"This was quite a frustrating edition of Paris-Roubaix" - Sep Vanmarcke rues mechanicals as he misses out on important opportunity
Cycling
Sep Vanmarcke has thrived in Paris-Roubaix in the past, but nowadays the level is superior and to achieve the same results is much more difficult. He came in very motivated and with dreams of winning the French monument, but the bad luck that usually pursues him once again made itself felt.
"This was quite a frustrating edition of Paris-Roubaix. I felt pretty good. But at a certain point, at Haveluy, they suddenly went full speed ahead. This broke the peloton in two. That was really unexpected. I was then riding in about fifteenth position and trying to close the gap. However, I couldn't anymore," Vanmarcke told CyclingPro.net "Then, in the Trouée d'Arenberg, we had another chance to close the gap. But there was a crash. My chain came off and I had to put my foot down to put it back on.”
Vanmarcke had finished third at Gent-Wevelgem and has been carrying good form this spring. In Roubaix with no climbs he was within a better chance of a result, on what is always a chaotic race. However the chaos affected him as when the race split up he had to stop on the road. He was on the backfoot when the winning group went up the road and could only be in the chase group.
"It all happened again a few hundred meters further on. From that moment on I was dependent on the chase. Unfortunately I didn't get back to the front. We tried with my squad, but there was little help from other teams. And besides: when the strongest guys are in the front, it becomes difficult to close such a gap," he adds.
Read also
Vanmarcke nevertheless showed a good level, he finished 16th on the day however finishing second in the peloton sprint, only behind Alexander Kristoff. It was a decent sprint for the classics veteran who will likely return in search of more results.
“I think I showed a good level. But of course it is difficult to measure yourself against such super talents. You really have to be lucky enough to be in the wheel. Only then will you have a chance to follow. But to beat them, you have to come from very good houses. That is practically impossible," 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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- he is doing 460 watts for 35 min to achieve 7 w/kg with VO2 at 96 , just unreal numbers.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- Just do it, and put up with the consequencesJumpyjohn08-11-2026
- "was a headliner at the Tour de France" Nobody cared about Piddie. Only rivals that were there for Pogi, Jonas, Remco, Sexias, Lipo, Del Toro and they were all expected to lose. Piddie was not even in any conversation.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- exactly, he had an amazing season, but with these overstatements they don‘t do him good.Ketterechts08-11-2026
- More to the point, it isn't his remaining goal.Renz08-11-2026
- lol yeahmij08-11-2026
- I know, their headlines can be so misleading. Pidcock had a great season with 5 wins. and some solid 2nds. no reason to take away from that with a fake headline.mij08-11-2026
Loading
More than 24 hours later and we’re still dreaming of Paris - Roubaix 🪨 A day of dust and dirt, cobbles and crashes, mayhem and mechanicals. Re-live the Hell of the North. 🇫🇷 #ParisRoubaix
Write a comment