Mathieu van der Poel retains classic cycling title in style

Van der Poel on prime once more regardless of course criticism

The build-up to the 119th version of the ‘Hell of the North’ was dominated by considerations about crashes after a lot of riders had been injured within the Itzulia Basque Nation race on Thursday.

Two-time reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard suffered a number of accidents together with a collapsed lung and damaged collarbone, whereas Jay Vine prevented requiring spinal surgical procedure having slid off right into a concrete ditch.

The Australian will spend as much as six weeks sporting a neck brace and is uncertain for each the Tour de France and the Olympic Video games Paris 2024.

Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic additionally face time on the sidelines after being caught up within the mass collision.

A brand new sharp U-turn was launched on the Paris-Roubaix course this week to gradual riders down earlier than the Arenberg Forest part, a measure van der Poel had questioned on social media with the phrases, “Is that this a joke?”

The 55.7km of cobbles within the 259.7km check are notoriously exhausting on each physique and bike, however the pre-Arenberg chicane was freed from incident. And the riders had not even reached the cobbles when a pile-up pressured Elia Viviani to desert.

The early cobbled sectors and robust winds triggered massive splits within the peloton earlier than the midway stage.

Simply after the Arenberg Forest part, a gaggle of three made the primary critical break with Stefan Küng, Nils Politt and van der Poel’s Alpecin teammate Gianni Vermeersch going clear.

Tom Pidcock was amongst these working exhausting on the entrance of the pack, and the trio was quickly reeled in earlier than van der Poel made his decisive assault.

Denmark’s former world highway race champion Mads Pedersen tried to shut the hole, however the presence of Alpecin riders Vermeesch and Philipsen within the chase group made his activity virtually unattainable as van der Poel prolonged his result in two minutes with 35km remaining.

Vermeesh was then dropped from the chase group, and New Zealander Laurence Pithie misplaced his entrance wheel on a bend transitioning from tarmac to the cobbles whereas in second place.

Regardless of a mighty effort, Pithie was unable to shut the hole leaving Philipsen, Pedersen, Küng and Politt to combat it out for the rostrum locations.

Philipsen attacked with 10km to go along with Küng unable to go along with him, however couldn’t shake off the others.

Pedersen led the three into the velodrome, Politt moved alongside, however Philipsen discovered a spot down the within to make it an Alpecin one-two forward of the Dane with Politt fourth.