photo credits @ Paris-Roubaix
Despite crashing and a high-pressure pursuit from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) made it a hattrick in the L’Enfer du Nord today, soaring to his third straight victory in Paris-Roubaix, crossing the finish in solo fashion almost a minute and a half ahead of his Slovenian rival.
Pogačar and Van der Poel were leading the race with some 40 kilometers to go when the World Champion fell hard, causing injury to his left wrist while also needing a replacement bike.
Minutes later, Van der Poel suffered a late puncture on the Carrefour d’Arbre forcing him to change bikes as well. However, the Dutchman maintained his cool, riding a faultless race that earned him the distinction of becoming the first rider to win the Hell of the North three times in a row since Francesco Moser in 1980.
Race Highlights
It took 22 kilometers of racing before a small breakaway group finally materialized, with Kim Heiduk (Ineos Grenadiers), Oier Lazkano (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty), Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto), Rory Townsend (Q36.5) and Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema Rockets) riding clear of the peloton.
From there, the escapees built up an advantage of just over minutes as they reached the 90-kilometer mark.
Back in the chase, Ineos Grenadiers was driving the peloton when its leader Filippo Ganna suffered a mechanical problem that forced him to chase along with his teammates for more than 30 kilometers.
Back up front, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Pogačar and Van der Poel launched their first attacks of the day, whittling the peloton down to around 20 riders, while later reeling in the breakaway group along the Trouée d’Arenberg.
Shortly thereafter, Van der Poel attacked, with only Pogačar, Pedersen, his teammate Jasper Philipsen and Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale’s Stefan Bissegger able to follow his aggressions.
At Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières, Pedersen punctured and fell out of contention with Pogačar accelerating alongside Van der Poel, while Bissegger suffered a flat as well, forcing Philipsen to dig deep on his own in order to regain contact with the leaders.
From there, the newly formed trio cooperated all the way to Mons-en-Pévèle, where Van der Poel attacked again, with only Pogačar able to stay on terms this time.
Meanwhile, a chasing group with Bissegger, Pedersen, Hoelgaard, Rutsch, Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates) and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) trailed at 1:30 behind.
As Pogačar was putting the hammer down along sector 9 from Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin, he misjudged a right-hand turn and crashed, subsequently putting him 20 seconds in arrears of Van der Poel. To make matters worse, Pogačar had to change bikes, stretching his deficit out another 30 seconds with 21 kilometers to go.
Meanwhile, Van der Pole was plagued with a puncture along the Carrefour de l’Arbre, yet with a fast bike change, he was quickly back in action.
Pogačar continued to chase in earnest while Philipsen was brought back by the chasing group. But there was no catching Vander Poel at that point, with Pogačar having to settle for second, while Vermeersch, Pedersen and Van Aert battled for third with the Dane out-pacing his Belgian rivals.
