Mathieu van der Poel will look back on Paris-Roubaix with mixed feelings. The Dutchman from Alpecin-Premier Tech won the last three editions, but ran into too much bad luck on Sunday to challenge for a fourth. Still, he received a compliment from an unexpected source.
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Van der Poel was riding superbly until the Arenberg Forest, where it all fell apart. The former world champion punctured for the first time and then could not clip into the pedals of teammate Jasper Philipsen 's bike.
Tibor Del Grosso also punctured, but was smart enough to take his good tyre out and swap it into Van der Poel's bike. The Dutchman jogged back to where he had left Philipsen's bike, taking his time.
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Van der Poel got back on his own machine, rode through the Forest, but stopped again just before the corner. Another puncture. This time he got a replacement bike quickly, with the team car now close by.
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Niewiadoma saw a fighter, not a quitter
Van der Poel put his race into perspective afterwards. He was happy for winner Wout van Aert and cleared his head on the golf course the following morning. At Alpecin-Premier Tech, team boss Christoph Roodhooft was angry and disappointed. He regretted his decision to let Philipsen and Van der Poel race with different pedal systems.
In podcasts and post-race analysis, a critical note about Van der Poel's mindset also surfaced. Laurens ten Dam saw a resigned rider strolling through the Forest. "He never really believed in it," Ten Dam said.
Kasia Niewiadoma completely disagrees. The Polish rider has faced plenty of setbacks in her own career and watched Van der Poel's comeback with her jaw on the floor. He rode almost all the way back to the front and still sprinted for third place in the Vélodrome.
"If I ever have a bad day on the bike, I'll think back to that fight," Niewiadoma wrote on Monday on her social media channels. She praised Van der Poel for what she saw as an extraordinary race. "Chapeau Mathieu, what an incredible battle!"
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Niewiadoma eyes Amstel Gold
The former Tour de France Femmes winner is set to race Amstel Gold Race on Sunday the 19th March. Niewiadoma won the Dutch classic in 2019, out sprinting none other than Annemiek Van Vleuten on the line.
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
Mathieu Van Der Poel a essayé de changer de vélo avec Jasper Philipsen en pleine Trouée d'Arenberg mais il n'a pas réussi à repartir ! 🤯
Del Grosso lui a donc donné sa roue avant mais MVDP a eu une nouvelle crevaison à la fin de la Trouée ! #ParisRoubaix
🚴🇫🇷 | Van der Poel kijkt nog tegen een halve minuut achterstand aan. Er liggen nog genoeg kasseien te wachten. Is hier nog iets mogelijk? 👀👀 #parisroubaix
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