Paris-Roubaix 2026, one day monument, April 12

[onefortheroad]

Van Aert's best wins until today were all his TdF stage wins (and yes I place them over MSR 2020 due to the particularity of that edition back then).

But this is absolutely his best result ever. And it's the icing on his career cake.

What a spectacular epic!
To endure it all so stoically, dragging Pogi all the way to the velodrome to crush him in the sprint...pure bliss!

Watching WVA look back, crossing the line with his arm high and finger to the sky, while Pogi sat there prostrated, tasting the bitterness of yet another failed attempt at the five monuments. PR was the one he wanted most, obsession. But once again, he fall short. Beautiful!

For WVA, every bit of bad luck, every past mistake, every run of misfortune and heartbreaking defeat has been repaid in full with this victory of a lifetime.
I honestly didn't expect this win from him (I was dying for it to be MVDP's fourth in a row) especially after MVDP's punctures. It was still fantastic to see how, even "dead", MVDP almost made it back to fight for the win.

 

[Sciatic]

It’s was so nice to see and typical of Mathieu. The respect he and Wout have for each other is immense.

Whether they like each other or not, MVDP knows better than anyone what an an achievement this was for Van Aert and how much it meant to him.

 

[meat puppet]

Yeah, maybe I should have watched this. Oh well.

Dunno which is better, Wva winning or pogi losing, but the combination is golden (per k-pop demon hunters).

 

[Hugh Januss]

Yeah but probably not many had as big a farce as MVDP bike change.

An homage to the Keystone Cops or maybe the Three Stooges

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

We're not seeing many cases of a leading group being caught in the last 10-15 kilometers (at least in the big races). A shame. It used to be one of the characteristics of cycling, and as a viewer, you knew that the suspense would increase towards the end.

Now, the motorbikes keep the speed up and reduce factors like the wind and the drag. It's not that costly to be sitting out in front.

I know some say the motorbikes have always been there, sure - but the races are also different these years. The top 5 riders are much stronger than the second best. They don't need help to be dominating.

It would be great if there was more focus on removing the mentioned external factors. We have great ways of filming the riders nowadays, with drones supplementing the helicopters well. The front view shots from motorbikes are no longer as important to the understanding of the races. I also doubt that the world really needs dozens of still photographers on the road in a race.

In any case, fairness should be prioritised above media access. My suggestion is introducing a 3 second rule as the default minimum distance between motorbikes and riders.

(And yes, I was happy to see Van Aert take the win today instead of the usual suspect, but it doesn't change my view on the tendency.)

Yeah, there are a lot of vehicles and motorbikes in the race, and they definitely affect the outcome, IMO. They barrage some riders, but can't always do that for everyone, and the camera bikes in a race like this, with the technical turns and sectors, give a draft.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Pogacar, being slower, shouldn't have taken turns at the front. But those who complained about the rotations the other day said nothing today.

We're blinded by fanaticism.In the end, the problem wasn't the riders taking turns at the front; it's whoever doesn't win, whoever we don't want

 

[canina82]

Yeah but probably not many had as big a farce as MVDP bike change.

But a lot of that time was due to panic. If Jasper didn't stop and Del Grosso gives him his bike, he would lose way less

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Conditions were absolutely perfect today, tailwind and very dry cobbles, 139 finishers inside the time limit and Alastair Mackellar outside the cut, few crashes as well

Until we got to the first images in the women's race. I am not sure who that was on the ground, on the right, but she was not moving, and it looked really bad.

 

[Revelation]

I don’t think you’re familiar with the forum history in this instance.

Not relevant to my point.

 

[noob]

Anyone else who didn't even noticed who got bronze?

I literally still don't know. I was too high on my own adrenaline

 

[Didinho]

Yeah but probably not many had as big a farce as MVDP bike change.

Who even decides to put riders on different pedals in a monument.

 

[Red Rick]

Who even decides to put riders on different pedals in a monument.

Jasper Philipsen, cycling terrorist.

 

[Sciatic]

He was 25" behind and somehow was lucky Bora helped him.

He helped BORA as well—one of the two didn’t take turns chasing

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Anyone else who didn't even noticed who got bronze?

I literally still don't know. I was too high on my own adrenaline

Jasper Stuyven, although you don‘t get Bronze here, just a small cobblestone

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Jasper Philipsen, cycling terrorist.

It was a heat of the moment thing, but I also sometimes get the feeling that Jasper has the intelligence of a Golden Retriever.

 

[Red Rick]

It was a heat of the moment thing, but I also sometimes get the feeling that Jasper has the intelligence of a Golden Retriever.

Well what can I say, Flatcoats are the master race breed

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Not relevant to my point.

You had a point? Hard to tell...

 

[noob]

Jasper Stuyven, although you don‘t get Bronze here, just a small cobblestone

Oh! I didn't think his attack would be enough!

 

[Revelation]

You had a point? Hard to tell...

I'm sure it is...

 

[Unchained]

Yeah but probably not many had as big a farce as MVDP bike change.

Much longer waits for majority, elites have spare bikes provided roof to the road, no dropper post, no 120 stem, with neutral seat, 40 bars like Shimano neutral support bikes,
MvdP made strategic decision to wait for his bike instead of ride teammates, ride broken bike with new front wheel. His chase was absolutely monumental, the guy is an absolute machine, he rides with such control and discipline that he is the example of racing in control.
He knew if he chased harder, alone, he would just drag a bunch of wheel suckers and maybe blow up trying to hard to cross the gap. The effort he put in to close the gap on the best classics, best riders in the world was absolutely amazing.
His presence of mind to find his friend Wout laying on the ground in disbelief to give immediate congratulations was sportsmanship, friendship 101.
Mathieu van der Poel won today in my mind, guy is F-ing awesome.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Yeah, there are a lot of vehicles and motorbikes in the race, and they definitely affect the outcome, IMO. They barrage some riders, but can't always do that for everyone, and the camera bikes in a race like this, with the technical turns and sectors, give a draft.

They do give a draft except for the times they park in the exit of corners

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I'm sure it is...

It was a great day. Thanks for checking in.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Wout and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure! The last 20 km was a measure of ever-diminishing fuel in the tank of both riders. Some will criticize Wout for sitting on in sections that favored Tadej but his #1 job is to stay in the fight. He took turns when he could and his team car could definitely notice that Tadej needed to get out of the saddle to recover every time he took Wout's wheel in the last 10km. That boded well for Wout's sprint and, if they gave and he needed advice it would be: make Tadej lead in the low lane on the track. Tadej's track strategy was losing from the second they rolled in...Wout kicked from the higher bank in a smaller, quicker gear. The gap he got was unbridgeable by Tadej; particularly grinding that big gear. In fairness; that was the maximum rpm Tadej could turn at that point. He may play that in his head for many nights after viewing the video.
Real hero, though: RBH medical staff in Austria that put Wout back together without him losing much form. They worked wonders with Lindsey Vonn to get her Olympic ready, too.

Hard to forget that crash at Pau on the barrier at the 2019 Tour. It was so gruesome people hid it from the cameras with the barrier.

Today, it looked like MVDP was going to catch them. The seconds were dropping quickly. But somehow Wout and Tadej dug deeper and pushed the gap back up. It was glorious riding.

 

[noob]

It was a heat of the moment thing, but I also sometimes get the feeling that Jasper has the intelligence of a Golden Retriever.

I might have a better word for it, but then I would get a warning so I can't say it

But isn't a Golden a bit more friendly?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I might have a better word for it, but then I would get a warning so I can't say it

But isn't a Golden a bit more friendly?

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