Paris-Roubaix 2026, one day monument, April 12

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

If you told me 5 years ago how much I'd cheer for WVA to win a race I would have laughed at you. Very happy he finally gets it and we don't have another alien victory. At 30km to go I was certain he would get cooked but he actually played it perfect all the way.
Side note but MVDP incredible strong to actually finish 4th despite being over 2 minutes down after Arenberg with about 50 riders ahead of him at that point. Think a comeback like that hasn't happened in a long time and gone a bit under the radar.

 

[noob]

Maybe just the sting of losing his most sought prize, beaten in the sprint, in the legendary velodrome!

This was the one he wanted most. How can he even think about skipping next year if he's so obsessively hunting all five Monuments? But maybe not all in a single year anymore...

It tells me one thing only; he wants to win 3 GT

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Normal riders like Van Aert had to settle for just one place of 1st, 2nd and 3rd while Niklas Larsen has 1,2 and 3 in front of his name on the result sheet.

 

[proffate]

Not normally a Wout fan, but today I am for saving us from a monument sweep for at least another year.

Really too bad that disc brakes and mismatched pedals cost mvdp so much time getting going again. If you're not gonna make jasper run the same pedals then why does he even stop for Mathieu? I get heat of the moment decision making but this seems like something you gameplan ahead of time. Having one more teammate help him get back to the front could have made a big difference

 

[AmRacer]

My complaint is the opposite. It was ridiculous for Alpecin to wait for Pogacar before Arenberg.

Visma disagrees

 

[11-34]

I was actually kinda happy with all the mechanicals. I was a bit afraid, that with all the improving tech like 35mm low pressure tires, tube, milk, inflatable inner liners and so on, that PR could become a predictable road race in good weather. But the cobbles proved me wrong. So I am looking forward to the next year already.

 

[movingtarget]

Nice win by WVA. Happy for him.

 

[Revelation]

There's many ways to look at it, unpredictability is welcome at the current era of predictability (Pog&MVP), and if the possible winners of this race were Wout & MVP, then this particular randomness/luck was more than deserved for the former.

But randomness of punctures at PR aren't desirable in a vacuum, IMO. The main problem is the lack of rider control, sure probably over multiple events better ability on the cobbles will reward you with less punctures, but for this event, I seriously doubt there was any particular mistake from MVP/Pog/Wout that caused their punctures. When you add to this the fact that depending where it happens, as seen in this race, the cost can vary between 15 seconds to 2+ minutes, yeah, I'm not a fan in general.

 

[RobertCrawley]

I was actually kinda happy with all the mechanicals. I was a bit afraid, that with all the improving tech like 35mm low pressure tires, tube, milk, inflatable inner liners and so on, that PR could become a predictable road race in good weather. But the cobbles proved me wrong. So I am looking forward to the next year already.

Are they riding 35 mm tires?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Happy to see del Grosso finishing the race after the debacle in Arenberg.

137

Del Grosso Tibor

Alpecin-Premier Tech

5

,,

+22:14.
Next year its time to move up.

 

[search]

the official result is still incorrect, by the way, with Tim (instead of Mick) van Dijke in 6th and Boivin instead of Askey in 13th

https://prod.server.tissottiming.com/file/0003190202010101FFFFFFFFFFFFFF00

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Are they riding 35 mm tires?

Pog did for example, his front wheel was 35mm, his back wheel 32mm IIRC.

 

[proffate]

Danish commentators say Philipsen is using some new prototype pedals. Which makes him offering up his bike to VDP incredibly dumb.

I missed what happened to JP after he got his bike back. Was he able to assist Mvdp in the chase at all?

Also was there a good reason for tibor to swap wheels instead of giving him his bike?

 

[proffate]

There's many ways to look at it, unpredictability is welcome at the current era of predictability (Pog&MVP), and if the possible winners of this race were Wout & MVP, then this particular randomness/luck was more than deserved for the former.

But randomness of punctures at PR aren't desirable in a vacuum, IMO. The main problem is the lack of rider control, sure probably over multiple events better ability on the cobbles will reward you with less punctures, but for this event, I seriously doubt there was any particular mistake from MVP/Pog/Wout that caused their punctures. When you add to this the fact that depending where it happens, as seen in this race, the cost can vary between 15 seconds to 2+ minutes, yeah, I'm not a fan in general.

