Tadej Pogačar bags handful of Strava KOMs in Tour of Flanders onslaught
Slovenian tops the leaderboards on several verified segments but does not get flagged for efforts


Tadej Pogačar took a handful of major Strava KOMs on his way to his second-ever Tour of Flanders victory on Sunday, setting record times on the verified Oude Kruisberg, Oude Kwaremont (kasseien) and Koppenberg segments.
And unlike two years ago when he last won the Ronde, he wasn’t flagged for his efforts this time as he took his eighth Monument title and second major victory of the 2024 season.
His second ascent of the famous Oude Kwaremont cobbled climb earned him a time of 2:49, smashing the KOM previously set by EF Education EastPost's Kasper Asgreen by ten seconds. Visma-Lease a bike duo Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson both earned the same time after attempting to stay with the Slovenian, later paying for their efforts.
The Koppenberg climb has a fearsome reputation and is considered one of the toughest parts of the entire Flanders course. Pogačar, however, put the hammer down on the steep slopes and tore up the verified segment in a time of 1:38. He also took the KOM on the full climb segment of the Koppenberg with a time of 3:09.
One of his most notable KOMs came in the segment which relates to the final 38 kilometres of the race. Pogačar tore through that segment on the run into Oudenaarde, averaging a speed of 44 kilometres per hour as he completed it a whole 30 seconds faster than Asgreen and Mathieu van der Poel in 2021.
Other notable KOMs from the World Champion included the 10.91 kilometre long Taaienberg-Hotond sector, which the Slovenian completed in a time of 15:31 at 42.2 kilometres per hour, beating the time set by Wout van Aert in 2020 by three seconds. He also now holds the best time (1:32) on the verified Oude Kruisberg segment.
"The plan was to make it a hard race, to attack on the second time on the Kwaremont, and we executed that plan," he explained.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Pogačar will next be in action at Paris-Roubaix next Sunday as he makes his debut at the race known as the Hell of the North.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
New Wattbike Atom Enhanced offers tool free set-up - but what will Ergo mode enhancements mean for power readings?
The updated Wattbike Atom could see the brand become a go-to for beginners, as well as experienced cyclists
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
'Magnus’ death was not an accident - it was a crime' - driver who killed teen cyclist Magnus White found guilty of vehicular homicide
‘Whatever sentence she receives is not enough,’ says mother of cyclist Magnus White after guilty verdict
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
Tadej Pogačar makes podium blunder, Edward Theuns bears painful road rash, and a track stand for the ages – the best of cycling social media
Here's our selection of the best social media posts from the past week
By Tom Davidson Published
-
I'm hooked on Strava and I don't care who knows about it
People are ditching their social media apps, but I could never let go of the oasis that is Strava
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Strava clamps down on vehicle cheats in new update
App makes improvements to leaderboard monitoring, Athlete Intelligence feedback, and Flyover maps
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Wout van Aert's Valentine's stunt, Tadej Pogačar scares his rivals, and Lorena Wiebes makes winning look easy
Saddle up, it's time for your weekly dose of the best of social media
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Wout van Aert reunited with lost watch, Bradley Wiggins catches some rays, and one cyclist opts for chain mail
There are mementos to be found at bike races, as long as it's not Wout van Aert's Garmin
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Cyclist breaks Strava record on 'world's tallest mountain' by almost an hour
Mountain biker Sparky Moir Sears smashes QOM on Mauna Kea volcano
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Visma-Lease a Bike are producing their own kit under Yellow B logo
Dutch team’s deal with Agu ended in December after brand experienced financial difficulty
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tadej Pogačar smashes the Strava KOM on the Coll de Rates
World Champion sets a time of 12:21 on the segment, beating Peter Øxenberg Hansen by 17 seconds
By Tom Thewlis Published