They call it the Hell of the North, and every year Paris-Roubaix merits its moniker, producing a bicycle race unmatched in drama. This year’s race promises to go down in the annals of the sport, as Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel seemingly surfed through a race filled with chaos and ever-changing chances to win his second Monument of the season.
Rolling out of the start in Compiegne the racing promised to be fast. Countless riders made their bid to get into the early breakaway and even before the first cobblestone sector in Troisvilles, crashes and mechanicals only increased with the tension.
Perhaps in an effort to put the chaos behind them, the Jumbo-Visma team went on the attack before the mythic Arenberg Forest. Seemingly the race was over for all but a few. Pre-race favorites like, Mads Pedersen and Van der Poel were quick to follow along with other hopefuls like former winner John Degenkolb, Italy’s Filippo Ganna, Switzerland’s Stefan Küng, as well as Van der Poel’s teammate Jasper Philipsen, an unexpected guest and a true threat as he was the fastest sprinter in the bunch.
Behind, it was simply game over, as the peloton would never seen them again.
As the group approached Roubaix no one could seemingly gain the upper hand.
The Carrefour de l’Arbre is often considered the last occasion for a rider to break free. It is the race’s last five-star cobble sector, stretching out for over two kilometers with some of the worst cobbles in the race. And once again Le Carrefour did not disappoint.
Degenkolb crashed. Van Aert attacked. Van der Poel chased. Then Van Aert flatted. It could not happen at a worse moment. But that is Paris-Roubaix, a race where chance and circumstance are always on centre stage. Van der Poel, having the ride of his life, simply launched, authoring a huge solo effort that would put the finishing on touches on a monumental masterpiece.
Only a year ago, Van der Poel was one of the day’s biggest losers, but today he was simply untouchable. What a difference a year makes.
Peter Sagan, winner in 2018, readies for his final Paris-Roubaix. Unfortunately for the Slovak, he would be forced out of the race after crashing on an early cobble sector.
Jasper Philipsen readies for the race. The Belgian sprinter turned out to be one of the big stars of the day, eventually finishing second behind his teammate…