They all had punctures. To some extent the difference was how they dealt with it. Alpecin really shot themselves in the foot by not having a plan. But yea in arenberg they could probably do with having some neutral service bikes on hand especially for the favorites. Tadej's neutral bike was well set up for him and promptly delivered in that earlier secteur.

 

[onefortheroad]

It tells me one thing only; he wants to win 3 GT

I have my doubts. This feels more like a heat of the moment reaction to losing the race he wanted most, especially with MVDP out of the way. I think he will try to win PR again next year.

It felt like his main goal was the monuments. Winning the Tour is almost "easy" for him and he has already proven he can take both Giro and Tour in the same year. The real thrill seems to be in one day classics, the media hype, the challenge and the chance to beat the specialists on their own turf.

Would he put himself through the long, exhausting grind of three CTs "just" for another trophy? It is not about the fatigue. He probably just lacks the patience for it when he could be cementing his super status as an eternal unreachable legend in the classics. I doubt he would trade the hunt for all the monuments for a year of pure exhaustion. But again, maybe he is just that bored.

Of course, there is always that massive temptation of winning all three GTs in a single season. No one has ever done it. Is it really that impossible for him to just sweep everything?!

 

[nilfen]

No wonder when you have to ride on your own for 80km.

Is that not what he usually does (apart from those km being in the middle and not end of the race this time)?

 

[Didinho]

 

[RobertCrawley]

I missed what happened to JP after he got his bike back. Was he able to assist Mvdp in the chase at all?

Also was there a good reason for tibor to swap wheels instead of giving him his bike?

Jasper Disaster.

I can feel the cold dead stare of Christoph Roodhooft.

 

[ChasingPotatoes]

Moments you cry as an adult man:

✅ cutting onions
❌ second kid gets born
✅ Bike crash, frame cracked
❌ Mother-in-law dies
✅ WvA wins P-R

 

[KZD]

Very good race, while I have always being more of a Ronde kind of guy I have to admit that the punctures that happen in Roubaix add a level of unpredictability that we are lacking in other races nowadays.

Great win for Van Aert, he really deserves this win after the bad luck that he suffered here on previous occasions. Not only he was extremely strong but also rode a tactically astute race. Classy of him to remember Michael Goolaerts too. First monument win for Visma since 2020, they were really needing this win.

While the dream of Pogačar winning all 5 monuments has been postponed for at least one year he still rode a good race but the two punctures and lack of help were too much for him to overcome. Really hope that he returns though becase he makes Roubaix better.

Strong performance from Stuyven to finish on the podium of a monument again. Van der Poel was also super strong but he had bad luck in the worse possible moment which ended up ruining his race.

Really strong results for Mick van Dijke and Bissegger confirming his top10 from last year's edition.

 

[pmcg76]

Well done WVA, great to see him win after all his troubles the past few seasons. He needed and deserved to add another big win to his palmares, just a pity it wasn't a three way dust-up with MDVP, he rode brilliantly today despite the poor luck. Props to Pogacar as well for animating things as always. Will be difficult for him to win this race if WVA/MDaVP are there in shape, though maybe the chase today dented his strength. As for posters trying to claim WVA was not a worthy winner, what are ye smoking!!

 

[pastronef]

watched almost all the race. WOUT VAN AERT, wow. he did the win of his life. this is his redemption. this is huge. I wasn't a fan, I became a fan the day of the Finestre with Yates.
grande Wout, you deserve it so much

 

[pmcg76]

watched almost all the race. WOUT VAN AERT, wow. he did the win of his life. this is his redemption. this is huge. I wasn't a fan, I became a fan the day of the Finestre with Yates.
grande Wout, you deserve it so much

Yeah, I was probably more of a MDVP fan, but after WVA won a mountain stage, TT and sprint stage in the same Tour, I have always had huge respect for his abilities. I did feel his palmares were light in terms of big wins, so today was a great win.

 

[Didinho]

Roodhooft said there was a crash of a SNS rider at the start of Trouee and their team car and the doctor car blocked the whole road. And also last year everyone could have a soigneur with a spare wheel halfway the secteur but this year not anymore.
Normally Philipsen doesn’t give a bike to Mathieu, was just a reaction in the moment. And Del Grosso was with Mathieu in front and very early dropped, with a broken back wheel apparently so he gave him his still working front wheel.

Some little inconvenient things at the worst time.

 

[dobrien]

Wout is a coiled spring right now, he looks so good. I think it’s his to win.

Just sayin.....