Tour of Flanders 2025: Everything you need to know

One of the cycling calendar's most challenging and prestigious races, winning the Tour of Flanders forever changes a rider’s career, enshrining them in the history books as a cycling legend. This year, the men’s and women’s races occur on April 6, with the women racing 168.8 km and the men covering 268.9 km, respectively. 

After Milan-San Remo in March, the Spring Classic are set to return to Belgium with a string of entertaining one-day races that will leave cycling fans on the edge of their seats. 

E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem are both major races held in late March, but they pale in significance to the almighty Tour of Flanders, also known as the Ronde van Vlaanderen or just De Ronde.  

Since its inception in 1913, the Tour of Flanders has evolved into a sporting emblem woven into the essence of Belgian cycling and its people. It surpasses elements of history and culture to establish itself as a truly iconic sporting event. For many Belgian cycling enthusiasts, the Tour of Flanders represents their unofficial world championship, and no other one-day race has solidified its place within cycling’s aristocracy and heritage quite like it. 

Don’t forget to check out our complete guide to the 2025 Spring Classics, where you can learn more about Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes. 

The men’s Tour of Flanders will be held for the 109th time in 2025, while the women’s race will be held for the 22nd edition. The second Monument of the season, following Milan-San Remo, was first held in 1913, with Paul Deman becoming the first champion.  

Seven men hold the record for the most wins, with last year’s winner Mathieu van der Poel tied alongside the greats, including Fabian Cancellara, Johan Museeuw, and Tom Boonen, with three titles each.  

In total, Belgium has won the race 69 times, more than any other nation, and on only 13 times has the same rider won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same year, an achievement that van der Poel managed last season in emphatic fashion on his Canyon Aeroad CFR.

The women’s Tour of Flanders race was first introduced in 2004, with Russian rider Zoulfia Zabirova coming out on top over a 94km course. In 2012, the race moved to Oudenaarde where it has started ever since, with the event naturally becoming one of the most coveted races to win in women’s cycling. 

Cycling legend Annemiek van Vleuten won her second title aboard a Canyon in 2021, and the Dutch rider holds the joint record with four other riders for the most wins with two victories in the race. Last year, Kasia Niewiadoma piloted her Canyon to second in the race.

The men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders will occur on April 6, 2025. The men’s race starts at 10:00 CET, and the women roll out at 13:10 CET. Finish times will vary due to several factors, such as weather and how the race is tackled, but the men should finish around 16:30 CET, with the first women home around 17:45 CET. 

The men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders race routes were officially unveiled a few months ago. In 2025, the start location for the men’s race will be returned to the centre of Bruges, while the women’s race will once again start and finish in Oudenaarde. The men’s race tackles 268.9km of racing before finishing in Oudenaarde, while the women’s peloton takes on 168.8km. 

The start of the men’s Tour of Flanders returns to the main market square in 2025. This is one of the most iconic and memorable race starts on the calendar. The cobbled square is packed with passionate cycling fans, and the riders are unveiled on a massive stage before the start of the race.  

Ahead of the riders, 268.9km of cobbled crunching racing before a winner is crowned in the centre of Oudenaarde. The riders will face 16 climbs and seven flat cobbled sectors, with the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg once more set to decide the race. Both short but brutal ascents are taken on several times - the Kwaremont three times and the Paterberg twice - during the race, with the final climb up the Paterberg taking place inside the final 13km of racing. It’s a relatively flat race to the line from there, but countless winning moves have been made on those last two climbs. 

Before the riders reach those critical points, the race meanders southwest from Bruges, with the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont not taking place until over 100km of racing has been completed. By that point, a significant break has typically gone clear, with the favourites sitting quietly in the peloton, waiting to pounce. The Eikenberg, Wolvenberg, Molenberg, Berendries, Valkenberg, Berg Ten Houte, and Nieuwe Kruisberg are all up next as the race dives deep into Flanders country, and there’s little respite for the riders as they endure what’s effectively a wearing down process as the peloton sheds competitors with each turn.  

The race really starts when the riders hit the Oude Kwaremont for the second time before launching up the Paterberg for the first time with around 50km to go. The Koppenberg comes soon after, followed by the Steenbeekdries, the short but incredibly steep Taaienberg, and the Oude Kruisberg - the longest climb in the race at 2.7km.  

If that wasn’t enough, the remaining riders tackle the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg with 16.7km and 13.2km remaining.  

The 22nd edition of the women’s Tour of Flanders starts and finishes in Oudenaarde, with the women’s peloton taking on 168.6km of racing. They will use many of the same climbs and the same finish as the men’s field, with a thrilling race once again expected to take place.  

The women’s peloton tackles 12 climbs and several cobbled sectors in total. Like the men’s race, the opening phase is primarily flat. However, after roughly 65 km of racing, the first climb of the Edelareberg changes everything.  

The Wolvenberg and Molenberg are then climbed before the race heads through Zottegem before the peloton takes on the Berendries, Valkenberg, and Eikenberg. The race then heads through Oudenaarde for the first time with 51km to go before the short but sharp Koppenberg is climbed. The Steenbeekdries is next, with the Taaienberg and Oude Kruisberg coming quickly.  

With 16.7km to go, the leaders will hit the first and only ascent of the Oude Kwaremont before taking on the Paterberg. Then it’s 13.2km to the finish, where the 2025 Tour of Flanders winner will be decided. 

The biggest storyline heading into the men’s race will undoubtedly focus on the expected battle between the three-time winner, defending champion Mathieu van der Poel, current world champion, and 2023 Tour of Flanders winner Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian - and three-time winner of the Tour de France - won the Tour of Flanders two years ago after dropping van der Poel on the way to victory. Still, the dynamic pair will be evenly matched once more, with van der Poel aiming to become the only man in history to win the race four times as he looks to defend the crown he emphatically won in 2024 after a long solo break in the rain. 

Of course, there will be other riders to watch in the race, including van der Poel’s teammates Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves. If you’re looking for a potential outsider, Iván García Cortina from Movistar Team is a rider to watch. The Spanish rider will undoubtedly go under the radar, and if he can anticipate the main favourites by going in an early breakaway, he could become a factor in the race's second half. 

On the women’s side, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto head into the race as a team stacked with options. Chloé Dygert, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Antonia Niedermaier and Kasia Niewiadoma are all potential winners, while Liane Lippert and Marlen Reusser will lead the line for the Movistar Team. Niewiadoma will of course be targeting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift later in the season as she looks to defend her 2024 crown. 

One of the most highly anticipated riders to watch will be Puck Pieterse. The 22-year-old on Fenix-Deceuninck had a breakout year on the road and in mountain biking in 2024, and she is perfectly suited to the parcours and the style of racing in Flanders. She was sixth on her debut in 2024 and will no doubt be among the favourites this time around as Elisa Longo Borghini looks to defend her title. 

In 2025, the men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders will be shown on several international channels and streaming services, including Discovery+, TNT, SBS on Demand (TBC), and FloBikes (North America).  

You can also follow Canyon's social media channels for news on all our riders during the Spring Classics, and don’t forget to check out our complete guide to the 2025 Spring Classics.