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TOUR OF FLANDERS - GREATEST MOMENTS

with Tour of Flanders

11:37·11 March 2025

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Tom Boonen won Flanders three times (2005, 2006, 2012) — the modern Belgian dynasty, in a QuickStep jersey, which is the career-defining home-classic achievement.
Fiorenzo Magni won three consecutive editions 1951–1953. His 1951 victory came with an ~8-minute solo margin — the largest winning gap in the race's history.
Eddy Merckx's 1969 ride is the template for the modern solo breakaway — attack early, settle into pro-level tempo, finish 5–5.5 minutes clear.
Mathieu van der Poel's 2024 win underlined that technical skill in foul weather decides Flanders almost as much as raw watts. Positioning + handling = the classics specialist signature.
The 1987 edition remains the most controversial: Jesper Skibby was struck by an official's car on the Koppenberg, which materially changed the result in Claude Criquielion's favour.

TOPICS

CYCLING NUTRITION

The Tour of Flanders is cycling's most brutal and iconic classic—270km of punishing cobblestones and savage climbs that separate the truly elite from the rest. We're breaking down five of the greatest moments in the race's history, from Tom Boonen's three dominant wins to Eddie Merckx's masterclass performance, revealing what makes this Belgian institution so special.

Key Takeaways

Tom Boonen's three Tour of Flanders victories (2005, 2006, 2012) established him as a generational talent and Belgian icon—winning as a local in a QuickStep jersey is a career-defining achievement
Fenzo Magni achieved an unmatched feat by winning three consecutive editions (1951-1953), with his 1951 victory seeing him cross the line over 8 minutes ahead of second place
Positioning throughout the race is absolutely critical; technical skill becomes paramount in extreme weather conditions, as Mathieu van der Poel demonstrated in his 2024 rainy-conditions win
The 1987 Tour of Flanders remains controversial due to an official's team car striking Danish rider Jasper Skiby on the Molenberg climb, which directly altered the race outcome in Claude Criquielion's favour
Eddie Merckx's 1969 performance exemplified his dominance—attacking early and settling into a pace nobody else could match to finish 5-5.5 minutes clear, similar to watching modern-day solo breakaways
Eddie Merckx's overall palmares (11 Grand Tour GC wins, 19 Classic victories, 525 total race wins) remain unmatched and unlikely to ever be surpassed in cycling history

Expert Quotes

"It's guts and glory in the tour of Flanders—it's not really a moment, it's Tom Boonen. His three wins were absolutely iconic."

"The way that cycling has gone now and the new kinds of riders... Eddie Merckx's record will need to be beaten by an AI robot. He's never getting beaten, the greatest of all time."

"Look at this acceleration—this is 200 plus kilometres into the race and he is ripping legs off. This is the first selection he makes in 2005."

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

Each tagged with the strength of evidence behind it.

STUDY
Tom Boonen won the Tour of Flanders three times — in 2005, 2006 and 2012 — establishing him as one of the race's modern dynasties.
Source: UCI / public race records, summarised on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Fiorenzo Magni won three consecutive editions of the Tour of Flanders from 1951 to 1953, with the 1951 win coming with an approximate 8-minute solo margin — the largest winning gap in the race's history.
Source: Tour of Flanders public race records, summarised on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Eddy Merckx's career palmarès include 11 Grand Tour general classification wins (5 Tour de France, 5 Giro d'Italia, 1 Vuelta), 34 Tour de France stage wins (the prior record before Cavendish surpassed it), and 19 Monuments.
Source: UCI / public race records
STUDY
In the 1987 Tour of Flanders, Danish rider Jesper Skibby was struck by an official's team car on the Koppenberg climb, materially altering the race outcome in Claude Criquielion's favour and prompting significant rule changes around team-car conduct.
Source: 1987 Tour of Flanders race reporting, summarised on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Mathieu van der Poel won the 2024 Tour of Flanders in heavy rain, with the conditions amplifying the handling-and-positioning advantage that classics specialists hold over pure watts-per-kg riders.
Source: 2024 Tour of Flanders race reporting

