Much like Tadej Pogacar in Sunday’s Ronde final, I got stared down and boxed in by my relentless work schedule so let’s just pretend that this is going out on Tuesday. We have all the best Ronde tweets, some great photo galleries from the Grubers (as per usual!), baby pictures and much much more.
Starting at the finish
Stared down … STARED DOWN by Mathieu van der Poel … do not play poker with this guy. You’ll have to sign over your house by the end of the evening.
WHAT A RACE! 🔥 @mathieuvdpoel wins Flanders’ Finest after an amazing finale! @DylanvanBaarle 🥈and @MadouasValentin 🥉 join him on the podium. #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/hCp76KVyBg
— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) April 3, 2022
Grubers rule
One of the true joys of the Belgian spring is that Ashley and Jared Gruber are out and about and taking fantastic photos throughout the races. They set the platinum standard for race photography, in my book. Great angles, fabulous juxtapositions, those little incidental things that others miss. Here are some Ronde galleries to cherish.
How the race was won
This was it. Staring down and track standing were just the decorations on the cake, it was when MvdP refused to let Pog go on the Paterberg that he won the race.
I almost had a heart attack at this moment but Mathieu survived Pogacar's savage attack on Paterberg! Heading to a sprint. #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/WNZj1XDABW
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) April 3, 2022
Good lord. MvdP is in a wrestling match with that bike
— Just Pro Cycling (@justprocycling) April 3, 2022
The finale – as we’ve seen – was just gobsmacking.
— Zimbololo (@LoisHorwitz) April 3, 2022
#RVV22 pic.twitter.com/R5cfmUd64z
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) April 3, 2022
As always, we see what it means to the winner (and the one who misread the whole scenario)
🇧🇪 #RVV22
Those emotions! 😍@mathieuvdpoel | @GVermeersch pic.twitter.com/fFf1Xz350b
— Alpecin-Fenix Cycling Team (@AlpecinFenix) April 3, 2022
I missed WvA too, but he will have his day.
Mathieu van der Poel finishes a race and DOESN'T collapse = he missed Wout van Aert, he needed him 😉 #RVV22
— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) April 3, 2022
Wout van Aert right now pic.twitter.com/xfB12mWXrw
— Andy McGrath (@Andymcgra) April 3, 2022
That he risked defeat to win spectacularly – something I always love to see riders do.
He just had the cojones to risk other riders coming back and beating him in the sprint
— Peter. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿🚴♂️ (@PBXscribes) April 3, 2022
Pogačar's one mistake came at the most vital moment. Sensational race from 2nd time up the Oude Kwaremont, hard to believe that van der Poel was a doubt for this race a month ago. 1-2-1 in Flanders in the last three seasons
— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) April 3, 2022
Supreme confidence and calm from Mathieu van der Poel to win the Tour of Flanders. Glanced back to almost stare down Pogacar with less than 500m remaining, watched and waited still as the chasers caught up, then went inside the 250m mark. #RVV22
— Sophie Smith (@SophieSmith86) April 3, 2022
Give the man a burger, he earned it
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) April 3, 2022
The Tufts of Power™
Let us sing a song to Pog’s superhero hair
Unleash the tuft!#RVV22🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/XWz2I9EbfO
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) April 3, 2022
Tadej Pogačar with an incredible move on the Kwaremont! 🔥 He rides to the front of the race with one acceleration. #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/Z7ABOdFeMT
— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) April 3, 2022
Grabbed by the Tufty van Tufty tuft #RVV #couchpeloton
— tourdecouch (@tourdecouch) April 3, 2022
Our last hope of stopping Pogacar is shaving him bald
— Nairo Quintana Fanclub (@NairoInGreen) April 3, 2022
But the tufts let him down in the end …
There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Dylan Van Baarle did in that sprint, nothing. https://t.co/G3473DgS0Q
— Incoming Billionaire (@SirSmart) April 5, 2022
Let us not forget Valentin Madouas, who worked with van Baarle to catch MvdP and Pog …
🎙 Décla / 🇫🇷 @MadouasValentin (GFC) : "C'est tellement difficile, ça fait tellement mal aux jambes. C'est une de mes plus belles journées de vélo même s'il n'y a pas la victoire, je suis battu par des coureurs qui étaient tout simplement plus forts."
(📷 : Panoramic) pic.twitter.com/dSbP9hf2mR
— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) April 3, 2022
The tuft-on-tuft match-up
Madouas giving Pog a run for his money with hair tuft watts ⚡️⚡️⚡️ @VeloVoices
— Chuck 🍍 Pena (@gofastchuck) April 3, 2022
Valentin Madouas is the first Frenchman in ten years to finish on the Ronde van Vlaanderen podium.
— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) April 3, 2022
‘I’m cobble-bursting, Daddy!’
Le petit Valentin Madouas avec son cycliste de père. pic.twitter.com/h6FbDT6euj
— David Guénel (@davidguenel) April 3, 2022
The Gruppetto
From Wawa to Wiwi..! 😆
— Y Dihangiad (@ydihangiad) April 2, 2022
Pog was out on the cobbles of Arenberg this week – not because of Roubaix, but because of the Tour de France.
"We'll get him with that one"
— Nairo Quintana Fanclub (@NairoInGreen) April 3, 2022
I can’t help thinking about frat houses …
"We had the idea of staying in a house, being more together, creating that team atmosphere, and trying to build something special"
Heinrich Haussler shows us around Bahrain Victorious' house for the Classics
https://t.co/rP4j3FbFwn pic.twitter.com/dgaxq0UFLg— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) April 2, 2022
LOVE – the exuberance of Belinda
#NewsFeedZone 1 April 2022 – Episode 2
5 hottest topics of road cycling this week served straight out of the microwave!
Featuring a fun spot the difference game and instant regret.Comment below on your fave topic of the week. pic.twitter.com/sqOtxyEiNC
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) April 1, 2022
The last word
FUN FACT: The cobbles halfway point of the Taaienberg are made of mortality and despair.
— Slow Guy on the Fast Ride (@Slowguyfastride) April 3, 2022