Partially blind, partially deaf: Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix without a functioning wattage meter or race radio

After victories in Le Samyn, Milan-Sanremo, E3 Saxo Classic, and Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel can now start his well-deserved vacation. The Dutchman skips the Amstel Gold Race and returns to mountain biking after his well-deserved vacation to earn as many points as possible towards his next big goal in 2025: the Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland in September. In between, he will also ride the Tour de France.

But back to Sunday, Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel had a slight setback after the Tour of Flanders, but that was clearly a thing of the past. The Dutchman flew over the cobblestones of northern France and barely tolerated any opposition. Tadej Pogacar could keep up the longest, but a mistake by the Slovenian ultimately proved crucial. Pogacar lost twenty seconds and would not see Van der Poel again until after the finish, where a warm embrace followed.

Mathieu, what were you thinking when Tadej approached that corner?
"Um, that it was a bit too fast. We were riding very fast, and I saw he wouldn't make the corner, but I didn't know he had crashed. At first, I waited and looked back to see where he was, but the gap was getting pretty big, so I had to keep going."

Did you consider waiting?
"That's what I did at first, but I didn't know that he had really crashed. The gap was too big, and that's part of Paris-Roubaix. I also got a flat tire myself."

To what extent was it advantageous that you had Jasper by your side?
"On the first occasion, I could still wait, but the gap did get too big the second time. At that point, it was clear it would be between me and Tadej, and then it would be stupid not to ride along. At a certain point, you have to make that decision."

Was this the Paris-Roubaix in which you suffered the most?
"Certainly. I also didn't expect that I would have to ride alone for so long. It would have been difficult to drop back because of the headwind on the last stretches. I had a hard time toward the end."

And is this your most beautiful victory here?
"No, that would be last year's. Because it was wearing the rainbow jersey. I felt best in that. In this edition, I had a hard time on those last stretches; it was like I hit every stone. Last year, I felt I was flying over those cobblestones, but that was not the case this time."

Was it more special because Tadej was there?
"The race is always tough. It was no surprise to me. He is one of the best riders ever; what he does is truly exceptional. He will definitely come back to win.2

Tadej said: "If I were a child, Mathieu van der Poel would definitely be my idol." What do you think about that?
"The opposite is also true for me. After Sanremo, I said he was the only one who could make a difference on the Cipressa, and now he is riding so well here in Roubaix. He is only 26... (laughs) he still has so much ahead of him. When he stops, we will look at him like we look at Merckx. I personally like to watch the sport because I love it, but we cannot ignore Tadej."

Is it true you had problems with your radio?
"Yes, that was difficult. My wattage meter stopped working after Trouée d'Arenberg, so I couldn't see the power output. It was a blind effort. I didn't know the time differences, and I didn't know what was happening behind me, so it wasn't ideal. And I couldn't tell the car on that last lap because my radio did not work."

To what extent did that incident with the bidon ruin your mood?
"It didn't destroy the fun I had, but it was not normal. It was a full bottle, maybe half a kilogram, and I rode at 50kph. It was really like a stone hitting my face. It's not acceptable. When they throw beer, it's also not acceptable, but that's a different story. This is something we have to take legal action against."

How do you look back on your spring overall?
"I am quite happy with it. That illness last week was not ideal, so I am very happy I could still finish in Roubaix with a victory."

How important is that to you?
"When you start cycling, you don't think you can do such things. You also need luck, but it feels very exceptional."

What are you going to do in the coming weeks?
"According to my schedule, this was my last race. I will not be riding the Amstel Gold Race."