"You need a bit of luck and good legs. I had both today" - Mathieu van der Poel reaches glory once again at Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel has won Milano-Sanremo, finished second at the Tour of Flanders, and today in the third monument of the season he's won Paris-Roubaix. A brutal race, but one where Alpecin-Deceuninck thrived, and saw the Dutchman ride to victory.
“I had one of my best days ever on a bike," van der Poel admitted in a post-race interview. He responded to the early attack of Wout van Aert with just over 100 kilometers to go and was in the mix alongside Jasper Philipsen and Gianni Vermeersch. With numerical advantage and clear good form the team was in a great position, but despite this van der Poel attacked several times throughout the afternoon. However it was all to play for in the final 20 kilometers as there was a big balance within the front.
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At Carrefour de l'Arbre everything was decided. It was a dramatic few minutes, as he firstly clashed with John Degenkolb. "I felt very strong and already tried to attack a few times. It was difficult to unload the boys. On the last stretch, Degenkolb first had a fall, so I had to close a gap to Wout," he said. As van Aert attacked, van der Poel was the only one to respond, but towards the end of the sector the Jumbo-Visma rider punctured, and everything changed.
"I think he had a puncture. After that I was alone in the front. Then I rode as fast as possible to the line. Not at first, but when I passed him, his pace was slow," he described. "I knew he had a problem, but I didn't know it was a flat tire. It's a pity, because otherwise the two of us might have ridden to the line. Unfortunately, that is sometimes part of the race. I said before that you need a bit of luck and good legs. I had both today.”
Van der Poel got the gap and had the legs. He soloed to a massive victory and another monument to his collection. The Dutchman had Jasper Philipsen - who then finished second - covering attacks behind and comfortably rode into the velodrome in the lead, to take an emotional win. “It's hard to describe. I'm doing my best spring classic ever. This was my last race and to end it like this is a dream. Today I love Roubaix."
"It's such a tough race. I think it might be the fastest edition ever. It was race from start to finish, it was unbelievable how fast it went. But like I said, I felt very strong. I have been very happy to finish the work of the team," he concluded.
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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.
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- 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
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No words needed! @parisroubaix is ours! 😍
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