Pound for pound the most exciting races of the year? Many make a strong case for the Tour of Flanders (6 April). It has all the ingredients for the ultimate bike race: the best riders at the peak of their powers, explosive climbs, jarring cobbles, exceptional distances and ultra-passionate fans.
The Tour of Flanders, particularly on the men’s side, has oodles of history, yet has been smart to move with the times to create a route that satisfies the modern sporting audience, with a finishing circuit, repeated key climbs and a compact course suited to fans to watch in multiple locations.
In 2017 the start of the men's race moved to Antwerp, a port city in north Belgium but for 2025 returns to Bruges, which previously held the start from 1998. The starts, finishes and route in between, like other one-day Classics, often change but the racing in earnest doesn’t truly start until the cobbled climbs, or bergs, do.
For the men, that means the first of three ascents of the race’s signature climb, Oude Kwaremont (2km at 4.4%), which summits 140km from the finish and gives increasingly lubricated fans gathering in VIP areas their money’s worth. The route in total is 268.9km, with an expected finish around 16.15 CET.
Oude Kwaremont is often used by the favourites as a springboard, either on the first ascent to chase the breakaway, the second to thin out a leading group or the third for the ultimate winner to go it alone.
This, however, is to put a formula on Flanders that doesn’t exist. The reality is that anything can happen, at different points, with other climbs, such as the wall-like Koppenberg, the scene of other iconic flashpoints. It's not unusual to see riders having to get off and walk through its traffic jam on the mighty Koppenberg, the route's steepest road with its most uneven surface.
It’s a difficult race to be dominant in, which makes the achievements of defending champion and three-time winner Mathieu van der Poel all the more impressive.
Victory this year will leave him alone as the most prolific in history with four wins and he comes into it at the peak of his considerable powers. He will face stern competition from Classics rival Wout van Aert and, to an even greater extent, 2023 winner and bookies favourite Tadej Pogačar. A humdinger awaits.
The women’s race (168.8km), like so many of the Spring Classics, takes place on the same day as the men’s, but unusually finishes later (around 17.30 CET). The course starts and ends in Oudenaarde, with only a single ascent of Kwaremont included, but the Koppenberg makes an appearance. Two-time winner Lotte Kopecky will be a fan favourite on home roads and will face off against fellow double winner (and defending champion) Elisa Longo Borghini and Puck Pieterse. 2016 winner Lizzie Deignan makes her final appearance at the race.
How can I watch the 2025 Tour of Flanders live in the UK?
UK residents are still dealing with the shock of Eurosport’s closure, where live cycling could previously be accessed for £6.99 a month. That’s since risen to £30.99 a month, after Eurosport’s coverage was rolled into TNT Sports by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
Coverage of the men's race starts at 9am BST (Sunday 6 April) on TNT Sports 1 and runs until 4pm, with women’s race coverage from 1.45pm to 5.15pm on TNT Sports 2. TNT Sports is available via the Discovery+ app, EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media.
How can I watch the 2025 Tour of Flanders live in the US?
FloBikes streams the race in the US, with costs starting from $12.50 when signing up to an annual plan. It’s also available on Max (formerly HBO Max), which is part of the Warner Bros. Discovery group – monthly subscriptions start from $9.99.
Coverage starts for the men’s race at 3.55am EDT and the women's race at 9am EDT.
How can I watch the 2025 Tour of Flanders live in Australia?
SBS will be covering the women’s and men’s racing live on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand. The men’s race will be broadcast in full from 5.55pm, with the women’s race from 12.30am on Monday 7 April. No subscription is needed.
How else can I watch the 2025 Tour of Flanders?
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