Mathieu van der Poel’s teammate reveals’ Alpecin-Deceuninck reveals plans to repeat Paris-Roubaix tactics from 2024: “It was a day when everything fell into place”
Cycling
Sunday marks the return of the “Hell of the North,” and all
eyes will be on Mathieu van der Poel as he bids to win his third consecutive
Paris-Roubaix. The Dutchman has been unstoppable over the past two editions,
and in both 2023 and 2024, it was his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jasper
Philipsen who followed him across the line in second place.
Another key figure in the team’s dominance last year was
Edward Planckaert, who played a supporting role in van der Poel’s victory.
Reflecting on his 2024 performance, Planckaert told Wieler Revue:
"For me, it was a day when everything fell into place.
In terms of condition, in terms of confidence, in terms of the course of the
race..."
"I wouldn't say it was my best day on the bike ever,
but it just all went well. I've become twice as good since I've been riding for
Alpecin-Deceuninck. Not only am I developing, but I'm also riding with the best
riders in the world, like Mathieu and Jasper."
Riding alongside two of the strongest classics riders in the
world has clearly elevated Planckaert’s own level, something he’s quick to
acknowledge.
"To be honest: it just works when you ride with such
top riders. When you have such riders in the team, the rest excels."
He also recalled the iconic attack that defined the race.
"Everyone knew that Mathieu would accelerate somewhere
on a strip. I saw that breakaway on Orchies afterwards and thought: phenomenal,
you can only enjoy this."
But even for a team as dominant as Alpecin-Deceuninck, the
chaos of Paris-Roubaix always looms large. Planckaert explained how
communication broke down in the final stages and how little they knew about the
overall situation until the end.
"The last thing I heard was that Mathieu was thirty
seconds ahead, but that was already crackling and with noise on the connection.
Timo and I were in the same group. We really wanted to reach the finish. I
talked about it with Timo, but I didn't ask around at other teams or
anything."
"We only knew after the finish that we had also come
second, while we only saw that Mathieu had won when we turned onto the track.
Yes, that's strange, but you are also trying to finish your own race. In
Paris-Roubaix you have to stay focused."
Of course, this year Alpecin will have to deal with Pogacar and Van Aert. But such was their supremacy last year, that you cannot rule them out of dominating again.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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