With Townsend something of a breakaway specialist, the Irishman took it upon himself to lead the troops. “I kept saying to the guys ‘look, we just need to make it to Arenberg and we’re in with a chance’, that kind of thing. I was trying to get everybody focused on this idea," he explains. "In the end, I think three or four of us stayed ahead to be in the front at Arenberg.”
As it turned out however, even though Townsend and a select group kept themselves clear of the chase heading onto the Arenberg, they could not hold out much longer as the aforementioned Van der Poel and Pogacar began to launch their big attacks. “I look up and I see Mathieu kicking off again,” the
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team man said of the attacks. “And I was like ‘come on, let’s give it a break’. I was excited to see how far I’d make it. It’s just frustrating that, in the end, the opportunity was taken a little bit out of my hands."
“I’m not saying it would have changed anything in the end. I won’t bore you with excuses, but I’m struggling with injuries and a few little niggles. But just to have been part of the race for a little bit longer, it would have been really nice," he adds. "But there’s always next year.”
With this being his second experience of the iconic French cobbles, Townsend, who finished 108th on debut in 2024, improved on that result, this time crossing the line in 76th. “It’s funny coming back here the second time around,” he assesses. “Flanders was a real eye-opener, that was a very special event. I think Roubaix, has that uniqueness. I can’t help but think it’s some sadistic obstacle course and a bike race."
“For me, this is the nicest finish of any race. I think it’s super, super special," Townsend concludes. "I’m talking as somebody who hasn’t finished on the Champs-Élysées or anything like that. But this is really amazing, there’s such a unique atmosphere.”