“In the end we got to within 20 seconds of Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar” - Mick van Dijke almost helped Mathieu van der Poel complete Paris-Roubaix miracle

Amid the chaos of Paris-Roubaix 2026, Mick van Dijke quietly produced one of the rides of the day, bridging between the race’s biggest storylines and coming closer than most to influencing the outcome.

While the spotlight fell on Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar at the front, and the disrupted challenge of Mathieu van der Poel behind, Van Dijke found himself moving between those worlds in a race that refused to follow a single script.

Like so many riders, Van Dijke’s day was shaped by setbacks that would have ended most races. “We had a strong team across the board, which we expected beforehand. I was well positioned with the guys at the front, but then I punctured,” he told In de Leiderstrui post-race, reflecting on the moment his race began to unravel. “After that, it was chasing, and I saw that around fifty riders had gone clear.”

For a moment, it looked over. “Everything that needed to go right did go right, and I had good legs. But at that moment I did think: this is over.”

Instead, the race came back to him, helped in part by the same chaos affecting everyone else. “Tadej punctured and after that, UAE solved a lot of the situation, which I was quite happy about,” he added, as the regrouping behind the leaders began to take shape.

What made Van Dijke’s ride stand out was how often he found himself at the centre of the race’s key movements.

At one point, he was bridging with Tadej Pogacar. “Tadej and I bridged across with two other riders on Haveluy à Wallers,” he said. “But then you arrive at the Forest of Wallers already deep in the red. I got dropped again there, which made it a typical Roubaix race for me.”

Later, the pattern repeated itself alongside Mathieu van der Poel, who was also chasing back after his own punctures. “I gave everything when I bridged across with Mathieu to the first chasing group, and from there we were riding for third place,” Van Dijke explained.

After forcing his way back through the chaos, Van Dijke eventually found himself in the group behind the two leaders alongside Van der Poel, with the race shifting from survival to calculation.

Speaking at the team bus, he explained that once they had made contact with that first chasing group, the focus turned to how best to use what was left. “When we made it across, I asked what the plan was, because you have to be very careful in a race like this about when to use your energy,” he said. “In the end, we got to within 20 seconds of Wout van Aert and Pogacar.”

For a moment, the gap looked manageable. “At that moment I thought maybe it was still possible,” he added, with the leaders still within sight before the effort finally began to tell.

That ability to stay in the race was not accidental. “This race suits me very well, but the Tour of Flanders does too,” Van Dijke said. “I specifically asked Sven Vanthourenhout if I could have a free role today.”

“I’ve felt really good in recent weeks, but I always had to work quite early for the team,” he added. “I understand that because we have a strong team, but at times it was frustrating, because I really felt very good.”

He had already sensed where his strength lay. “I already felt in the Tour of Flanders that I only really come into my own in the final hours.”

Given that opportunity, he delivered. “I’m happy I had this role today, and to finish sixth makes me very happy.”

Even in the closing kilometres, the cost of those repeated efforts was clear. “Mathieu had already done so much work in that group that I think he was just starting to run out of energy,” Van Dijke said, explaining why the gap to the leaders ultimately held.

Still, his own performance remained one of the most resilient of the day. “I already felt that earlier in the race, and it’s a shame you have to use that so early, but in the end I could still get into the top ten, and I’m happy with that.”

And in a race defined by chaos, his own summary felt fitting: “a typical Roubaix race.”

There was still time for reflection at the finish, including a nod to the winner. “I really like Wout, he’s a former team-mate of mine,” Van Dijke said of Wout van Aert. “I’m very happy for him that he wins here. Of course I’d rather win myself, and after that I’d prefer Tim to win, but after that it’s Wout.”

It was a fitting end to a race where Van Dijke may not have stood on the podium, but played a role in shaping how it unfolded, right at the heart of the action.