"No one has ever won it four times in a row" - Former Paris-Roubaix winner backs Mathieu van der Poel to make cobbled history despite Tadej Pogacar threat

Tadej Pogacar arrives at Paris-Roubaix 2026 in relentless form, having already claimed victory at Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders in recent weeks. Two Monuments, two different race scenarios, same outcome.

And yet, as the peloton turns towards the cobbles this Sunday, former winner Sonny Colbrelli is siding elsewhere.

The Italian, who etched his name into Roubaix history with a remarkable victory in 2021, believes the unique demands of the Hell of the North could still tilt the balance back towards Mathieu van der Poel, even against a rival operating at the peak of the sport.

“It will be hard-fought, as always, if not more. The level is stellar,” Colbrelli said in conversation with Gazzetta dello Sport, before naming his favourite. “Slightly, Mathieu van der Poel.”

Colbrelli’s reasoning is rooted not in form, but in terrain.

Pogacar may have dropped Van der Poel on the Poggio in Sanremo and again on the Oude Kwaremont in Flanders, but Roubaix presents a completely different test. One defined not by climbing explosiveness, but by power, positioning and resilience over more than 50 kilometres of pavé. “At Flanders I said Pogacar, because the course suits him more… But the Roubaix route suits the Dutchman more.”

It is that distinction that underpins Colbrelli’s view. The Slovenian has proven himself the most complete rider in the sport, capable of winning in almost any scenario. But Roubaix has always resisted even the greatest Grand Tour riders, demanding a different kind of dominance.

Beyond the terrain, Colbrelli points to another powerful motivator. “No one has ever won it four times in a row.”

Van der Poel arrives chasing a fourth consecutive Paris-Roubaix title, a feat that would place him alone in the history of the race. Even among the legends of the cobbles, that mark has never been reached.

For Colbrelli, that sense of history adds another layer to the Dutchman’s challenge, even in the face of Pogacar’s recent supremacy. “There is also the motivation of a special milestone.”

The contrast is what defines this year’s race. Pogacar has already shown he can win Monument races in multiple ways this spring. He recovered from a crash to conquer Sanremo, then rode clear of Van der Poel with authority in Flanders. On paper, he is the strongest rider in the world.

But Roubaix has rarely been decided on paper. Colbrelli knows that better than most. His own victory came on debut, in extreme conditions, on a day where survival mattered as much as strength. “In the years since, I’ve never managed to watch it live, but this time I intend to.”

That 2021 triumph still defines Colbrelli’s connection to the race. “I remember everything, from A to Z, from waking up to going to bed… the moment I stepped onto the podium and the trophy – the cobblestone – was waiting for me. Maybe that was when I realised what I had done. The fulfilment of a dream.”

It remains, in his own words, the day that placed him into cycling history. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that.”

As Paris-Roubaix approaches once again, Colbrelli’s perspective carries weight. He has seen both sides of the race: the brutality and the glory. And while Pogacar arrives as the dominant force of the spring, the Italian’s view is clear. Roubaix is different.