A Spring of 13 to 8: Pogačar vs. van der Poel, the Generational Battle for the King of One-Day Races

If the Tour de France is the stage for Pogačar and Vingegaard, then the cobbles and steep climbs of the Spring Classics are the territory of Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. Former Tour de France champion Óscar Pereiro once described their rivalry as the best since the 1990s.

For Taiwanese cycling fans, the appeal of one-day races is actually more intuitive than the three-week Grand Tours: One day to decide everything, no second chances. And at the highest level of one-day racing—the five “Monuments”—these two names have left every other active rider far behind.

1. 13 vs. 8: An Astonishing Number

There are five Monuments: Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Il Lombardia. They are the pinnacle of one-day racing and the hardest titles to accumulate.

The current tally:

Together, these two numbers add up to 21, and the duo are far ahead of every other active rider. Pogačar’s 13 is the second-most in history, trailing only Eddy Merckx’s 19.

Pogačar’s 13 are distributed as follows:

• Il Lombardia ×5 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
• Liège-Bastogne-Liège ×4 (2021, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Tour of Flanders ×3 (2023, 2025, 2026)
• Milan-San Remo ×1 (first win in 2026)

The missing piece is Paris-Roubaix.

2. Spring 2025: Four Monuments, Split Between Two Men

The 2025 Spring Classics season produced something highly unusual: all four spring Monuments that season were won by just these two riders. No third name squeezed in.

In an era with unprecedented rider depth and competitive density, two men splitting the entire spring between them is the perfect illustration of this rivalry.

3. 2026: Three Head-to-Head Battles

If 2025 was about “dividing the spoils,” 2026 was three races of close-quarters combat.

Milan-San Remo (3/21)—Both Crash, Only One Wins

This race was highly dramatic. With 32.5 km remaining, before the Cipressa, Pogačar hit the ground in a crash, with van der Poel and Wout van Aert also going down in the same incident. Pogačar was paced back to the peloton by teammates Florian Vermeersch and Felix Großschartner.

After teammates Brandon McNulty and Isaac Del Toro set the pace, Pogačar attacked with 24.2 km to go (2.5 km before the top of the Cipressa), dragging van der Poel and Tom Pidcock with him. On the Poggio, he dropped van der Poel, but Pidcock held on.

Finally, on the Via Roma, he launched his sprint from 200 meters out, beating Pidcock by half a wheel to take his first career San Remo. The win brought him to 11 Monuments, tying Roger De Vlaeminck.

Tour of Flanders (4/5)—Decided Only on the Final Oude Kwaremont

The teams began their moves on the Molenberg with just over 100 km remaining. With 55 km to go, on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogačar attacked, leaving only van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel able to follow. After dropping Evenepoel on the Paterberg, the two continued their duel until Pogačar finally shook off van der Poel on the final Oude Kwaremont—and at the summit, his lead was just 6 seconds.

Six seconds, in a race of over 250 kilometers. That is the intensity of this rivalry. Pogačar then gradually extended his lead to ride solo to victory, taking his 3rd Flanders title and becoming the 8th rider to win the race three times.

Paris-Roubaix (4/12)—Fate Denied Them a Head-to-Head

This time, the two never truly faced off. Van der Poel lost over two minutes due to a mechanical issue, while Pogačar suffered a puncture with 120 km remaining, changed bikes twice, and chased for over 20 kilometers just to rejoin the main group. In the end, Pogačar attacked on Mons-en-Pévèle, taking only van Aert with him, and lost in the sprint on the velodrome.

4. Why This Rivalry Is So Rare

• Their styles differ. Pogačar excels at climbing and long-range attacks, capable of launching from 78 km out (as with his solo move on the Monte Sante Marie gravel sector at the 2026 Strade Bianche); van der Poel is a specialist on cobbles and short, steep climbs, and took stage 9 at the 2026 Tour de France as well as stage 21 on the Champs-Élysées.
• Their schedules overlap heavily. The Spring Classics are their shared home turf, meaning their clashes aren’t occasional but happen every single year.
• The margins are razor-thin. Six seconds, half a wheel, one mechanical failure—this level of difference is what defines a great rivalry.

5. Viewing Guide for Taiwanese Fans

If you want to follow this rivalry, focus on the spring: Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo in March, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in April, followed by Liège-Bastogne-Liège. During this stretch, there’s drama almost every weekend.

And for our own riding, the lesson from one-day races is highly applicable: in a single-day race, whether you can strike at the right moment determines the outcome more than how many hours you trained all season. However, any intensity plan should be based on individual condition, progress gradually, and don’t directly copy the pros’ pace.

Conclusion

13 vs. 8. Whether this scoreline continues to widen depends on whether Pogačar can add Paris-Roubaix, and on how long van der Poel can hold the line on the cobbles where he is strongest.

Whatever the answer, seeing two men turn an entire spring into their private battleground within the same generation is something truly special.

Related Reading

• 13 Monuments: How Much Time Does Pogačar Need to Close the Gap on Merckx’s 19?
• The GOAT Debate: Why Cross-Generational Comparisons Between Pogačar, Merckx, and Hinault Are Destined to Be Inconclusive
• Paris-Roubaix: The Final Piece of the Puzzle for Pogačar’s Monuments Sweep
• Vuelta a España: Why Has Pogačar’s Missing Piece for a Grand Tour Sweep Remained Unfilled?