Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar claimed a remarkable series of Strava KOMs on his way to a commanding victory in the 2024 Tour of Flanders, marking his second-ever win at the prestigious Monument race. Pogačar’s impressive ride saw him set new record times on several verified segments, including the Oude Kruisberg, Oude Kwaremont (kasseien), and Koppenberg climbs.
Unlike his previous victory in the 2022 edition, where his efforts were flagged for violating Strava’s rules, Pogačar’s performance on Sunday went unchallenged, securing his eighth Monument title and his second major win of the 2024 season.
On his second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, one of the race’s most iconic climbs, Pogačar recorded a time of 2:49, surpassing the previous KOM by EF Education-EasyPost’s Kasper Asgreen by ten seconds. Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson, both from the Visma-Competitions team, matched Pogačar’s pace, but ultimately fell behind after pushing hard to stay with the Slovenian.
The Koppenberg, known for its brutal gradient, is a feared part of the Tour of Flanders course. However, Pogačar powered up the climb with authority, setting a new KOM of 1:38. He also recorded the best time on the full Koppenberg segment with a time of 3:09.
Perhaps his most impressive achievement came in the final 38 kilometers leading into Oudenaarde, where Pogačar shattered the previous record by a staggering 30 seconds. Averaging a blistering speed of 44 km/h, he completed the segment faster than Asgreen and Mathieu van der Poel did in 2021.
Pogačar’s KOM haul extended to the 10.91-kilometer Taaienberg-Hotond sector, where he finished in 15:31, beating Wout van Aert’s 2020 record by three seconds. Additionally, the World Champion now holds the KOM for the Oude Kruisberg segment, completing it in 1:32.
Reflecting on his performance, Pogačar commented, “The plan was to make it a hard race, to attack on the second time on the Kwaremont, and we executed that plan.”
Looking ahead, Pogačar will next compete in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, where he will make his debut in the legendary “Hell of the North.”
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