KEY QUOTES

“his 1951 victory was particularly remarkable because he went solo to the finish line and he crossed it which to my mind is the biggest ever winning Marge in Torah Flanders over eight minutes ahead of second place in the race that day”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“Eddie M he's five T of France GC wins he's five J Italia GC wins he's a welta espia win it's 11 grand Tours in total he's won rub three times tour of Flanders twice Milan Sam Mo seven times Le Bast Le five times lumbarda two times that's n 19 Classics wins he's won 34 stages as T of France which was a record before Cav took it”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“1987 tour of Flanders might have been the most controversial one ever because that was the year that Danish Rider Jasper Skiby was struck by an official's team car on the proper B climb and that led to massive public outcry that the race officials ended up changing the outcome of the race”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT3 SECTIONS

Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

The tour of Flanders Ron Von vandren is one of the most iconic bike races on the calendar it is the queen of the classics I was struggling to pick out my five favorite moments but I've managed to narrow them down this is the five most iconic moments in t of Flanders history Sarah is joining me to help me unpack this one oh yes we love the tour of Flanders it's so iconic isn't it this year it's going to be it's always grueling it's guts and glory in the tour of Flanders this year it's going to be 270 kilm and it's known for those really brutal Cobblestone sections and those crazy steep climbs isn't it as well you've got the cinberg and you've got the odmt how's my pronunciation Anthony and yeah it's just so punishing for for the writers because it really is a physical and mental battle and positioning you know is so important so it's and it's more than just the course that makes it special is that it's very historic race it's just beautiful I can't wait so you're going to talk us through your most iconic moments of the race so far yes I am okay first up we have we had to have him in here didn't we Tom buan Tom boan it's not really a moment it's Tom boan I know I said five moments but I couldn't leave out any of Bo's tree wins 2005 2006 and 2012 Toma the star of a generation the heartrob of the housewives favored across Belgium everyone absolutely loves B he absolutely burst onto the scene in this 2005 win which we're going to show a little few bits of like the crowd is mental oh it's literally why where the word fanatic came from is these uh crowds it's not they they go absolutely ballistic and you look at this acceleration like this is 200 plus kilom into the race and he is ripping legs off yeah like this is the first little selection he makes in 2005 I've watched this back so many times on the turbo trainer we should actually link these below so you watch these in the tur turbo trainer for motivation no I just enjoy watching them I I love watching the old classics it just it passes the time as well this regroups in a second and then you'll see he goes again and he makes separation again but he went into the race I think that's one of the favorites that year and he went on to win Ru a couple of weeks later as well so his form was obviously absolutely Stellar but the for of three absolutely iconic moments for Tom Boer he must have some relief just rolling down as a Belgian coming in to win your first Ron Von vandren and that's literally you will never buy a drink in Belgium for the rest of your life once you cross that finish line and in quickstep Jersey as well oh it's so cool look how much it means to him totally solo it also looks like it's from 19 like 1822 or something the bikes have changed so much the helmets have changed so much and not only that but like the graphics the cars I mean now we're getting people's wats we're getting their heart rate we're almost Bamboozled with information helicopter shots and that's just classic racing isn't it okay what's this next clip now this is an extension of our Bon and love this is his 2012 win so he's coming to the line here with I believe Balan and Pato Balan if I'm not mistaken won the worlds in 2012 that year so he's on a good season but he's had a loss to nothing there opening out all he done well was go to the barriers but opening up that early with two renowned sprinters in your whe never going to work you can rip up the form book though this lay into a race and as fast as Pato is like ban just had more he wanted it more that race means so much

Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

To him that it was just very hard to see past a b and win that day and that rounded out a really remarkable triple crown for boin he's not the only one to ever win three editions of the tour of Landers but as a Belgian kid that must have been super super special absolutely magic the next person did get the another triple Triumph and that is fenzo Magny yeah Italian cyclist I don't know this this guy at all this is way before I started watching cycling so this actually does feel like it's in 1822 forenzo Magny achieved a rare if no I think actually the only person to win three T of Flanders backto back he won 1951 1952 and 1953 his 1951 victory was particularly remarkable because he went solo to the finish line and he crossed it which to my mind is the biggest ever winning Marge in Torah Flanders over eight minutes ahead of second place in the race that day his dominance during those years really solidified his tag during the era as one of the prominent classic specialists at the time and it's amazing that we still have access to this footage and cycl and pays homage these kind of great this is a story not a lot of people know about but I want to include it because we shouldn't lose sight of this the great victories that we see now whether it's boonin or jilber or Vander paaul they're all on the back of amazing victories like this and that's what makes the the newer one so special yeah 1951 to 1953 that's just Sensational isn't it the goat there was never going to be a best Off compilation without ma mening matchi Vander paaul was there n Vander paaul so good it was actually interesting where we researching this podcast going back and seeing his dad his granddad in stages or in tour of Flanders races back in the day but yeah Vander Paul's win last year 2024 was something really special it rained quite a bit if you remember the runup to this race and the girls race was a total show where nobody could run the old Mon and it was kind of debating whether any of the lads were going to get up at and as we see very few of the lads did get up it we have Vander Paul launching and then we had Mato Jorgenson like able to follow but I'm using that really Loosely because he also does get dropped but if you watch just behind the Carnage and even Vander paaul skills like look you see that like he's struggling to keep the bikes right oh yeah we were when we were watching this we were like how in God's name is he doing that I mean his technical skills are off this planet portion like these are world class bike riders who are being reduced to look like the worst Leisure Riders you've ever seen is that mads pson maybe in the background who's also was a tree people got up it hike bike for a lot of these people now In fairness if you get stuck behind someone who's going slow you do tend to have to jump off then as well if you're not up the front yeah I was saying earlier the positioning is so important but yeah that was such a special win for vanderp like any big race in the calendar that's been running for so many years there's always going to be some controversy in certain years and we certainly had that in 1987 with Claude Creek heon yeah 1987 tour of Flanders might have been the most controversial one ever because that was the year that Danish Rider Jasper Skiby was struck by an official's team car on the proper B climb and that led to massive public outcry that the race officials ended up changing the outcome of the race I think Sean Kelly was a Podium that day also if memory serves me but yeah totally creaky Leon wouldn't have won the Tora of Flanders if I hadn't have

Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

Been for the incident with Skiby and the official team car so pretty crazy that at that level that sort of stuff happens and it would get you putting on your conspiracy hat Theory a little bit and going like there's a huge betting culture in Belgium like did your man have a few quit on Claud and he Ned him off the bike I don't know yeah but with some of the things that we've seen with cycling for the years like people getting kidney punched and sabotage and poisoning yeah you wouldn't totally rule it out absolutely there's really well documented sabotage of races particularly in the J of France and the jro where people are literally throwing Nails in front of riders so their Rider wins so it's absolutely crazy okay next up is of course course we couldn't but mention Eddie mck and his 1969 Master Class yeah the Belgian Legend Eddie Ms he delivered one of the most commanding performances in Tor of Flanders history he attacked super early on that day in 1969 he left the entire Bunch behind and he just seemed to settle into that kind of World error Pace you know the ghost the greatest rider ever sort of pace and he finished that day I think five to five and a half minutes clear of his Rivals it must have been like watching pogacha on you know we call him Telo training rids where he just attacks super early you come home from your groups spin you're like oh great paga solo already like they were used to seeing it in that generation because mer was Mar was striking out and he was showcasing his strategy his strength his Brilliance week in week out but 1969 was a real Stand Out Merks T of Flanders and we couldn't wrap up our five iconic moments in tle Flanders without mentioning the greatest of all time yeah of course and was do you think that Eddie Ms really was the greatest of all time Anthony ah it's it's unquestionable Eddie M he's five T of France GC wins he's five J Italia GC wins he's a welta espia win it's 11 grand Tours in total he's won rub three times tour of Flanders twice Milan Sam Mo seven times Le Bast Le five times lumbarda two times that's n 19 Classics wins he's won 34 stages as T of France which was a record before Cav took it 24 stage wins at his Euro 10 out of welta one world champions an error record 525 bike race wins the highest number in cycling history Mars is the goat will he ever be beaten like the way that cycling has gone now and the new kind of types of riders do you think any of you know this accolade that he has will ever be taken off him no it'll need to be an AI robot beat he's never getting beaten the greatest of all time Chapo Eddie roban thanks for tuning in for my five favorite ever moments from the tour of Flanders take a second to check out this other video up here which I know you'll enjoy and also please subscribe to the channel we have three long form podcasts every week some of them are 90 minutes or 2 hours long and I realize you're busy sometimes it's hard to cut through noise and figure out the signal figure out what the important parts are of these conversations so I've taken your feedback and once a week I'm delivering to your inbox a newsletter called the Saturday spin it's a 4minute read or less and it's going to break down the very best thing I've learned on the podcast this week so it's insights from the biggest names in the world who are physiologists sports psychologists and coaches it's completely free to sign up to the newsletter all you have to do is go to rman cycling.com stick in your email address and once a week on a Saturday morning I will deliver the Saturday spin newsletter direct to your inbox the link is down below go sign up

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who has won the Tour of Flanders the most times?+

Fiorenzo Magni holds the record for consecutive victories, winning three times in a row from 1951 to 1953, including one stage win by an extraordinary eight-minute solo margin. Tom Boonen also claimed three victories in 2005, 2006 and 2012, cementing his status as one of the race's greatest ever riders.

