Paris-Roubaix 2025, one day monument, April 13 (men)

[Netserk]

Paving the way to legend

> For the first time since 1991, the title-holder of the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar, will face the Hell of the North, on Sunday 13 April, in what promises to

www.paris-roubaix.fr

Matthew Brennan starting according to the official website, though how accurate it is I don't know. FirstCycling also has him on there.

If he and Behrens are at the start I would expect Visma are going to try and break the race early again to see who they can catch out. Big 5 minutes on one of the early/middle sectors then pull off and DNF sort of job.

Behrens is a bit of a question mark. He hasn't finished a race since he broke his collarbone.

Van Aert, Van Baarle, Hagenes and Affini should be absolutely certain. Then you have the three older guys who are ready if they need to fill a spot: Vermote, Van der Sande and McLay. And lastly the young guns: Behrens, Brennan and Van Belle. Perhaps Huising is an option too.

I hope they take two of the young riders, but if Behrens isn't considered fully ready I think they'll take Vermote, McLay and Brennan.

 

[hayneplane]

Behrens is a bit of a question mark. He hasn't finished a race since he broke his collarbone.

Van Aert, Van Baarle, Hagenes and Affini should be absolutely certain. Then you have the three older guys who are ready if they need to fill a spot: Vermote, Van der Sande and McLay. And lastly the young guns: Behrens, Brennan and Van Belle. Perhaps Huising is an option too.

I hope they take two of the young riders, but if Behrens isn't considered fully ready I think they'll take Vermote, McLay and Brennan.

Behrens has had a nightmare season so far with crashes ruining his chances to showcase himself.

 

[hayneplane]

Philipsen has looked stronger than ever before in his career on the cobbles this year but not had the results to show for it due to bad luck.

Will be interesting to see if his relative freshness as the only big contender to skip Flanders can put him right in the mix.

 

[jono]

Philipsen has looked stronger than ever before in his career on the cobbles this year but not had the results to show for it due to bad luck.

Will be interesting to see if his relative freshness as the only big contender to skip Flanders can put him right in the mix.

Philipsen rides Scheldeprijs tomorrow. Hopefully he doesn't crash like the last time he did a mid-week race prior to a monument.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

American baseball fans

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Don't get the hate againt MvdP. Watching Pog was impressive for a while. And entertaning. Now it is just impressive, but not at all entertaining. Anybody but Pog.

But even though I prefer VdP of the big names, I actually think Van Aert deserves it this time.

It's not "hate." He isn' tthat important to my life. I just don't want to see him win. For some reason, it;s like I punch baby jesus every time I write something saying that. It's really strange.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Do you get why American baseball fans hate the Dodgers or many European football fans hate Real Madrid or Manchester City?

I don''t hate Mathieu. The Duke Bluedevils...yes, I hate them with the heat of 1000 suns. My favorite days in my life were when Carolina beat Mike Krzyaafpeihfaeknea in his last game in the ACC tournament, and NCAA tournament. He went out with 2 L's in his final games as a coach. It's a honey milk I drink time and again. (though, being from North Carolina, like many people there, if my daughter had gotten into Duke, she was going to Duke).

I just don't like to see Mathieu win. It isn't even close to hate for me.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

And that's why you have ZERO PR victories!

...yeah, that's definitely the reason I never won...that and talent

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Paving the way to legend

> For the first time since 1991, the title-holder of the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar, will face the Hell of the North, on Sunday 13 April, in what promises to

www.paris-roubaix.fr

Matthew Brennan starting according to the official website, though how accurate it is I don't know. FirstCycling also has him on there.

If he and Behrens are at the start I would expect Visma are going to try and break the race early again to see who they can catch out. Big 5 minutes on one of the early/middle sectors then pull off and DNF sort of job.

F YES!!! Remember that time when Boonen rode P-R for Discovery?

 

[Gratemans]

I learned a long time ago there are people that just love the beauty of sports and matches, and people that are blindly fan of a person or team. The world isn't black and white so there is overlap of course, but I also grew an aversion to people in the latter category. People always trying to diminish rivals of the one they favor. To me sport is about the beauty of the battle and how it plays out.

I've got a slight favour for Mathieu, Pedersen and Ganna but to me, it is way, way more important that we get an exciting race in what I believe is the most beautifully ugly monument there is.

