“It all started with a wrong decision by Jasper Philipsen... Tadej Pogacar's comments were unfair” - Paris-Roubaix specialist offers unique insight into chaos of 2026

The 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix delivered one of the most chaotic and unpredictable races in recent memory, with repeated mechanical issues affecting every major contender.

From Tadej Pogacar’s triple puncture to repeated problems for Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, the race was shaped as much by equipment and decision-making as by legs. For Alan Marangoni, a six-time Roubaix rider and former Classics domestique, the defining moment came inside the Forest of Arenberg.

Van der Poel’s double puncture in quick succession triggered one of the most talked-about sequences of the race, as confusion over a bike change cost significant time. “In my opinion, it all started with a wrong decision by Jasper Philipsen, which then created confusion,” Marangoni explained to Bici.Pro. “He didn’t think it through. He immediately wanted to give his bike to Van der Poel without considering that he is shorter, so the bike is smaller and especially that he had different pedals. That’s where the disaster came from.”

In practical terms, the solution could have been far simpler. “When it would have been enough to give him the wheel and they would have lost half the time,” he added, underlining how quickly a small decision became decisive.

For Marangoni, the issue was not just the mistake itself, but the lack of preparation for such scenarios. He felt that even Van der Poel “wasn’t completely clear-headed,” despite how it may have appeared from the outside.

“In those situations it’s not always easy to make the right decisions,” he said. “That’s why I think they should train this as well, managing unexpected situations, especially in a race like Roubaix.”

That perspective points to a wider gap in modern race preparation. “I don’t think they have meetings about this, which is strange if you think about how every other detail is studied,” Marangoni continued. “It would be enough to decide in advance what to do if something happens. Make a list of possible problems. For example, when it’s better to give the bike to the leader, when it’s better to wait for the team car, and when to just change the wheel.”

The Arenberg incident also highlighted what Marangoni sees as a growing trend in the peloton. “Sometimes it seems like riders are so used to changing bikes for every problem that they don’t even consider that sometimes it’s better to just change the wheel,” he said.

That distinction, he argues, can be decisive. “Of course, maybe by changing the wheel you lose a few seconds immediately, but then you have your own bike,” Marangoni explained. “If instead you find yourself on a bike that isn’t yours and you have to ride it for 10 or 20 kilometres, you obviously can’t push in the same way.”

The Slovenian’s own misfortune added another layer to the race’s mechanical chaos, particularly his use of a neutral service bike. “I spoke to a Shimano mechanic and he told me they have five bikes with the measurements of the five favourites, plus a telescopic seatpost to deal with any situation,” Marangoni said.

“Maybe Pogacar didn’t know that or didn’t realise in the moment, but it would have only taken a second to adjust the saddle,” he continued. “From the images, it looked too high and he wasn’t pedalling well. So I think his comments were a bit unfair.”

Marangoni also pointed to situational factors that compounded the problem. “In that moment he was at the back of the group and I think they simply didn’t see him.”

“Also, the radio didn’t have signal in that sector, so there were communication problems,” he added. “But that’s another thing you have to anticipate, because in that race anything can happen.”

Ultimately, the 2026 edition reinforced the unpredictable nature of Paris-Roubaix, where preparation and instinct must constantly adapt to circumstances. “I would tell the riders that problems will happen, but they can almost always be managed with the help of teammates,” Marangoni said.

“Of course, if you break your bike in two you have to wait for the team car, but that doesn’t happen in every race,” he continued. “I would spend half an hour the day before, or the morning of the race, listing ten possible problems and ten quick solutions to handle them in the best way.”

In a race defined by chaos, those decisions can be the difference between staying in contention and watching it ride away.