Mathieu van der Poel was rated as a top favourite for Paris-Roubaix. Despite a race that saw some conservative riding, the Alpecin-Fenix leader didn't have the legs in the final 30 kilometers of racing to turn his current form into a win, as he settled with a modest ninth place in the velodrome.
The Dutchman told Sporza at the end of the race that “it was a bit of hanging and strangling. This is certainly not what I had hoped for, but it was also a separate race." Early on in the day Alpecin were forced to put on a chase, for around 100 kilometers as van der Poel was caught behind the split early in the day. Whilst he didn't hit the win, it took out many of the team's reserves which proved costly at the end.
"I didn't really panic. I didn't know if we were going to come back, but I never panicked. I sat from behind, but didn't really go to the side. And suddenly half of it was gone," he said regarding that.
"We did come back in a good situation thanks to good team work, but I didn't have the legs today either," he added. Despite having returned to the front group and generally avoiding bad luck, he didn't have the legs to match Wout van Aert when the Belgian champion attacked him with 22 kilometers to go, into the podium fight.
Nevertheless, van der Poel was not disappointed as his spring was wildly successful taking into consideration that he only began his training in late January: "Everything I've ridden has been bonus. This is already much more than expected. I had hoped for a nice Roubaix, but I'm happy with what I was able to get out of it. I was really empty at the end. The last 30, 40 kilometers kept fighting, but it was on character," he concluded.
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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Post #ParisRoubaix Faces. There are thousands of words to say about this year’s @Paris_Roubaix but first of all let’s start with a round of applause for all those who completed this day in Hell 👏 @mathieuvdpoel was our top finisher in 9th!
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