Mathieu van der Poel takes solo win at Paris-Roubaix after Wout van Aert puncture and John Degenkolb crash

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) soloed to an incredible maiden victory at Paris-Roubaix after a puncture derailed the hopes of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) at the end of the Carrefour de l'Arbre.

The win was not without a slither of controversy after the Dutchman sent John Degenkolb (DSM) tumbling to the cobbles with 16km remaining on the final five-star sector. Van der Poel had spotted a chance to overtake on the dirt lane, but ended up as the meat in a rider sandwich after team-mate Jasper Philipsen suddenly veered into his path and sent him into 2015 champion Degenkolb, who crashed to the disappointment of fans who were relishing a return to form for the former Classics superstar.

Van Aert exploited the carnage to go on the attack, with Van der Poel joining him moments later, only for the Belgian to suffer the most unfortunate mechanical and leave his great rival charging away down the open road, adding to the bad luck for the Dutch team after defending champion Dylan van Baarle crashed out on the infamous Trouee d'Arenberg before Christophe Laporte punctured at the end of the sector, ending his race.

Van der Poel held off the chasers with ease, although he almost came a cropper after misjudging a corner at high speed with 7km to go, leaning on his cyclo-cross skills to bail him out of trouble. He soon arrived in the Roubaix Velodrome with a big lead, allowing him to sit up and soak in the atmosphere as he claimed a third different Monument. He won Milano-San Remo in March with this triumph making him only the fourth rider to win La Classicissima and the Hell of the North in the same Spring after Cyril van Hauwaert (1908), Sean Kelly (1986) and Degenkolb (2015).

He is also only the second ever rider to win Paris-Roubaix as the cyclo-cross world champion after monsieur Paris-Roubaix himself, Roger De Vlaeminck, who achieved the feat in 1975.

Philipsen saw off Van Aert in the sprint for second to land a brilliant one-two for Alpecin-Deceunink after one of his career-best days on the bike. He showed his form with wins at Brugge-De Panne and Scheldeprijs but finishing runner-up at the most mythical of one-day races is on another level of impressive. He even had time to celebrate Van der Poel crossing the line before locking into the wheel of Van Aert and showing him why he is considered the finest sprinter in cycling at the moment.

With the first cobbles of Troisvilles to Inchy arriving 96.3km into the day’s action, the fight for the breakaway was destined to be hard-fought and it was non-stop attacking until a group of four containing Sjoerd Bax (UAE Team Emirates), Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech), Jonas Koch (Bora-hansgrohe) and Juri Hollmann (Movistar) finally managed to sneak away just before the opening sector.

The carnage ensued behind with early mechanical problems forcing the Soudal-QuickStep duo of Kasper Asgreen and Florian Senechal to chase back onto the peloton.

Early victims of crashes included Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) on the second cobbled sector, which forced the former winner to abandon. Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), the youngest competitor at Paris-Roubaix since 1937, slipped out going into a corner just after this and took out experienced road captain Luke Rowe with him.

With the fabled Trouee d’Arenberg approaching, a number of opportunists hit out in anticipation of the race’s hardest phase incoming: Miles Scotson (Groupama FDJ), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Jens Reynders (Israel Premier Tech), Madis Mihkels (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and birthday boy Luke Durbridge (Jayco AlUla).

After struggling on the Arenberg last year, Van Aert decided there was no chance he was going to let a big group cause him problems as he lit the race up on Haveluy to Wallers with 103.5km to go.

He was joined of course by team-mate Laporte, close rival Van der Poel, Stefan Kung (Groupama–FDJ), former winner Degenkolb and 19-year-old Madis Mihkels (intermarche-Circus-Wanty).

The group of favourites hit the infamous Arenberg with the break in sight and a wheel explosion for Gee was an ominous sign of the carnage to come behind.

As the cameras flicked between the various groups, there were race-ending crashes for multiple pre-race favourites, most notably defending champion Van Baarle. The Dutchman was forced to abandon after falling onto the uneven cobbles alongside Matej Mohoric and Fred Wright (both Bahrain Victorious), alongside Asgreen whose bad luck was never-ending.

Jumbo-Visma's bad luck began here too as Laporte punctured at the end of the Arenberg, forcing him to change his back wheel and watch the race go on ahead of him.

The balance of power in the front group changed soon after this as Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) powered back to the leaders with two of Van der Poel’s team-mates in his wheel: Gianni Vermeersch and Philipsen.

Laporte was forced into a futile chase with team-mate Nathan Van Hooydonck and 2021 runner-up Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Dstny) as the three Alpecin-Deceuninck riders worked to ensure Van Aert remained isolated.

Van der Poel decided soon after to test Van Aert 52km from the finish with the first of a series of brutal attacks on Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersee which Degenkolb responded to first and Van Aert was forced to snap close to his long-term rival.

With the group back together, Max Walsheid (Cofidis) showed his hand on the entry to Mons-en-Pevele and hit out for glory, hoping to benefit from some hesitation, but on the famous five-star sector the cream truly rose to the top.

Only seven would emerge with 43km remaining: Van der Poel, Van Aert, Kung, Ganna, Pedersen, Degenkolb and Philipsen. With over 200km in the legs and over 40km of bone-rattling cobbles completed, an epic finish looked on the cards.

Van der Poel then hit the accelerator again. It highlighted Van Aert’s strength in his ease of constant response, but - crucially - also removed his two team-mate’s chance of ever catching back to the front. The winner would come from these seven as the Carrefour de l'Arbre loomed.

The carnage resumed on the five-star cobbles, 16km from the finish, when Degenkolb’s chance at a second Paris-Roubaix victory ended. The German was unfortunately the victim of a race incident where Van der Poel moved up to attack past team-mate Philipsen, but as the door surprisingly closed he made contact with the 2015 winner, causing him to hit the cobbles.

Van Aert saw his opportunity. As his big rival deployed his expert bike-handling skills to stay upright, he attacked away, getting a gap... but Van der Poel was quickly back into focus and on his back wheel. It was that very back wheel however, that would compound Van Aert’s luck as a puncture meant he required a wheel change. The mechanics work was as slick as possible allowing Van Aert back into a chasing group of Pedersen, Philipsen and Kung but the damage was already done. Van der Poel was riding away with only 15km remaining.

Van Aert tried to go after Van der Poel solo but Philipsen’s excellent form allowed him to stifle any attempts to bring his team-mate back, acting as an anchor.

The closest Van der Poel came to undoing his great work came at his own hand with 7km to go as he was railing his bike through the corners in the penultimate sector Willems to Hem - that where the legends of Paris-Roubaix in history are displayed. He narrowly avoided a small barrier and with only simple roads between him and the Velodrome Andre-Petrieux, he knew the victory was his.

Van der Poel confirmed his place in Classics legend by enjoying the lap and a half of honour around the famous finishing arena, with Philipsen celebrating the victory in the background as he entered the velodrome alongside Van Aert.

The sprinter would add the cherry on top by confirming a one-two finish for Alpecin-Deceuninck, aptly racing as Alpecin-Elegant for one day after a masterclass, easily beating Van Aert in the two-up sprint 46 seconds in arrears of his team-mate.

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