks the one to beat in the women’s race as she bids for a hat-trick of wins.

Team-mates Demi Vollering and Lorena Wiebes could also challenge, while Lidl-Trek’s hopes are on Elisa Longo Borghini, Elisa Balsamo and Lizzie Deignan.

Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) will continue her comeback from injury.

What is the route for the Tour of Flanders?

The men’s route covers 270.8km, starting in Antwerp and finishing in Oudenaarde.

There are 17 cobbled climbs and the steep Paterberg will be the last ascent with 13km of the race remaining.

The women’s race is shorter at 163km and starts and finishes in Oudenaarde.

It also ends with climbs up Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg before the run to the finish line.

Stream all the top cycling action, including the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, live and on-demand on discovery+.

‘Close to something historical’ – Van der Poel aiming for cyclo-cross record in 2025

Mathieu van der Poel is targeting the record of seven titles at the Cyclo-cross World Championships next year.

The 29-year-old Dutchman has six to his name with the current record set at seven, and with no signs of slowing down in his career, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has his sights on a seventh.

However, Van der Poel first discussed one of the finest wins of his career, in the Netherlands at the 2019 Amstel Gold.

He said of his reaction to the win: “I was a bit lost at first. I knew it hurt. I went pretty deep, so I had to lay down. I was just, it felt like a thousand people standing over me.

“It’s like a football stadium exploding while scoring a winning goal. In the moment itself, you don’t really appreciate, know what is going on. Afterwards, you see the images and it gives me goosebumps.

“It’s super difficult. I get this question quite often – what is your most beautiful victory – they all mean something to me. Some are bigger than others, but I think winning in the national jersey in the only Classic race left in the Netherlands, so maybe it was my breakthrough on the road, so that was something special. It means it was quite a big victory.”

Van der Poel was asked about what inspired him, and he replied that some of his inspiration comes from himself, but conceded that Wout van Aert provided a special challenge to be met.

He continued: “I’m used to it because I’ve already had some big appointments with cycling. In the beginning when I was younger, it got me nervous, but now, I’m kind of used to it and I think nobody puts more pressure on me than I do myself, and I want to perform. I want to win, that’s why I started racing. I really love to win.

“I’m mainly concerned with myself, but to win you have to cause the rivals [to lose]. It keeps me on my edge. The better they are the better I have to be, and I think that’s what comes in sports. With Wout van Aert, of course, everyone knows the history we have. Now, Tadej Pogacar comes to do some classic races as well sometimes, and he’s also good at that. It’s good for me, keeps me on my edge.”

Speaking of the seventh potential rival, he admitted that 2025 would be the year he attempts to reach the record number.

“I have goals but I’ve not changed this,” he answered. “I try to be the best version of myself every year and hopefully, the rest comes. I’m getting close to doing something historical and you get remembered by those kinds of things, so it will be a goal next year to try and break the record. It’s my first passion.”

picture

Dutch Mathieu van der Poel pictured in action during the men elite road race at the UCI World Championships Cycling, 271,1km from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Scotland

Image credit: Getty Images

He also discussed some of the toughest wins that had come his way, and he reflected on the 2023 World Championships in road racing.

In Glasgow, he crashed heavily – hurting himself and damaging a shoe in the process – but sprung back to his feet in order to get back on his bike, and ultimately claimed an impressive win.

He explained: “Instinctively, I just jumped back on the bike. I hoped everything was okay, luckily it was, and I could continue with the adrenaline. If I had to name one of my best victories, for sure this would be in the top five.

“The way it developed it was one of my hardest races. That day I felt super good and I was thinking about trying to win the World Championship. I think after winning two monuments already, becoming world champion was a year to remember. I will remember last year forever.

“The classics are a big goal again. For me, I have the same races as I did last year, and in the summer… It’s quite difficult with the Olympics, but I still aim to compete in the mountain bikes and road.”

Stream top cycling action, including the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, live and on-demand on Eurosport, the Eurosport app and discovery+.

‘Absolutely amazing!’ – Schultz holds off sprinting Pogacar to win Volta a Catalunya opener

Stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya served up a thrilling finish as Nicholas Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech) held off a sprinting Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) to claim victory. Schultz looked like he was going to be caught after making a solo attack on an uphill finish, but he found the energy to just cross the line ahead of Pogacar, who was coming up fast.

