Incredible statistic proves it: without Van der Poel and Philipsen, head-to-head between Pogacar and Evenepoel seems inevitable

The outlet counted back through all five Monuments on the cycling calendar, and added the World Championships and the Olympic Games. And that led to a rather incredible conclusion: the last twenty (!) one-day races were won by only four riders. We are talking about Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2022, where we start the count. Remco Evenepoel won La Doyenne that year.

If we then continue counting with the five Monuments Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège, and Il Lombardia, then a quartet of riders has already dominated for four years. And with the World Championship titles from the road races added and Evenepoel’s Olympic title in Paris 2024, we arrive at twenty.

It is unbelievable but true: Evenepoel, after Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2022, also won that year’s Worlds, was again the best in Liège in 2023, and won the Olympic road race in Paris in 2024. Pogacar put his name on Il Lombardia in 2022, 2023 and 2024, won the Tour of Flanders in 2023 and 2025, was the best in Liège in 2024 and 2025, and of course became world champion in 2024.

Van der Poel also wrote the biggest one-day races onto his name one after another in the past years. In 2023 and 2025 he succeeded in Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix was his in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the Tour of Flanders he grabbed in 2024. In 2023, he added the rainbow jersey to his impressive resume.

Besides Evenepoel, Pogacar and Van der Poel, only Jasper Philipsen shared in the festivities in the past years. The Belgian from Alpecin-Deceuninck broke the hegemony of the big three in 2024, by winning Milan-San Remo. That made him, in the last twenty editions of a major cycling race, the last other winner than Evenepoel, Pogacar or Van der Poel.

We are truly speaking about the last twenty editions of the very biggest one-day races, because before Evenepoel’s victory in Liège in 2022, it was Dylan van Baarle who, on behalf of INEOS Grenadiers, triumphed in Paris-Roubaix that year. Van der Poel had still won the Tour of Flanders the week before, but Milan-San Remo also went to someone else, Matej Mohoric.

Now that Van der Poel and Philipsen are not participating at the Worlds in Rwanda, the question is justified: who can do something against Evenepoel and Pogacar? Much is being said again about big challengers, but in recent years hardly anyone has managed to get a foot in the door on the very highest podium, including powerhouse Visma | Lease a Bike... Will we also get a head-to-head battle in Rwanda?