Overview
- Wout Van Aert, who sealed victory Sunday at the Roubaix velodrome, beat Tadej Pogacar in a two‑up sprint to win his first Paris‑Roubaix.
- Tadej Pogacar lost time midrace after punctures forced him onto a neutral‑service bike for a few kilometers, costing about 50 seconds before Antonio Morgado and Nils Politt paced him back.
- In the Trouée d’Arenberg, the race’s most feared 2.3 km forest cobble sector, Mathieu van der Poel punctured twice and briefly took Jasper Philipsen’s bike only to find the pedals did not match his cleats, leaving him nearly two minutes down.
- Alpecin’s directors said van der Poel had prototype Shimano pedals that were incompatible with his teammate’s setup, and he battled to finish fourth at 15 seconds as Van Aert and Pogacar stayed clear.
- The result ended a streak of 12 straight Monument wins by Pogacar or van der Poel and underscored how punctures and equipment choices on the pavé can outweigh tactics and legs.