"I was watching the motorbikes..." - Was a momentary lapse of concentration to blame for Tadej Pogacar's Paris-Roubaix crash?
Cycling
He may not have managed to crown his Paris-Roubaix debut with a win, but Tadej Pogacar has once again left the entire cycling world incredibly impressed following his 2nd placed finish at the 2025 edition of the 'Hell of the North' behind Mathieu van der Poel.
For much of the race, Pogacar seemed every bit the match of Van der Poel, following any moves from the Dutchman and even launching a few of his own. At just over 38km to go however, disaster struck for the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader, as he took a corner too exuberantly on the cobbles and ended up crashing, leaving Van der Poel solo at the head of the race, something he would not relinquish for the remainder.
"That atmosphere was amazing. On every sector there was so many people and it helps. Whether it's crosswinds or headwinds, it helps if there is a lot of people!" Pogacar smiled in his post-race interview afterwards. "In the end, I was pretty empty and yeah, I was suffering. The last 20km was really, really long."
On the crash itself, Pogacar admitted he may have lost a bit of concentration in his approach to the corner. "I saw the motorbikes, I think they were standing in the corner. I was watching them and in my head they were going straight, but nobody was turning so I came to the corner going really, really fast," he explains. "There was a tailwind, I was attacking and we were going all-out. So yeah, it was just too fast."
"It was definitely one of the hardest races I've ever done in my career," concludes the world champion. "It's a shame I didn't have a computer in the last 40km, when there was five of us in the front, my power was some of the highest I ever saw in my life."
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
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