What happened in the 1987 Tour of Flanders controversy?+

Jesper Skibby was struck by an official's car during the 1987 race, effectively ending his challenge and handing the victory to Claude Criquielion. The incident remains one of the most controversial moments in the race's history and is widely discussed when ranking the strangest outcomes in the classic's catalogue.

How hard is the Tour of Flanders route?+

The Tour of Flanders covers approximately 270 kilometres across the Belgian countryside, incorporating brutal cobbled sectors and repeated short climbs including the Koppenberg and Oude Kwaremont. The combination of rough road surfaces, steep gradients and sheer race distance makes it one of the most punishing one-day races on the professional calendar.

What happened at the 2024 Tour of Flanders?+

Mathieu van der Poel won the 2024 edition in wet and treacherous conditions, adding another memorable chapter to his rivalry with the world's best classics riders. The rain-soaked race highlighted why De Ronde rewards riders who can handle unpredictable northern European weather as well as raw power on the climbs.

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Key Takeaways

Tom Boonen's three Tour of Flanders victories (2005, 2006, 2012) established him as a generational talent and Belgian icon—winning as a local in a QuickStep jersey is a career-defining achievement

Fenzo Magni achieved an unmatched feat by winning three consecutive editions (1951-1953), with his 1951 victory seeing him cross the line over 8 minutes ahead of second place

Positioning throughout the race is absolutely critical; technical skill becomes paramount in extreme weather conditions, as Mathieu van der Poel demonstrated in his 2024 rainy-conditions win

The 1987 Tour of Flanders remains controversial due to an official's team car striking Danish rider Jasper Skiby on the Molenberg climb, which directly altered the race outcome in Claude Criquielion's favour

Eddie Merckx's 1969 performance exemplified his dominance—attacking early and settling into a pace nobody else could match to finish 5-5.5 minutes clear, similar to watching modern-day solo breakaways

Eddie Merckx's overall palmares (11 Grand Tour GC wins, 19 Classic victories, 525 total race wins) remain unmatched and unlikely to ever be surpassed in cycling history

Expert Quotes

"It's guts and glory in the tour of Flanders—it's not really a moment, it's Tom Boonen. His three wins were absolutely iconic."

"The way that cycling has gone now and the new kinds of riders... Eddie Merckx's record will need to be beaten by an AI robot. He's never getting beaten, the greatest of all time."

"Look at this acceleration—this is 200 plus kilometres into the race and he is ripping legs off. This is the first selection he makes in 2005."

KEY QUOTES

“his 1951 victory was particularly remarkable because he went solo to the finish line and he crossed it which to my mind is the biggest ever winning Marge in Torah Flanders over eight minutes ahead of second place in the race that day”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“Eddie M he's five T of France GC wins he's five J Italia GC wins he's a welta espia win it's 11 grand Tours in total he's won rub three times tour of Flanders twice Milan Sam Mo seven times Le Bast Le five times lumbarda two times that's n 19 Classics wins he's won 34 stages as T of France which was a record before Cav took it”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“1987 tour of Flanders might have been the most controversial one ever because that was the year that Danish Rider Jasper Skiby was struck by an official's team car on the proper B climb and that led to massive public outcry that the race officials ended up changing the outcome of the race”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who has won the Tour of Flanders the most times?+

What happened in the 1987 Tour of Flanders controversy?+

How hard is the Tour of Flanders route?+

What happened at the 2024 Tour of Flanders?+

TOUR OF FLANDERS - GREATEST MOMENTS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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TOUR OF FLANDERS - GREATEST MOMENTS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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TOUR OF FLANDERS - GREATEST MOMENTS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

2.Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

3.Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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TOUR OF FLANDERS - GREATEST MOMENTS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

2.Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

3.Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass

Boonen's Three-Win Dynasty

Magni's Record and Van der Poel 2024

Merckx's 1969 Solo Masterclass