The dominance of Pogacar and Van der Poel destroys the fun? "It mainly frustrates Van Aert and, by extension, the entire peloton"
Cycling
Paris-Roubaix was again a two-man show. Behind, the battle for podium featured also Wout van Aert who, using the new Gravaa tire-pressure system, hoped to raise his stocks against the superhumans. But eventually it was only a fourth place...
"Wout van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike hoped the much-discussed Gravaa system would give them an advantage on the tricky cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix. It didn't work out that way," concluded Jan Bakelants in HLN. "The system didn't fail, but as Van Aert candidly admitted after the race, the legs still make the law."
"This Paris-Roubaix will not be historic for the breakthrough of technological innovation but confirms the hierarchy of the spring: a clash of the titans between two phenomena that are taking cycling to a new level. Their dominance is reminiscent of the years of Tom Boonen and Fabio Cancellara, but even more overwhelming for the competition," he continues.
While Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are doing their own thing off the front, the other favourites behind may feel a bit helpless. Especially Van der Poel's long-time rival Wout van Aert: "That frustrates Van Aert and, by extension, the entire peloton."
Bakelants points out that the Belgian will eventually find his winning pace later this year with the legs he'd shown: "Van Aert consistently performs excellently - podium places in the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and the Omloop were his share in recent years - but the highest step remains out of reach in the cobblestone monuments when the two supernatural talents start. If they are in top condition and are not unlucky, Van Aert will find it difficult to win this spring."
Bakelants, therefore, sees things somberly for Monument hunter Van Aert, but: "Don't get me wrong: Van Aert will win many races. His body is at its peak in the summer. That has always been the case in the Tour or his rock-solid Strade Bianche in August of that Covid-19 year..."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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