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Paris-Roubaix is considered the toughest one-day race on the UCI World Tour – and there were several notable incidents in the latest edition.<\/p>\n
Sunday was an unseasonably warm spring day in northern France and it meant dust was kicked up into riders’ faces on the cobbled sectors, with some competitors struggling to breathe.<\/p>\n
Pogacar had to change his bike three times – on the first occasion he was forced to use an unfamiliar ‘neutral’ service bike on a tight section of pave.<\/p>\n
Once he had stopped to collect his preferred replacement bike from his team, Pogacar gave an uncharacteristic bark at a TV camera-bike filming directly on his line of attack, showing signs of stress early on.<\/p>\n
As the dust was kicked up on the cobbled sectors, Van der Poel’s race was ruined on the infamous Trouee d’Arenberg, still muddy under the trees from the previous day’s rain.<\/p>\n
Van der Poel punctured and attempted to take a team-mate’s bike, but gave up and threw it next to the track before having to wait for a replacement – eventually losing two minutes.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman had won the three previous editions of this race – and a fourth straight success would have made him the joint most successful Roubaix champion, alongside Belgians Roger de Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen. <\/p>\n
Upon Van Aert and Pogacar’s entrance to the famous velodrome, which sees the race ended over one-and-a-half laps, the crowd roared at the sight of Van Aert, followed by a chorus of boos when Pogacar was announced over the PA system.<\/p>\n
“I’m happy for Wout, he deserves the victory,” said Pogacar, who typically pulls away from his rivals with several kilometres left in explosive style. <\/p>\n
“He never gives up and he is a hero to many young kids, how he rides. <\/p>\n
“Every time I tried [to pull away from Wout], my legs were not the greatest any more and [he was always] riding on my wheel.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n