Spring Classics 2026 MVP Power Rankings: The Definitive Mid-Campaign Verdict
With the cobbled Classics drawing to a close and Paris-Roubaix looming on Sunday, we assess the standout performers of the 2026 Spring Classics campaign. From unprecedented Monument sweeps to dramatic comebacks, this spring has delivered some of the most extraordinary racing in the sport's history.
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) — Rating: 10/10
There is no debate. The world champion has won Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, and the Tour of Flanders — three Monuments in a single spring, something no rider has achieved since Eddy Merckx. His 34-second demolition of the Flanders field, riding 530+ watts after four hours of racing, was the most dominant Monument performance of the modern era. Now he heads to Paris-Roubaix chasing something no rider in cycling's 150-year history has ever done: winning all five Monuments in a single season. Whether he wins on Sunday or not, his 2026 spring is already the greatest cobbled campaign of the 21st century.
2. Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) — Rating: 9/10
After years of near-misses on the cobbles, Vollering finally conquered the Tour of Flanders with a devastating solo attack on the Oude Kwaremont that left the field 42 seconds behind. It was the crowning moment of a rider who has rebuilt her confidence since moving to FDJ-Suez, complemented by her openness about mental health. Her tearful post-race interview, in which she spoke about meditation and the struggles many people face, resonated far beyond the cycling world. Vollering has opted to skip Roubaix in favour of the Ardennes and Tour de France Femmes, but her Flanders victory alone secures her place near the top of these rankings.
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) — Rating: 8.5/10
On any other year, Van der Poel's spring would be considered outstanding. He won the E3 Saxo Classic, finished second at the Tour of Flanders, and arrives at Roubaix as the three-time defending champion seeking a record-equalling fourth consecutive victory. That he is "only" rated 8.5 speaks to the impossibly high standard Pogacar has set. Van der Poel rode 650 watts on the Kwaremont at Flanders and still couldn't match the world champion. His unreleased Canyon Endurace and tactical intelligence make him the most dangerous rider in Sunday's Roubaix field.
4. Wout van Aert (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) — Rating: 8/10
The move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has liberated Van Aert. Fourth at the Tour of Flanders and narrowly beaten by Filippo Ganna at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Belgian has shown consistently that he belongs in the Monument conversation this spring. His team backs him fully for Sunday's Roubaix, and after years of playing second fiddle at the cobbled Monuments, this feels like his best chance to finally win the Hell of the North.
5. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) — Rating: 8/10
Nobody expected Pedersen to be a factor this spring. The Dane fractured his collarbone and wrist at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February and was given an eight-week recovery timeline. He came back in six, finished second at the Tour of Flanders behind only Pogacar, and is now a genuine Paris-Roubaix favourite. His resilience and raw power on the cobbles make this one of the great comeback stories of recent Classics history.
6. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) — Rating: 7.5/10
Philipsen has enjoyed an excellent sprint campaign, winning In Flanders Fields and the Scheldeprijs. His versatility — a pure sprinter who can survive the cobbles and the bergs — makes him a unique weapon in the Alpecin-Deceuninck armoury. He has played a key supporting role for Van der Poel at the Monuments while collecting impressive victories of his own.
7. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) — Rating: 7.5/10
Milan-San Remo was magnificent, but the Tour of Flanders — where she was expected to win a record fourth title — ended in defeat at the hands of Vollering. Kopecky remains the most complete women's rider in the peloton and will start as joint-favourite alongside Pauline Ferrand-Prevot for Paris-Roubaix Femmes on Sunday. A Roubaix victory would salvage a spring that has been very good but not quite at the level of her 2024 dominance.
8. Filippo Ganna (Lidl-Trek) — Rating: 7/10
The Italian's Dwars door Vlaanderen victory announced him as a genuine Monument contender. Raw power has never been an issue for Ganna — it is positioning and tactical nous on the cobbles that have held him back. His victory over Van Aert proved he can compete with the best on rough terrain, and his Paris-Roubaix bid could be the most intriguing storyline of Sunday's race.
Honourable mentions: Remco Evenepoel (third on his Tour of Flanders debut), Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (second at Flanders, defending Roubaix Femmes champion), Puck Pieterse (third at Flanders Women with enormous Roubaix potential), Lorena Wiebes (four consecutive Scheldeprijs titles).