PARIS (Reuters) – Mathieu van der Poel claimed his second victory in the Paris Roubaix on Sunday with a spectacular solo attack that took place 60 km from the finish line. This win marked his second Monument triumph of the year, following his Tour of Flanders victory the previous weekend.
The grueling 260-km “Hell of the North” course, featuring 29 cobblestone sectors, saw Van der Poel cross the line with a commanding three-minute lead, securing his sixth Monuments victory. His arms were raised triumphantly as he clinched the prestigious title.
Van der Poel made history by becoming just the 10th cyclist to win both cobbled Monuments — the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix — in the same season. Additionally, he is only the second rider to achieve this feat while donning the rainbow jersey, a distinction previously held by Rik van Looy in 1962.
Further back in the race, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Philipsen, and Nils Politt engaged in a fierce battle for the remaining two spots on the podium. While Politt made an early move, it was Philipsen who ultimately secured second place, leading to an Alpecin-Deceuninck one-two finish, with Pedersen claiming third.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
