Paris-Roubaix 2026, one day monument, April 12

[Berniece]

No, normally he should not. He's racing with Pogacar for crying out loud and he should absolutely have no selfish agenda at all like he did in Flanders.

Selfish in Flanders? Didn’t see that, but again, he was promised a free role in Roubaix. That’s why I’m looking forward to see if they honour it.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Top favorite Florian Vermeersch will have a solid team around him.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Before San Remo, some thought Del Toro should play a free role.

Vermeersch has as much chance of beating Van der Poel post 2022 version as Del Toro has of winning San Remo this year.

 

[jotafap]

Before San Remo, some thought Del Toro should play a free role.

Vermeersch has as much chance of beating Van der Poel post 2022 version as Del Toro has of winning San Remo this year.

Agreed… I only see them possibly trying to use Florian as bait, or getting him up the road and waiting for Pogacar to bridge across. Any other scenario, under normal circumstances, won’t happen.

 

[canina82]

Before San Remo, some thought Del Toro should play a free role.

Vermeersch has as much chance of beating Van der Poel post 2022 version as Del Toro has of winning San Remo this year.

Don't forget Roglic in Kigali.

 

[Jan the Man]

Selfish in Flanders? Didn’t see that, but again, he was promised a free role in Roubaix. That’s why I’m looking forward to see if they honour it.

Either way he must be pretty happy at UAE having signed his extension until 2029.

Roubaix always comes down to an element of fortune - if for whatever reason Pog finds himself in G2 and Florian in G1 for sure he won’t have to sacrifice himself, or if he is in the final selection with Pog and can play a tactical joker role he will.

Otherwise I think everybody knows/realises he’ll end up working for Pog.

 

[The bald fraud]

Either way he must be pretty happy at UAE having signed his extension until 2029.

Florian is already the UAE captain in races such as E3/Wevelgem/DDV and if Pogačar decides to focus specifically on GTs in any of the following years (which he might have to due to rise of Seixas) and skips the cobbles altogether, Vermeersch is also sole UAE captain for Flanders and Roubaix. All he has to do in exchange is being Pog's domestique in Flanders if he decides to participate. No wonder he extended.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Could Paul Seixas win this if he was racing?

The only question remaining is, will Remco race?

You said there was only one question left to answer.

Anyway, I can't see them drop Seixas on the flat, but it will be hard for him to win in a sprint.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I find it hard to gauge Wout‘s level for this race. Last year he had zero explosivity, but was a bit better on long efforts, this year he has had way more punch but has gotten dropped on the Kwaremont. I think he has a better chance of following MVDP and Pogačar‘s attacks now, but I still don‘t think that chance is that high. I fear the Big 2 will just ride off into the sunset, happily working together until Pogačar either drops MVDP or loses in the Velodrome. Or one of them crashes out and we get bored to death.

 

[Eagle_Alps]

Rain this weekend?

 

[canina82]

Rain this weekend?

Saturday, but we will have wet cobbles on Sunday for sure.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Selfish in Flanders? Didn’t see that, but again, he was promised a free role in Roubaix. That’s why I’m looking forward to see if they honour it.

Pogacar was pulling more from Molenberg to Kwaremont, thats 50 km. Thats not good enough. Similarly he didn't even do a leadout on Kwaremont, and instead of pulling, he tried to sneak away which resulted in Pog needing to close down riders like Laporte from jumping.

He should just have done his job in Flanders, but got greedy and was more preoccupied with getting a result himself. Roubaix is a different race obviously, but no excuses for the way the rode on Sunday.

 

[Berniece]

Pogacar was pulling more from Molenberg to Kwaremont, thats 50 km. Thats not good enough. Similarly he didn't even do a leadout on Kwaremont, and instead of pulling, he tried to sneak away which resulted in Pog needing to close down riders like Laporte from jumping.

He should just have done his job in Flanders, but got greedy and was more preoccupied with getting a result himself. Roubaix is a different race obviously, but no excuses for the way the rode on Sunday.

That's true, thanks for reminding me. I forgot there was a small moment different riders tried to ride away. I agree that it's weird Vermeersch didn't just ride for Pogacar. There is a case to be made that if he attacks, stays away, the likes of MVDP/RBH had to sacrifice riders and puts Pogacar in an easier position.

 

[Brullnux]

There's a half chance an outsider wins this. It's at the very least much more open than Strade Bianche, RVV, Liege, GdL, or even Milano Sanremo.

My dream is that we get to Carrefour and it isn't already a straight shoot out between van der Poel and Pogacar.

 

[pastronef]

There's a half chance an outsider wins this. It's at the very least much more open than Strade Bianche, RVV, Liege, GdL, or even Milano Sanremo.

My dream is that we get to Carrefour and it isn't already a straight shoot out between van der Poel and Pogacar.

OR, when Pog and VDP get to Carrefour, there's a group/rider ahead too far to catch (because of crashes, mechanicals, tactics, bad weather, teams not working together, etc)