Pogacar says he ‘stuck to’ the plan & ‘couldn’t do much better’ after third place at Milano-Sanremo

Tadej Pogacar has said that UAE Team Emirates “had a plan and stuck to it” at Milano-Sanremo, and “they couldn’t do much better” than his third-placed finish.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the race with a fantastic sprint finish in Sanremo, where the Belgian left Pogacar in his wake, after assistance from last year’s winner and his team-mate Mathieu van der Poel, who finished 10th.

Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) took second spot. It was the third time on the podium for Matthews, his first second place, from 11 appearances across a 15-year cycling career.

Pogacar did, however, show excellent resilience on his own in the final stretch, outlasting Lidl-Trek’s elite sprinters Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven in the final kilometres.

“We had a plan and stuck to it,” Pogacar told Eurosport after the race.

“We missed little bits – maybe 10% – on Cipressa and after. The team had to wait too long on the Poggio, so it wasn’t too hard, and I tried to attack twice.

“I had incredible legs, but this year was not hard enough to be a climber’s race. I did everything I could to get third place. In this situation, I couldn’t have done much better. It was close.

“Today was one of the easiest races ever. We rode at a super easy tempo in the first few hours, but everything needed to be perfect, and today everything was not perfect.

“We did really good and I think the podium was the [best] we could do.”

picture

‘Crazy end to the race’ – Philipsen seals stunning victory at Milano-Sanremo

Stream top cycling live and on-demand on discovery+.

‘The plan failed massively’ – Blythe on UAE tactics as Pogacar finishes third at Milano-Sanremo

Eurosport expert Adam Blythe has said that UAE Team Emirates’ Milano-Sanremo plan “failed massively” after Tadej Pogacar finished third on the Italian west coast.

Pogacar, however, was left alone on the Poggio di Sanremo, as the Slovenian finished as the only UAE rider in the top 10.

Speaking on the Breakaway show on Eurosport after the race, Blythe, winner of the National Championships road race in 2016, said that UAE’s plan had “failed massively”, with fellow Eurosport expert Dan Lloyd saying that Pogacar would be “very frustrated” afterwards.

“I think the plan failed massively,” Blythe said.

“With a tailwind coming into the coast on the Poggio, [an earlier Pogacar attack] would have been suicidal,” added Blythe when he was asked whether Pogacar should have launched a long-range solo attack. “They started way too early on the Capi, going too hard early on and using up a lot of riders. [They were] ill-positioned massively coming into the Cipressa.

“Pogacar did what he set out to do. He attacked on the Poggio as he said he would, did it twice, created a small gap and then got it back when it all came back together. That guy beat some of the best sprinters in the world. He beat [Mads] Pedersen and [Jasper] Stuyven in the sprint. The guys he beat – third place is the best-possible outcome for him.”

Lloyd agreed, and believed that Pogacar would cut a frustrated figure afterwards. He also questioned the team’s tactics.

picture

‘I’m here to win today’ – Pedersen feeling confident ahead of Milano-Sanremo

“They kept with the plan they had,” Lloyd said. “Where was Diego Ulissi? There were a couple of riders on the scene like Marc Hirschi who was loitering but never actually did a job on the front, and that’s what I feel like they were missing.

“They did go hard on the Tre Capi, and you could see the riders suffering there, but they’d already used [Domen] Novak there. They’d used [Alessandro] Covi as well. It meant that Tim Wellens was already being asked to go on the Cipressa. The plan would have been not to use [him] on the Cipressa, to save him for the Poggio to ramp it up there.

“That’s why the Poggio wasn’t raced super hard because every other team was looking at them knowing what [they] want[ed] to do, and it was up to them to do it. They didn’t have the numbers left to do it.

“Behind the scenes, Pogacar is going to be very frustrated. That’s the first time he’s got separation on the Poggio from anybody else. This year, he had amazing legs. He had to leave it close to the finale to make his move.”

picture

Strade Bianche highlights: Pogacar destroys everyone with wild solo attack

Stream top cycling live and on-demand on discovery+.

Crazy finale sees Philipsen sprint away from Pogacar and Van der Poel to win Milano-Sanremo

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) left Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) in his wake to sprint to a stunning victory at Milano-Sanremo.

