“My race ended in Arenberg" - Mathieu van der Poel loses chance to make history on Roubaix's cruelest cobbles

Paris–Roubaix 2026 brought an end to one of the most impressive streaks of recent years. Mathieu van der Poel, winner of the previous three editions, could become the first rider to ever win the Hell of the North on four consecutive occasions. He showed he had the legs for it, however a double puncture on the Trouée d'Arenberg saw his chances of winning get cut early on.

The Dutchman was blunt when analyzing the decisive moment of his race. “I had two punctures and I was more than two minutes down. Then you know the race is over,” he told Cycling Pro Net, acknowledging that his real hopes of victory vanished right there.

As so often in the Hell of the North, bad luck struck in the worst possible place. Until then he was in position and having an ideal race, however the race always throws in unexpected scenarios for all riders. He had it worst of the main favourites, perhaps. “Like others, I punctured on a cobbled sector,” he said, avoiding excuses in a race where mishaps are part of the script.

Amid the chaos, Van der Poel even had to resort to a teammate’s bike, Jasper Philipsen’s, in a desperate attempt to stay in the race. “It was never my intention to take his bike,” he clarified, though the situation demanded it. “I don’t think he was feeling great either, so he gave it to me.” But it didn't work, and it was Tibor del Grosso who changed the wheel of his bike behind.

The problem was that this solution didn’t work either. “I tried to get out of Arenberg, but it was impossible,” he admitted. He later retrieved his own bike with help from the team, but the damage was done. “I set off again and knew my race was finished.”

He was at this point two minutes behind the group of Tadej Pogacar and Wout Van Aert. “No, honestly I didn’t think I could come back. I had to burn a huge amount of energy just to get back.” However his recovery through the groups was notable, as he cut the gap down to 30 seconds - often with the help of temporary allies.

But by the time he reached the group, Pogacar and Van Aert had already attacked. That effort cost him in the finale, though it didn’t stop him fighting to the last moment. “It’s a bit incredible that I still managed to be in the sprint for the podium,” he reflected.

After the finish, Van der Poel was among the first to congratulate the winner, Wout van Aert, a gesture that reflects the respect between two of today’s leading figures in cycling. “Yes, of course,” he replied when asked if that kind of gesture is common. “After all the setbacks he had, it’s normal. It’s great that he won.”

The Dutchman also highlighted the race’s unpredictable nature. “Anything can happen in Roubaix,” he stated. “And I think we saw that in this edition.”

He summed up his day with a stark line that explains why he couldn’t fight for a fourth straight victory: “My race ended in Arenberg.”

Thus, Paris–Roubaix 2026 closes an era of Van der Poel’s dominance at the Roubaix velodrome, a reminder that even the strongest can succumb to the brutality and chaos of the pavé.