Wout van Aert defeats Tadej Pogacar to claim Paris-Roubaix victory
Wout van Aert out-sprinted world champion Tadej Pogacar in the Roubaix Velodrome to win the Paris-Roubaix classic and end his decade-long curse on the cobbles.
The 31-year-old Belgian secured his second Monument title following a brutal five-hour race marred by punctures and severe mechanical issues.
He perfectly timed his final burst of speed to thwart the Slovenian rider’s attempt to make cycling history in the “Hell of the North”.
Pogacar denied historic treble
Pogacar arrived in France seeking a remarkable third Monument victory of the season after already triumphing at Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders.
The current world champion was also attempting to become the first Tour de France winner to conquer this treacherous course since Bernard Hinault in 1981.
However, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider matched his rival’s powerful attacks across the brutal cobbled sectors before overpowering him on the final track.
“Arriving for a final sprint with the world champion and beating him in a sprint is very special,” said the victorious rider.
Heartbreak for Van der Poel
Mathieu van der Poel saw his hopes of securing a fourth consecutive victory in the prestigious race destroyed by significant mechanical misfortune.
The Dutch pre-race favourite suffered two separate equipment failures and lost more than two minutes on a particularly challenging cobbled sector.
Despite mounting a valiant chase, he could not contest the final sprint and was forced to settle for fourth position behind Jasper Stuyven.
An emotional tribute
Victory proved incredibly poignant for the Belgian powerhouse after years of crashing out and suffering untimely punctures in the spring classics.
“It’s everything to me, it’s been a goal since I first did this race,” he explained.
“I stopped believing a lot of times but I would start believing again the next day.”
The newly crowned champion dedicated his monumental triumph to the memory of Michael Goolaerts.
His former teammate tragically passed away in 2018 after suffering a cardiac arrest while competing in the exact same event.