The vaunted latter duo were all set for a showdown late on, but it was the Belgian who capitalised in the last 100 metres to storm to his win.

It had been all quiet on the penultimate climb – the Cipressa – but when the pack hit the final ascent of the Poggio, Pogacar – as he had said he would pre-race – attacked and with his second dig, was only followed my Van der Poel.

But Britain’s Tom Pidcock caught them on the descent, and when the other chasers did too, it was Philipsen who picked his moment perfectly in a three-up sprint.

Crazy finale sees Philipsen sprint away from Pogacar and Van der Poel to win Milano-Sanremo

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) left Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) in his wake to sprint to a stunning victory at Milano-Sanremo.

The vaunted latter duo were all set for a showdown late on, but it was the Belgian who capitalised in the last 100 metres to storm to his win.

It had been all quiet on the penultimate climb – the Cipressa – but when the pack hit the final ascent of the Poggio, Pogacar – as he had said he would pre-race – attacked and with his second dig, was only followed my Van der Poel.

But Britain’s Tom Pidcock caught them on the descent, and when the other chasers did too, it was Philipsen who picked his moment perfectly in a three-up sprint.

Crazy finale sees Philipsen sprint away from Pogacar and Van der Poel to win Milano-Sanremo

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) left Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) in his wake to sprint to a stunning victory at Milano-Sanremo.

The vaunted latter duo were all set for a showdown late on, but it was the Belgian who capitalised in the last 100 metres to storm to his win.

It had been all quiet on the penultimate climb – the Cipressa – but when the pack hit the final ascent of the Poggio, Pogacar – as he had said he would pre-race – attacked and with his second dig, was only followed my Van der Poel.

But Britain’s Tom Pidcock caught them on the descent, and when the other chasers did too, it was Philipsen who picked his moment perfectly in a three-up sprint.

Pogacar reveals where he aims to launch attack at Milano-Sanremo

Tadej Pogacar has revealed where he plans to launch his attack at Milano-Sanremo, the first Monument of the cycling season – live on Saturday on Eurosport and discovery+.

The UAE Team Emirates rider was open about his plans pre-race, as he goes up against Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) in the Dutchman’s first road appearance of the season.

“The distance of solo is ideal, 10 times less,” Pogacar told Eurosport, referring to the eight kilometres that stand between the bottom of the famed Poggio climb and the finish, as he hinted at his plans.

Pogacar’s “10 times less” comments referred to the move he made an astonishing 81km from the finish at the recent Strade Bianche, one he made stick all the way to the line to secure a momentous triumph.

“Approximately 10 times less, so around eight or six kilometres to go would be good to go solo, but I think everybody is thinking the same,” the Slovenian added.

Nobody has been able to make an attack on the Cipressa stick since 1996, with riders usually opting to make a last-ditch move on the Poggio, which is the final climb, or towards the finale on the Mediterranean coast.

picture

‘It is such a special one’ – Van der Poel ready for Milano-Sanremo defence

“I think it’s pretty clear that every time we come here as a team like this we try to make it make it hard on Cipressa and on Poggio,” Pogacar said. “So it’s pretty obvious today we’ll try something similar.”

And confirming where he plans to attack, he added: “On Poggio, we’ll try. We hope for good legs.”

picture

Strade Bianche highlights: Pogacar destroys everyone with wild solo attack

Pidcock: There is only one way Tadej can win

Also speaking ahead of the race to Eurosport, Ineos Grenadiers’ Tom Pidcock was asked whether he would be looking to make his own decisive moves on the climbs or the descents near the finale.

“Maybe a bit of both,” the Brit said. “The climb is simple, you need to follow and the end.

“For sure, we know UAE are going to make it as hard as possible, that’s their tactic. I think this is the only way Tadej can win.”

Pidcock has had a turbulent time at the Italian race in recent years and hopes to make amends on Saturday.

picture

Pidcock: There’s only one way Pogacar can win

“At the moment, pretty good,” Pidcock said about how he feels ahead of the race.

“Full of pasta and carbs, so at the moment, good. I’m really looking forward to it, it’s going to be nice.

“Last year I had a concussion so I couldn’t start, the year before I was sick and didn’t even finish, so I’m looking forward to racing the final today I hope.”

Stream the cycling season, including Milano-Sanremo, live on Eurosport and discovery+