"I think he's the best rider on the cobbles of all time" - Bruyneel and Martin argue Tadej Pogacar may struggle against Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
It's Paris-Roubaix weekend and there is a battle of titans awaiting the fans. Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel both arrive at the very top of their game and tackle the Hell of the North where a lot can happen. Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin have discussed what may happen on the final of the cobbled classics.
The duo have also discussed the Itzulia Basque Country which, until stage 5, had been dominated by Paul Seixas. Whilst secondary in a week where the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix have taken the spotlight, the Frenchman's shine has transcended the monuments and has put the Tour de France and transfer market back as hot topics - with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe reportedly joining UAE Team Emirates - XRG and INEOS Grenadiers in a bid to sign the Frenchman.
"He's going to do the tour. There's no other way [not to], I think, unless something unexpected happens. I see him up there with Vingegaard. This, this is a Vingegaard level, I think," Bruyneel said on The Move podcast. The level of the 19-year old is unprecedented for a rider of his age, and it can be widely assumed that he will race the Tour de France this summer where his current level could already see him battling with the very best names - as long as he can keep his consistency.
Spencer Martin outlined how strong the Frenchman is riding, whilst his form currently is above the already impressive level he had back in February. "But what's crazy is Ayuso beat Paul Seixas at Algarve. And then flash forward to Basque country, they don't even look like they're in the same conversation. Like Seixas looks significantly better than he did earlier this year, which is, that's a scary progression".
Pogacar versus van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix
Meanwhile in northern France, the cobbled sectors will make a big thunderous impact as all of the specialists will be present in the queen of all cobbled classics. Whilst the field is luxurious and has several of the world's best at their very best level, the level of the 'big two' is just so extraordinarily high that it's difficult to see a different outcome.
Pogacar has so far won every race he's started in and although physically the race favours van der Poel, the World Champion's momentum this spring looks to be unstoppable. "But I think different, and that's taking luck out of the equation bad luck because that can happen and it will happen," Bruyneel added.
"We don't know which of the favourites will be affected by that. Just remember last year when the decisive move was going with Pogacar, van der Poel and Philipsen. Philipsen had a flat... Since everybody's going to say Pogacar I'm going to say Mathieu van der Poel."
That is because in this classic, positioning and bike handling is something that is more important than perhaps any other race on the calendar. And taking into consideration also van der Poel's physical level, it creates a deadly combination - which is why he's won the previous three editions.
"He's mister Paris-Roubaix I think he's the most skilled rider on the cobbles by far. Specially Paris-Roubaix is the one race that is van der Poel versus Pogacar, it's more the absolute power that primes compared to power to weight. So I think van der Poel will make it four in a row".
"I think he's the best rider on the cobbles of all time," Martin goes as far as saying. "I mean, to have four, to get four Flanders, to get three Flanders wins as fast as he did. And let's say he wins on Sunday to get four Roubaix wins in four years. That's absurd against very good competition."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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