We’re actually going light on the hyperbole when we say that was one of the greatest ever editions of the race.
We said, “Tadej’s not even made it to Arenberg.” And then we shortly thereafter had to correct. Because Tadej found his way back, but Mathieu van der Poel hadn’t made it through Arenberg.
And stick the yakety sax music over that scene, because poor MVDP stopped, took Jasper Philipsen’s bike, launched onto it with a cyclocross mount, then just kind of wobbled along the cobbles unable to clip in until he returned the bike to its owner. Then a teammate stopped, switched wheels with him, and sent him on his way. That lasted until about ten meters from the end of the Trouée, when the winner of the last three editions just kind of stopped and waited for help.
From there, we got madness across the route. Van der Poel launched a pursuit that saw him channel his cyclocross energy. Dragging anybody who could follow, he bridged gap after gap, joining groups and splitting them, not asking for any help.
Further ahead, more fragmentations and pursuits were happening. After tens of kilometers of no man’s land Filippo Ganna finally bridged to the front group, only to puncture the moment he entered the next cobbled sector.
He found himself entering the large chasing group from ahead, while Van der Poel joined from behind. The two discussed at length and, when the cobbles started, we saw Van der Poel powering like a motorcycle with Ganna on his wheel. When the cobbles ended, Ganna took up the pacemaking. It could’ve been a promising pairing of two of the sport’s most talented and strongest riders, but for Ganna puncturing again and undertaking some acrobatics in the middle of the road.
Ahead, Wout Van Aert found himself in a group of four, one of whom was his teammate, while Tadej Pogačar dropped off the back with a technical. Yet luck wasn’t on his side: Van Aert punctured too, and entered a long pursuit to rejoin the front group.
Once returned, he chose violence. Only Pogacar could match his effort and, despite the two trading small back-and-forth efforts over sectors 12 and 11, the broad strokes of the race were set: Van Aert and Pogačar up front, Van der Poel trailing around 30 seconds behind with the passengers who could follow his wheel.
A period of peace followed and, despite some typical ignitions at the Carrefour de l’Arbre, the race situation remained the same until the Roubaix Velodrome. Both leaders appeared exhausted. Wout was the better sprinter, but it was hard to tell if he had anything in his tank. But by the final two-thirds of a lap of the velodrome, the likely winner was very clear. Wout positioned himself well behind Pogačar, itching to sprint, and when he launched on the final turn he opened an immediate gap.
He crossed the line in tears. Collapsed on the ground in tears. Embraced his family in tears. He might well still be in tears at this very moment.
And why not? He deserves it.
(And, by the way, he was Cyclry’s pick. We’re less aggressive about these after everyone got upset about us psychically choosing Ballan and Devolder in Flanders both those years, but you can read our preview and decide whether we sat on the fence too much for it to count.)
Results
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