After an epic Sunday of racing at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, the men’s and women’s pelotons have little time to rest before the next big appointment at Paris-Roubaix arrives on April 12, with cycling’s Holy Week now turning focus to the pavé of northern France.
While both categorised as cobbled Monuments, the two Classics do differ, both in the amount of climbing, risk, and just how ruthless the placement of the cobblestones are, with the French race offering the flatter, but more dangerous and unpredictable parcours.
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For the first time, the races will be run on the same day, with 30 iconic sectors in the former and 20 in the latter, and are set to decide two worthy winners in the iconic Roubaix Vélodrome (André-Pétrieux), but what clues about who that might be did Flanders provide?
The superstars converged in both races, with Tadej Pogačar defeating Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel for a record-equalling third men’s title, while Demi Vollering climbed away from the field for her first Flanders triumph, beating Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Puck Pieterse in second and third.
None of the women’s podium are down to race the third Monument of the season, so the action and tactics behind them is what Flanders signposted for Paris-Roubaix Femmes. But the men’s race is a different story, with Pogačar and Van der Poel set to battle out the victory again, albeit this time on the favoured, flatter terrain of the Dutchman.
Tadej Pogačar winning all five Monuments in one season is possible and looks likely
While only three riders have ever won all five of cycling’s Monuments, Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck and Rik Van Looy, no one has ever conquered all of them in one season. That is not only possible for Tadej Pogačar, but it also looks likely. However, Paris-Roubaix does represent his toughest challenge.
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