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

The German veteran curses his luck as he needs to stop for a wheel change from the neutral car. He'll face a real battle to chase back on now with the race well and truly on.

The Dutchman throws down the hammer to open up a gap with Pedersen in his wheel. His team-mate Jasper Philipsen is there along with Mick van Dijke (Visma-Lease a Bike). Pidcock and Kung lead the chase behind but the gap is getting bigger and bigger.

It's the Danish powerhouse who leads this main pack of 30 riders around the chicane and onto the brutal cobbles of the Arenberg, which they start from zero as opposed to 60kmph. Pedersen has two Alpecin riders on his wheel, one of which is the man in rainbow bands. Behind, scores have been dropped like stones. Pidcock is still in touch.

Alpecin-Deceuninck have come back to the front ahead of the chicane and Arenberg, but UAE, Lidl-Trek, Groupama are all there as well, while Visma have bodies there too. John Degenkolb, the 2015 winner, is also in the mix, plus a duo from Canondale now edging forward.

Lidl-Trek have made things hard for the others here as several riders are distanced coming out of the cobbles, reducing this leading group down to around 22 riders. Van der Poel was back in ninth position exiting the cobbles - quite low down compared to previous sectors. And we now have the section where, no doubt, it seems destined that the winning move will come: the Arenberg.

Timo Kielich (Alpecin-Deceuninck) needs to change bikes ahead of the next sector of cobbles, sector 20 (Haveluy to Wallers, 2.3km, ****). Once onto the cobbles, Lidl-Trek come to the front with Mathias Vacek puling on the hurt ahead of team-mate Pedersen as they look to take advantage of Alpecin being a man down.

The German is back with the main group now after his mechanical issue. He had this to say ahead of the race when quizzed about the Arenberg chicane: "You may get blocked one by one ahead of the Arenberg. Without speed, the cobbles will be super-hard. Normally, when you come with speed you have the first 800m for free a little bit. But now you have to push even harder so I think there will be a big selection." Besides Van der Poel, Politt cited Mads Pedersen and his strong Lidl-Trek team as ones to watch.

Just around 10km to go now until the most famous section of cobbles - although with the peloton so small, that chicane (which is really a 180-degree switchback) won't have as big a bearing as first feared, it seems.

Belgian duo Alec Segaert (Lotto Dstny) and Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) both flat ahead of sector 21 (Maing to Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon, 1.6km, ***). It looks like Nils Politt also has a problem - not with tyres but maybe his saddle/seat post, which seems to have slipped down. The UAE Team Emirates car is apparently going flat out to reach him. The gap back to the second peloton is now over two minutes.

No surprise there after the Intermarchy-Wanty leader crashed twice earlier today. Rex had done so well to battle back but then went over the handlebars after colliding with a traffic island.

And it's a mixture of blues on the front as Groupama and Alpecin battle for positions along with a rider from Lidl-Trek. This the 1.3km Artres to Quérénaing sector, just **, but already dishing out some hurt as things become stretched out once again. Nils Politt looks to have picked up a puncture, which will frustrate the former runner-up from Germany. The lead group is around 35 riders still, with the chasers at 1'10" and the second peloton at 1'50".

Heart-break for the British youngster who has been booted out of the race for a sticky bottle following an earlier mechanical incident. The commentators did notice the pull that he benefited from after he punctured half an hour ago. He definitely did get a small pull but that was quite a harsh decision and the Ineos rider looks utterly broken as he pulls to the side of the road after being informed of this decision from the commissaires car.

The main field is tiny given how much longer we have of this race, which has only just hit the halfway point. They're onto the sixth tranche of cobbles, a lot of which play out on a punchy climb: sector 24 (Capelle to Ruesnes, 1.7km, ***). Trouble for Edward Theuns of Lidl-Trek, who picks up a flat tyre and will need a wheel change.

Mathieu van der Poel has four team-mates on the front of the main field as they hit the fifth cobbled test, sector 25 (Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon, 2.3km, ***). So much has happened it's hard to work out who is here, and who isn't. But the likes of Pedersen, Pidcock, Kung and Wellens are definitely in this main field, ditto Laurence Pithie, who is having a stonking season for Groupama. The first chase group is 52 seconds back and the second peloton is 1'08" down. As soon as I know who is in which group, I'll pass on that vital info.

Well, that didn't last long. Such is the relentless pace of the main pack, the day's early break is mopped up before the race reaches the halfway point. This main pack is around 50 strong now after the likes of Pedersen and Pidcock fought back. They have one minute over the second peloton, which includes Christophe Laporte, who punctured in the opening sector of cobbles before the fireworks.

Meanwhile, Josh Tarling has finally managed to get a new bike after an earlier flat, so he will now chase back. And Laurenz Rex is keen to continue after his second crash - but his team car has yet to arrive. What a hero.

Oh no! Rookie error from Belgium's Laurenz Rex, who picks the wrong time to look over his shoulder as he emerges in the main pack from a bend: the Intermarche-Wanty rider ploughs into a padded piece of road furniture and goes right over the handlebars. Heart-break for Rex, who had battled back from that earlier crash and now has to pick himself back off the floor. Surely he won't carry on after this latest setback...

We're on sector 26 (Viesly to Briastre, 3km, ***) and Mads Pedersen and Tom Pidcock are doing their best to rejoin the main pack after being dropped on the previous sector. Josh Tarling is also there for Ineos. That may help them: Alpecin rider Oscar Riesebeek, who has been doing a lot of the tempo-setting, has a mechanical issue.

Incredible scenes here in northern France with the peloton reduced to around 30 riders after just three of the 29 sectors of cobbles. There are numerous groups chasing back on in echelones with Mads Pedersen among the dropped riders. The Dane has a Lidl-Trek team-mate dropping back to help him out. Syritsa has been caught and spat out, while the gap of the break is down to 22 seconds.

Asgreen put in a long stint on the front of the eight-man break but their gap is down to 58 seconds thanks to the Alpecin-fuelled chase behind. We're hearing from Jens Voigt that there may be some farmer protests along the route further up the road, so let's hope they don't cause any hold-ups.

The Russian powerhouse flats on the third sector of Quiévy to Saint-Python, which is **** and the joint longest at 3.7km. Behind, Tim Wellens - making his debut - strings out the peloton even further with a big acceleration ahead of the Alpecin-Deceuninck train.

Sector 28 is Viesly à Quiévy is *** but extremely muddy following the incessant rain this spring. Tim Merlier, who went down in that earlier crash, has come to a standstill. It's hard to see if he crashed again or needs mechanical assistance. But you won't bet on him making it to the velodrome at this rate, poor chap.