Tadej Pogacar makes history: inside images of the 2023 Tour of Flanders

Few riders dare to cross the invisible barrier that separates battling for Grand Tours to fighting for the cobbled Classics. But on Sunday in the Tour of Flanders, Tadej Pogačar proved that he, at least, is one of that rarest of rare breeds, for all he is aged just 24 and this was just his second-ever participation in the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Soloing to victory in Oudenaarde, Tadej Pogačar became just the third rider to conquer both the Tour de France and Belgium’s toughest cobbled Classic, and as such, he now stands alongside legends of the calibre of Louison Bobet and Eddy Merckx in the history books of the sport.

One-day specialists as experienced and resourceful as Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were left struggling for the right to stand alongside Pogačar on the final podium, whilst sports fans across the globe were left equally stunned – in admiration for the Slovenian’s latest demonstration of two-wheeled power.

But if the final blaze of 2023 Tour of Flanders Flanders glory belonged to Pogačar and Pogačar alone, on the 273km, six-hour odyssey from Bruges to Oudenaarde, the drama, passion and pain that colours all the Classics was never lacking this April 2.

And from mass crashes to desperate lone pursuits, from furious, spine-tingling cobbled accelerations to refusals to surrender no matter the coast, the full range of Classics emotions were captured by the experienced pro cycling photographer Chris Auld (opens in new tab), whose shots you can enjoy in full-width glory below.