After a thrilling last 40 km of the Tour of Flanders (open in new tab), Mathieu Van der Pol (open in new tab) of Alpecin Phoenix beat the front wheel of his rival, Wout Van Art (open in new tab) of Jumbo Visma, by several He threw himself forward a couple of centimeters to take his first win in one of cycling's monuments at the finish line in Oudenaarde.

Van der Pol's victory comes 34 years after his father, Adrie van der Pol, won, and 57 years after his grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, who passed away last year, finished in the top 10.

"This win turned an average season into a super season. It would have been even better if the fans had been there. This win is definitely one of the biggest wins of my career.

The Tour of Flanders sprint battle came after Van der Poel and Van Aert traded words after they ruined each other's race in Ghent-Wevelgem last weekend.

Throughout their careers, the two have fought countless battles, from small races in the youth category to countless cyclocross races.

"To be able to sprint for the win in De Ronde was incredible," said the former world champion.

"In fact, it was the first time the two of us had ever sprinted together.

The pair had built a 1:15 gap by the time they reached the final climb of the Paterberg, giving the big chase group a 40-second bonus going into the final kilometer. Van der Pol kept a slow pace, keeping an eye on Van Aert, and took the lead as they passed the 1km banner.

The chase group did not slow down, but the two leaders did not seem bothered and rode like experienced track riders. With just 200 meters to the finish, Titan's sprint began.

"As we headed toward the finish, I thought about choosing the right gear and distance to set up the sprint," Van der Pol said.

"The fact that he waited so long showed that he was no longer at 100 percent either.

"I felt he was stronger throughout the day. He hadn't attacked in Quaremont and Paterberg, so it was clear that he was at his limit, that we were going to finish together. I was determined to run the sprint of my life."

"Slow speed was an advantage. My trump card in a sprint is acceleration in the first five seconds. Smaller gears allow me to peak more easily. I was also able to start the sprint a fraction of a second before he did; I upshifted a couple of times and then threw the bike forward."

"The finish line was suddenly there. There were several finish lines. I didn't know if I had won or not. I usually look at my wheels as I cross the line, but there wasn't anything left to do that. I couldn't believe it."

At the post-race press conference, Mathieu Van der Pol told Sonnur that his front wheel was damaged.

"I hit the sidewalk on the last climb of the Aude Quaremont," Van der Pol told Cycling News, laughing in reference to a similar accident last year that ruined the race.

Aside from the accident, Van der Pol rode flawlessly until the finale.

"It was close to perfect," he said. He was always in the right position at the crucial points. I should have a nice present for them." Television footage of the finish showed the 25-year-old Dutch champion's despair and joy at winning the Tour de Flanders. He threw himself into the arms of his girlfriend, Roxanne Bertels.

The live coverage did not cover the events immediately after the finish, namely the embrace of Van der Pol and Van Art.

"What happened last week was exaggerated by the media," van der Pol said of his "sparring" with van Art.

"He had the legs to win at that point. On Plug Street, 70 kilometers from the finish, I had already started the race. I'm not racing to piss off other riders."

Comparisons with van Aal will probably be made for the rest of their careers, but van der Pol likes to point out that they have followed different trajectories: van der Pol has also raced mountain bikes.

"Wout raced Grand Tours. Mountain biking is super important to me."

The 25-year-old's main goal this season was to race in the cross-country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but COVID-19 ruined his planned schedule.

"Since the coronavirus, I had a hard time getting back into shape. I soon decided to target only Ronde and Paris-Roubaix, and since the training camp in Livigno (in September) I have been back to my level."

"People don't realize how many times I had to change my schedule due to changes in the race calendar and how many races I ran that didn't really suit me. For example, I finished 10th in Lombardia.

"I made a lot of big efforts in the two weeks before this week and as a result I was not super in Ghent-Wevelgem. This week we really didn't do anything."

As for the future, Van der Poel will compete in the Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne on Wednesday to finish the road season. He is certain to return to cyclocross over the Christmas period, but beyond that he is not sure.

This year, Van der Pol switched his focus from mountain biking to road cycling.

"Who knows what the future holds? It's been a really tough year. Not just for cyclists, but for everyone. For me, the changes in mountain biking have made it difficult.

"We had a tough schedule for Tokyo and the Tour de France the following year. Now everything seems to be falling into place. It's been about a year since I've raced on a mountain bike. That's what's going through my head."