Wout van Aert beat Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to win the Paris-Roubaix title. Van Aert and Pogacar entered the Roubaix Velodrome together. The pair had broken away from other contenders with about 50km of the 260km race remaining.
Van Aert unleashed an attack that Pogacar could not respond to.
Van Aert dedicated his win to the family of Michael Goolaerts, who died at Paris-Roubaix in 2018.
Van Aert Secures Coveted Victory
Wout van Aert took advantage of early race drama for both Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, who suffered a puncture. Van Aert said he was super proud, adding that winning this race meant everything to him.
“To finish it off in this way over Pogacar in that world champion’s jersey, there’s no better way to do it – it’s definitely a dream come true,” said Van Aert. He added he believed he had a fair chance against Pogacar once it was just the two of them.
Van Aert said he truly believed after Carrefour d’Arbre.
Victory for Pogacar would have completed the set of the five one-day ‘Monument’ races, adding to his four Tours de France, Giro d’Italia and two road world titles. He is still seeking a Paris-Roubaix win.
‘Hell of the North’ Takes its Toll
Paris-Roubaix is considered the toughest one-day race on the UCI World Tour. There were several notable incidents in the latest edition. The race is traditionally known as the ‘Hell of the North’, on account of its bone-shaking cobbled sectors.
Jasper Styuven finished third, 13 seconds behind, with Van der Poel fourth.
Pogacar had to change his bike three times. On the first occasion he was forced to use an unfamiliar ‘neutral’ service bike on a tight section of pave. He later gave an uncharacteristic bark at a TV camera-bike filming directly on his line of attack, showing signs of stress early on.
Van der Poel’s race was ruined on the infamous Trouee d’Arenberg. He punctured and attempted to take a team-mate’s bike, but gave up and threw it next to the track before having to wait for a replacement.
Sunday was an unseasonably warm spring day in northern France. Dust was kicked up into riders’ faces on the cobbled sectors, with some competitors struggling to breathe.
Remembering Michael Goolaerts
Van Aert dedicated his win to the family of Michael Goolaerts, a fellow Belgian rider and team-mate who died during Paris-Roubaix in 2018. Goolaerts suffered a cardiac arrest. Van Aert said he got goosebumps during recon, adding he liked to believe Goolaerts gave him some power to win.