The rivalry between Van der Poel and Pogacar has ignited the first three Monument Classics of 2025, pitting the two best interpreters of modern cycling against each other. The Dutchman won Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, while the Slovenian dominated the Tour of Flanders. Both have risen to 8 victories, reaching Van Looy in 6th place on the all-time ranking.

Van der Poel has made the podium in the first three Monuments of the season for the second time in his career (as in 2023) and has secured his sixth victory in the most prestigious classics on cobblestones and bergs (3 Tours of Flanders and 3 Paris-Roubaix), joining Museeuw and Cancellara in second place on the all-time list, led by Boonen with 7 victories.

Pogacar has for the first time in his career made the podium at Paris-Roubaix (in his first participation) and delivered the first prestigious result for Slovenia in the Hell of the North. The Belgians Van Looy, Merckx, and De Vlaeminck are the only ones to have won at least once in all Monument Classics, but with his 2nd place in Roubaix, Pogacar has become the ninth cyclist in history to secure a top-three finish in all five major events. The last to do so was the Belgian Philippe Gilbert.

Pogacar and Van der Poel have won 12 of the last 14 Monument Classics, bringing Slovenia and the Netherlands to the top of the rankings in the last five years. In this early 2025, they have created something unique by both making the podium in Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. This is the first time in history that two riders have achieved this simultaneously in a single season!

Source www.ciclopico.it - full article and additional statistical curiosities at https://ciclopico.it/classiche-monumento/classiche-del-nord-2025-statistiche/