🎥 Van der Poel and Pogacar both close big gaps — Paris-Roubaix is far from over!

Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel both punctured at the worst possible moments in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. After his team had done heavy work to keep him near the front, the Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was sitting in a lead group of around sixty riders. Then the rainbow jersey suddenly deflated on the cobbled sector from Quérénaing to Maing. His front tyre was flat, and because the gap to the chasers was less than a minute, there was no team car nearby. In the Arenberg Forest, it was Van der Poel's turn.

Pogačar and UAE had everything under control in the first part of Paris-Roubaix. The team kept their leader constantly at the front, put pressure on the cobbles, and the peloton was blown apart very early in the race. Many riders lost contact as they hammered over the cobbles of Quérénaing to Maing with 120 kilometres to go.

On the right side of the road, however, Pogačar's tyre suddenly went. The Slovenian stayed calm and quickly realised that a team car was not close by, because a chasing group was sitting barely half a minute behind. The Shimano neutral service car gave Pogačar a blue bike, on which he continued for quite some time.

Pogačar eventually rode for seven minutes on the Shimano bike before the UAE car managed to reach their team leader through the convoy. After the sector from Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon, the world champion switched back to a new Colnago and the chase could begin. UAE had to burn through a stack of teammates, not least because the lead group naturally did not ease up.

Alpecin-Premier Tech (Mathieu van der Poel) and Visma | Lease a Bike (Wout van Aert) kept the tempo high at the front, but it was nothing compared to the wrecking ball work of António Morgado, Nils Politt and Mikkel Bjerg, who rode themselves into the ground for Pogačar. By the start of the Arenberg Forest, they had brought him back to within 31 seconds of the lead group — keeping Pogi very much alive.

After Van der Poel had tried to thin out the lead group on the sector from Haveluy to Wallers, Pogačar had used up all of his teammates behind. He had to do the final stretch alone. Because there was some hesitation at the front heading into the Arenberg Forest — and because Pogačar was riding unbelievably hard at the head of the chasers — the world champion's rainbow jersey appeared back at the front just before the Forest.

The battle could begin, but after Van Aert had been the first to charge into the Arenberg Forest, a blue shirt suddenly dropped back on the left. This time it was Van der Poel with a puncture, and the Dutchman could also forget about quick help from a team car. For a brief moment, a bike swap with Jasper Philipsen looked like an option, but Van der Poel quickly abandoned that idea.

Tibor Del Grosso had made his way to Van der Poel's bike in the background and swapped his front wheel for the Dutchman's. As if the devil was at play, Van der Poel then punctured again further along the sector. His Paris-Roubaix appeared to be over.

Tibor Del Grosso had made his way to Van der Poel's bike in the background and swapped his front wheel for the Dutchman's. As if the devil was at play, Van der Poel then punctured again further along the sector. His Paris-Roubaix appeared to be over. Pogačar, meanwhile, punctured again with a good 70 kilometres to go, but after yet another bike change he too rejoined the front of the race.

For Van der Poel the race seemed run, but the Dutchman sank his teeth into it after his punctures and eventually rode back to the first chasing group. There he found, among others, Filippo Ganna of INEOS Grenadiers. Because the lead group of eight heading towards Mons-en-Pévèle did not want to show their hand, a gap of a minute and a half was promptly cut to 20 seconds.

With small margins we entered the sector from Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée. Van Aert accelerated at the front, Pogačar went with him, and Van der Poel — watching them ride away — went all-out behind. And just like that, both Pogačar and Van der Poel were nearly back at the front for the final hour of racing. Unbelievable!