Paris-Roubaix 2024 LIVE – Mathieu van der Poel defends his cobblestone crown, Mads Pedersen and Tom Pidcock both contenders

Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel attacked with 60km remaining to top off an Alpecin-Deceuninck masterclass with a sensational solo win in the 121st edition of Paris-Roubaix. The world champion became the first man since Fabian Cancellara in 2013 to win both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same season – and kept up his team’s record-breaking run of three wins from three Monuments.

"It's hard to believe - again with the team maybe even stronger than last year. I'm super proud of the boys and very happy to finish it off."

Did he plan to attack with 60km to go? "No, not really. I wanted to make the race hard from there because I know that's my strength and I felt super good today. When I had a gap, I knew I had a tailwind to the finish. I had a really good day today. I had quite a gap and confident that I could enjoy the moment more than last week, when I was at my limit. I never could have dreamed of this as a child. I was super motivated for this year - I wanted to show the jersey in a nice way. It goes beyond expectations and I'm a bit lost for words actually and I want to enjoy this moment."

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 5:25.58
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3:00
3. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) "
4. Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) "
5. Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) +3:15
6. Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3:47
7. Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) +3:48
8. Tim Van Dijke (Visma-Lease a Bike) +4:45
9. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) +4:47
10. Soren Waersenskjold (Uno X-Mobility) "

Just as they did last year, Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen finish first and second in the Roubaix velodrome. Nils Politt opened up the sprint early but Mads Pedersen came round on top before Philipsen burst through on the inside to take second place ahead of the Dane. Here's how Van der Poel scooped today's win...

He becomes the seventh male rider to win Paris-Roubaix in the rainbow stripes and he does so in a record time of well under six hours. What a performance from the Dutchman and his Alpecin-Deceuninck team.

The Dutchman is into the velodrome and the bell sounds as he takes in the applause in what will be the fastest edition of Paris-Roubaix ever.

His team didn't put a foot wrong today - setting the tempo, marking the moves, and then launching their main man. Van der Poel suffered no crashes or significant mechanical issues and he will become the first rider since Fabian Cancellara 11 years ago to do the Flanders-Roubaix double, and the first since Tom Boonen in 2009 to win two straight editions of the Hell of the North.

The Dutchman will become the second world champion in as many days to win Paris-Roubaix in the rainbow bands. He's now starting to smile a little as he approaches the finish with victory all but secure.

As he rides on the back wheel of Laurence Pithie, Gianni Vermeersch already clenches his first towards the TV cameras. Van der Poel is through the penultimate sector of Willems to Hem, which is only ** on account of the cobbles being more regular and flat than the previous tests.

It looked like his lead might roll over the three-minute mark but the Dutchman - now the cobbles are largely out of the way - has decided he can take a little breather ahead of his victory lap in the velodrome. He takes a swig of water and almost manages a smile to the cameras. His lead is over 2km and 2'50" with just under 10km to go.

The Belgian makes his move early and opens up a small gap in his bid to shore up second place behind his team-mate. Pedersen leads the chase with Politt in his back wheel. They catch him to form a trio, with Kung the rider now off the back.

Van der Poel completes the Carrefour and moves straight onto the short two-star Gruson section of cobbles. Just two more to go now... Pithie and Vermeersch are still 20 seconds down on the four chasers and are unlikely to contest for the final spots on the podium. You would expect Politt to try something before the velodrome because he doesn't have much of a sprint on him, ditto Kung. The logic choice for second is Philipsen with Pedersen taking third. Let's see.

Mathieu van der Poel is onto the iconic Carrefour de l'Arbre sector 4 of cobbles, which is 2.1km long and a ***** rating. He rides through a sea of fans cheering and chanting. It's a wonderful sight to see as his lead pushes three minutes now in this latest display of total dominance.

Such is his dominance, it's easy to understand why people are a little cheesed off with Van der Poel. Still, that doesn't mean actions like this are at all acceptable: with 42km to go, a fan appears to throw a cycling cap towards the lone leader's back wheel. That could easily have caused him to crash on the cobbles...

Starting with this, the **** Camphin-en-Pévèle sector, which is 1.8km long. Van der Poel hits it with a gap of 2'38". Vermeersch, meanwhile, has caught Pithie, who crashed earlier, and they join forces in pursuit of the other four chasers.

Are Alpecin-Deceuninck going for it all? Gianni Vermeersch has had enough marking out riders in the Pidcock group and he's ridden off in pursuit of team-mate Philipsen in the first chase group. Perhaps they're eyeing a one-two-three...

The Briton is in a group with Vermeersch, Tim Van Dijke, Degenkolb, Mihkels, Waerenskjold, Wellens, Wright, Meeus, Van Gestel and Fedorov. They trail the lone leader by 2'55" and the chase quartet by 40 seconds, with Pithie in between. Van der Poel, meanwhile, is onto sector 6 (Bourghelles to Wannehain, 1.1km, ***).

Oh no! The young Kiwi slides out on gravel while leading the chasers onto the second part of sector 8 at Templeuve - Moulin-de-Vertain. He hits the ground hard with his left shoulder but it quickly up. Team-mate Kung continues with Politt, Philipsen and Pedersen, but that will be a blow for the slight hopes of the chasing group. Can Pithie battle back?

Van der Poel overcooks one corner and runs off onto the muddy grass verge. It's how he rides so he'll never stop it, but you do wonder if he should perhaps ease up a little given how unnecessary a crash would be right now.

The British debutant is doing his best to join that five-man chase group of Kung, Pithie, Pedersen, Philipsen and Politt. But Van der Poel is now two minutes clear on the nose of this race - and he could afford to get a couple of punctures between now and the velodrome and still win it.