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Van der Poel Secures Historic Third Consecutive Paris-Roubaix Victory
In a thrilling display of endurance and skill at the Paris-Roubaix cycling race, Mathieu van der Poel triumphed, claiming his third successive victory in the esteemed ‘Queen of the Classics’. Despite facing adversity, including a projectile thrown at him and a flat tire, he overcame a strong challenge from world champion Tadej Pogacar to etch his name further into the annals of this prestigious event.
Pogacar’s Debut and Near Miss
Making his debut at the grueling Paris-Roubaix, Pogacar aimed to become the first Tour de France victor to conquer the ‘Hell of the North’ since Bernard Hinault in 1981. However, his ambition was thwarted when he misjudged a turn on a treacherous cobbled sector. This error in judgment led to a loss of equilibrium, allowing his rival to gain a decisive advantage, just a week after Pogacar had bested Van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders.
Van der Poel’s Dominance
Capitalizing on Pogacar’s mishap, Van der Poel pressed his advantage and never relinquished his lead. Despite Pogacar’s attempts to reduce a 20-second deficit, Van der Poel extended his margin, ultimately securing his eighth Monument Classic title. This victory adds to his impressive palmarès, which includes previous wins at Milan-Sanremo (2023 and 2025) and the Tour of Flanders (2020, 2022 and 2024).
Bottle Incident and Fan Misconduct
The former world champion’s path to victory was marred by an unsavory incident. While leading by approximately 20 seconds on a cobbled section, a bottle hurled from the spectator throng struck him in the face. The commentators on TNT Sports, Rob Hatch and Adam Blythe, strongly condemned the act, labeling the perpetrator a “scumbag” and expressing disbelief at such behavior at a sporting event. Fortunately, the incident did not impede Van der Poel’s performance.
Race Dynamics and Key Moments
Despite being lighter in build – a perceived disadvantage on the harsh cobblestones – Pogacar initially responded to Van der Poel’s early attacks. He launched several offensives until his critical mistake. Van der Poel’s forceful acceleration, initiated 87km from the finish, tested Pogacar’s limits, compelling the Slovenian to request energy gels from his team. After regaining composure, Pogacar launched his own attack with 71km remaining, coinciding with an unfortunate puncture for Mads Pedersen of Denmark, another contender.
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Tadej Pogacar recovers after a fall during Paris-Roubaix.
Decisive Attacks and Final Kilometers
Van der Poel launched another significant attack on the Mons-en-Pevele cobbled sector. This time, even his teammate Jasper Philipsen could not maintain pace, leaving the Dutchman and Pogacar to contest the race. However, the anticipated duel diminished when Pogacar committed his costly error on a sharp corner. Subsequently, a bike change for Pogacar in the final phase and a puncture for Van der Poel did not present any serious threat to the Dutchman’s victory.
Podium and Rider Reflections
Pedersen secured the third position, completing an all-champions podium. Van der Poel, reflecting on his triumph, acknowledged the arduous nature of the race and his own suffering. “It signifies greatly. It’s such a demanding race, I was in agony. I simply had to commit,” he stated. “I am delighted to have regained my peak form. We are all aware of Tadej’s exceptional championship caliber.”
He further added, “The tempo was incredibly fast, and he slightly missed the turn. It was destined to be a two-man sprint into the velodrome if he hadn’t erred. I believe it would have been exceedingly challenging to distance him otherwise.”
Women’s Race
Earlier on Saturday, Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt made history by becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the women’s Paris-Roubaix race.