 

[MJR]

Voted Wout. I'm gonna will this win into existence.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Having a favorite team is so strange in professional sports. Only people who don't have a favorite team are real fans in pro sports. I truly cannot believe anyone would do that. Wanting someone to not win is also the exact thing as diminishing them. Exactly.

 

[jono]

Last year Alpecin had the best team and shredded the race by the time they got to Arenberg. Will they have the best team for that purpose this year? Is it in their interest to race that way again with two strong rivals (Wout and Tadej) lining up that weren't present at last year's race?

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Voted Wout because I want him to win and think he has a shot, but I think it’ll be a similar finish as RVV:

1. Mvp
2. Pogacar
3. Pederson
4. Wout

My preferred podium tho would be:

1. Wout
2. Pederson
3. Ganna

 

[Kwaremonster]

Last year Alpecin had the best team and shredded the race by the time they got to Arenberg. Will they have the best team for that purpose this year? Is it in their interest to race that way again with two strong rivals (Wout and Tadej) lining up that weren't present at last year's race?

I'm not sure about their plan but the presence of a stronger visma team will already change the dynamic. Like in 2023 they were very strong (but unlucky with all the punctures).

 

[jono]

I'm not sure about their plan but the presence of a stronger visma team will already change the dynamic. Like in 2023 they were very strong (but unlucky with all the punctures).

Will the Visma team be strong? They'll have a stronger leader for sure, but the rest of the squad? The most important riders in 2023 and 2024 were Laporte, van Hooydonck and the van Dijke brothers. Who replaces their contributions?

 

[pastronef]

Or Wout.....?

I prefer VdP of the bigger names, but my main hope is that Pog doesn't win. I'm just too tired of him.

not a Wout fan either

 

[danielovichdk2]

It has been made quite clear to us, over the last couple of races that Wout might have lost something from the last years crashes and mischief. I feel bad for him on that notion, he has been extremely unlucky and it is unfair to judge him because of those terms. But that is how the sport works. The weak must die. On top of that he has to listen to the Belgian press and ex-pros yapping about how bad they believe he performs.

And that knee....uuuhhhfff

 

[Lequack]

Paris-Roubaix 1927. Agence Rol Vía @GallicaBnF

 

[search]

Van Aert will likely ride a tire-pressure controle system in Paris Roubaix

https://www.hbvl.be/sport/wielrennen/wegwielrennen/wout-van-aert-testte-het-deze-winter-al-uit-visma-lease-a-bike-heeft-geheim-wapen-klaar-voor-parijs-roubaix/53752597.html

 

[Bolder]

Last year Alpecin had the best team and shredded the race by the time they got to Arenberg. Will they have the best team for that purpose this year? Is it in their interest to race that way again with two strong rivals (Wout and Tadej) lining up that weren't present at last year's race?

The only way they're going to wear down Pog is to do that. He'll be fresh as a daisy after 250 kms and if the others are 110% he'll ride away at some point and they'll all start looking at each other to chase.

Mvdp can take his chances with Wout or Pedersen in a sprint, but Pog is the real wild card.

Speaking of wild cards, I think because of group dynamics that a Hayman-type outsider is going to win this year. I have no idea who it will be, of course...

 

[ice&fire]

Paris-Roubaix 1927. Agence Rol Vía @GallicaBnF

We're going backwards. Those roads look better than what they ride on now.

 

[pastronef]

The only way they're going to wear down Pog is to do that. He'll be fresh as a daisy after 250 kms and if the others are 110% he'll ride away at some point and they'll all start looking at each other to chase.

Mvdp can take his chances with Wout or Pedersen in a sprint, but Pog is the real wild card.

Speaking of wild cards, I think because of group dynamics that a Hayman-type outsider is going to win this year. I have no idea who it will be, of course..

I'd go for Tarling, Walscheid, Rex, Groves, Bisseger, Abrahamsen...

 

[masking_agent]

Pogi gonna wind it up right at the Carrefour de L'Arbre (the duclos la salle attack point) and say bye bye and probably ride solo into the velodrome as did Gilbert did many years ago.

 

[tobydawq]

Pogi gonna wind it up right at the Carrefour de L'Arbre (the duclos la salle attack point) and say bye bye and probably ride solo into the velodrome as did Gilbert did many years ago.

Gilbert never rode solo into the velodrome.