World champion Mathieu van der Poel defends Paris-Roubaix title

Van der Poel's second victory in the Paris-Roubaix follows three wins in the Tour of Flanders and one in Milan-San Remo

World champion Mathieu van der Poel defends Paris-Roubaix title

Mathieu van der Poel broke his own record time to defend the Paris-Roubaix title after a stunning solo attack.

The Dutch world champion, 29, pounced 60km from the finish and went on to beat the mark he set last year by almost three minutes.

It was his sixth win in a Monument - the name given to road cycling's five most prestigious one-day races.

"I never could have dreamed of this as a child," he said, after adding to last weekend's Tour of Flanders victory.

"I was super motivated this year, I wanted to show off the [rainbow] jersey [as world champion] in a nice way. It goes beyond expectations. I am lost for words to be honest with you, but I am really enjoying this moment."

Paris-Roubaix is the third Monument of the season, after Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, with Liege-Bastogne-Liege (21 April) and the Giro di Lombardia (12 October) to come.

Organisers had made tweaks to the notoriously difficult course in a bid to protect riders following a number of recent high-profile crashes.

Belgian rider Wout van Aert, who would have been one of Van der Poel's main rivals, suffered a broken collarbone and several broken ribs in a heavy crash at the Dwars door Vlaanderen one-day race in March.

But while the race, which includes 57km of perilous cobblestones, was punctuated by a series of bumps and falls, Van Der Poel's Alpecin-Deceuninck team helped keep him out of danger before providing the platform to launch his attack.

The Dutch rider quickly opened a significant lead as the chasing pack started to battle among themselves for the minor places.

He rode alone into the famous Roubaix velodrome, where the race traditionally finishes, and crossed the finish line in five hours 25 minutes 58 seconds - completing the route at the fastest average speed in the history of the event, which was first held in 1896.

Van der Poel's Belgian team-mate Jasper Philipsen finished in second place, three minutes behind, pipping Denmark's Mads Pedersen in a sprint finish.

Meanwhile, Britain's Josh Tarling was disqualified early in the race after being judged to have gained an illegal tow from his Ineos Grenadiers team car as he attempted to rejoin the peloton following a puncture.

HIGHLIGHTS: 2024 Paris-Roubaix

2024 Paris-Roubaix Men's Top 10

1  VAN DER POEL Mathieu Alpecin - Deceuninck 5:25:58
2  PHILIPSEN Jasper Alpecin - Deceuninck 3:00
3  PEDERSEN Mads Lidl - Trek 3:00
4  POLITT Nils UAE Team Emirates 3:00
5  KÜNG Stefan Groupama - FDJ 3:15
6  VERMEERSCH Gianni Alpecin - Deceuninck 3:47
7  PITHIE Laurence Groupama - FDJ 3:48
8  VAN DIJKE Tim Team Visma | Lease a Bike 4:45
9  MEEUS Jordi BORA - hansgrohe 4:47
10  WÆRENSKJOLD Søren Uno-X Mobility 4:47

 
Tag: classics
 
Oct 20 2024 - NEWS: 2025 Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge Registration Opens
Oct 12 2024 - NEWS: Tadej Pogacar launches another long-range attack to win Il Lombardia
Oct 04 2024 - NEWS: We Ride Flanders Cyclo gets a NEW Look for 2025
Oct 03 2024 - NEWS: New dates for 2025 Ronde van Limburg and 2025 De Brabantse Pijl
Jul 30 2020 - NEWS: 2024 Tour de France Team Presentation
Apr 21 2024 - NEWS: Pogacar attacks to solo to Liège-Bastogne-Liège Victory
Apr 20 2024 - NEWS: Pogacar and Van der Poel headline 2024 Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Apr 17 2024 - NEWS: Welsh Wonder Stephen Williams Strikes to win 2024 Flèche Wallonne
Apr 14 2024 - NEWS: Tom Pidcock finally wins the Amstel Gold Race
Apr 13 2024 - NEWS: Van der Poel favorite for Amstel Gold Race
Apr 10 2024 - NEWS: Benoît Cosnefroy wins 64th edition of De Brabantse Pijl
Apr 07 2024 - NEWS: World champion Mathieu van der Poel defends Paris-Roubaix title
Apr 06 2024 - NEWS: Lotte Kopecky outsprints Balsamo and Vos in Roubaix Velodrome
Apr 04 2024 - NEWS: Welcome to Hell: The 2024 Paris-Roubaix Preview
Apr 04 2024 - NEWS: Mathieu van der Poel not happy with 180 degree Arenberg Trench Chicane
Apr 01 2015 - RESULTS: Gorge Roubaix Grinder a Great Success
Mar 16 2015 - RESULTS: Rouge Roubaix Classic Race and Gran Fondo
Jan 25 2025 - EVENT: Texas Chainring Massacre
Feb 02 2025 - EVENT: Old Man Winter Rally
Mar 01 2025 - EVENT: Road Apple Roubaix
Mar 01 2025 - EVENT: Dirty Pecan Gravel Ride
Mar 01 2025 - EVENT: 2025 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Mar 01 2025 - EVENT: Dirty South Roubaix
Mar 02 2025 - EVENT: 2025 Kuurne Brussels Kuurne
Mar 02 2025 - EVENT: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Cyclo
Mar 09 2025 - EVENT: Stokesville 6040k
Mar 09 2025 - EVENT: Hell of the NorFla
Mar 13 2025 - EVENT: The Mid South
Mar 19 2025 - EVENT: 2025 Milano Torino
Mar 22 2025 - EVENT: 2025 Milano Sanremo
Mar 22 2025 - EVENT: Dwars Door Vlaanderen Cyclo
Mar 28 2025 - EVENT: 2025 E3 Saxo Classic