Mathieu van der Poel dominated the 122nd Paris-Roubaix, crossing the finish line alone at the Roubaix Velodrome. This win marked his third consecutive victory in the French classic. Tadej Pogacar finished second, over a minute behind, after crashing 38 kilometers from the finish line.
The crash occurred in the notorious five-star Mons-en-Pévèle sector. Van der Poel accelerated, putting Pogacar in difficulty. He even left his teammate Jasper Philipsen behind. Pogacar tried to counterattack but misjudged a curve and fell.
After the race, Van der Poel said, “It means a lot to me. I suffered a lot today.” He added, “I’m sorry Tadej crashed. I think he misjudged that curve. If he hadn’t made that mistake, I believe we would have arrived together at the velodrome.” Van der Poel also mentioned that he had a puncture and his earpiece stopped working, so he wasn’t aware of the gap.
A Historic Win
Van der Poel’s victory was historic. He joined an exclusive club of cyclists who have won the Paris-Roubaix three consecutive times. The others are Octave Lapize (1909-1911) and Francesco Moser (1978-1980).
Mads Pedersen completed the podium, finishing third, 2 minutes and 11 seconds behind Van der Poel. After the race, Van der Poel acknowledged that beating Pogacar was special. “If he hadn’t made that mistake, it would have been very difficult to leave him behind,” he said, adding that the race could have been decided in a sprint.
Van der Poel also expected Pogacar to return next year seeking revenge. “That’s just how racing is,” he said with a smile. The final standings were:
- Mathieu van der Poel – 5h31’28”
- Tadej Pogacar – 1’18” behind
- Mads Pedersen – 2’11” behind
🏆🏆🏆 HAT TRICK, HATS OFF @mathieuvdpoel!
🏆🏆🏆 Le triplé pour @mathieuvdpoel, chapeau !#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/3IX9ii1V9G
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) April 13, 2025
💥 🇸🇮@TamauPogi crashed!
💥 Chute de 🇸🇮@TamauPogi ! #ParisRoubaix 😈 pic.twitter.com/ng73a5YWZ8
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) April 13, 2025
