Analysts insist Van der Poel would've beaten Pogacar even without the crash: "He was the strongest"

Mathieu van der Poel has made history once again, becoming just the third rider to claim three consecutive victories at Paris-Roubaix. His dominant win not only adds to his growing legend but also served as a response to Tadej Pogacar, who had bested him a week earlier.

This time, the roles were reversed. While Pogacar suffered a crash on his debut outing in the cobbled Monument, Van der Poel surged ahead solo and crossed the iconic Roubaix velodrome finish with no one in sight.

Sporza expert Sep Vanmarcke doesn’t believe the crash had any bearing on the result.

"Even without that crash, Van der Poel would have won. He responded to all those attacks from Pogacar with surplus. It was a shame that it had to happen like this, but he was the strongest."

Vanmarcke also highlighted how the race dynamic was already tilting in the Dutchman’s favour before the Slovenian’s issues mounted.

"That's why there was a lot of tension. It was a great race with a fair winner. Mano a mano he won it before Pogacar changed bikes for the second time. He was already winning mentally and was clearly the strongest."

Discussing Pogacar’s crash, Vanmarcke suggested inexperience on this terrain may have played a part, along with the presence of motorbikes near the front.

"The motorbikes were very close to those men, which is probably why he couldn't see the bend properly. You could also see that Pogacar doesn't know much about the course. He misjudged that bend. The barriers were a bit wide, which could have played a role."

After the crash, Pogacar lost significant time due to mechanical complications, which Vanmarcke believes disrupted the rhythm of a fair fight.

"That really took far too long. If he could have gotten back on the bike right away, Van der Poel would have waited. Out of respect, but also because it was still far. But the chain had to be put back on, that didn't work and that new bike didn't just come along. Before you know it, you're 25 seconds behind."