Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel Lead Favorites for Milan-San Remo

Mathieu van der Poel Claims Historic Third Paris-Roubaix Title after Tadej Pogacar's Crash

In a dramatic showdown at the 121st edition of the Paris-Roubaix, Mathieu van der Poel triumphed over fierce competition and adversity to secure his third consecutive victory in the prestigious cycling event, commonly referred to as the “Queen of the Classics” and "The Hell of the North".

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The Dutch rider's remarkable performance solidified his status as a cycling legend, while Tadej Pogacar's ambitious bid for glory was thwarted by a costly mistake on a treacherous cobbled section.

Van der Poel faced a series of challenges during the race, including a bottle thrown from the crowd that struck him in the face and a puncture that threatened his momentum. Despite these setbacks, he maintained his composure and continued to push ahead, ultimately finishing ahead of Pogacar, who was looking to make history as the first Tour de France winner to conquer Paris-Roubaix since Bernard Hinault in 1981.

The race took a pivotal turn when Pogacar, who had been closely shadowing van der Poel, lost his balance on a sharp turn, allowing the Dutchman to extend his lead. With 87 kilometers remaining, van der Poel launched a brutal attack that left Pogacar gasping for breath and forced him to rely on his team for glucose gels. As the race progressed, Pogacar attempted to recover, but van der Poel's relentless pace proved insurmountable.

“Who on earth comes to a bike race to do that? What are you playing at?” commented Rob Hatch on TNT Sports, referring to the bottle-throwing incident. His colleague Adam Blythe echoed the sentiment, calling the act “disgusting” but praised van der Poel for his unwavering focus in the face of adversity.

The final stages of the race saw van der Poel and Pogacar locked in an intense battle. However, Pogacar's unfortunate error on the cobbles allowed van der Poel to pull away decisively. Even a late puncture did not deter the former world champion, who crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead, marking his eighth title in a Monument Classic, having previously won Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders multiple times.

“It means a lot. It’s such a hard race, I was suffering. I just had to go for it,” van der Poel reflected after his victory. “The speed was super-high and he missed the turn a bit. It was the two of us going into the velodrome if he didn’t make the mistake. I think it would have been very difficult to drop him.”

Completing the podium was Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, who secured third place, ensuring an all-world champion top three in this year’s Paris-Roubaix.

In the women’s race held on Saturday, Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt made history as the first French winner of the event, adding to the excitement of this year’s cycling spectacle.

2025 Paris Roubaix Men's Top 10

1 Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin–Deceuninck 5h 31' 27"
2 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates XRG + 1' 18"
3 Mads Pedersen (DEN) Lidl–Trek + 2' 11"
4 Wout Van Aert (BEL) Lotto + 2' 11"
5 Florian Vermeersch (BEL) UAE Team Emirates XRG + 2' 11"
6 Jonas Rutsch (GER) Intermarché–Wanty + 3' 46"
7 Stefan Bissegger (GER) Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale + 3' 46"
8 Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) Uno-X Mobility + 3' 46"
9 Fred Wright (GBR) Team Bahrain Victorious + 4' 35"
10 Laurenz Rex (BEL) Intermarché–Wanty + 4' 36"