Van der Poel, ready for Roubaix despite lingering illness, names his top favorite: "A perfect race for him"

In a press release, Van der Poel discusses his physical condition during the Tour of Flanders. "Racing in the E3 made it worse. On Monday, I felt awful. I finally got the antibiotics, and during Flanders, I still wasn't quite 100%, even though I managed to defend myself reasonably well. In the end, I still managed to get on the podium. After the Tour of Flanders, I had another dip. That is probably not surprising: it was an enormous effort on Sunday, and I had not fully recovered. Now, it is Friday, and I feel much better. I think I am in a reasonable position to try to defend my title on Sunday."

The three-time winner of the Tour of Flanders was also involved in a serious crash. Fortunately, he could continue, but it did have an effect. "I felt stiff for two days, but that quickly passed." He will start Sunday's race without pain. "I start every race to win, and this year is no different. Of course, that is easier said than done, but that is the mindset I will bring to the start. And if I am not at my best, we will do everything we can to keep the victory within the team." Jasper Philipsen has shown over the last two years that he is more than capable of winning this race.

With Jasper Philipsen and powerful riders like Gianni Vermeersch and Oscar Riesebeek, Van der Poel starts with a lot of confidence in the hunt for his third cobblestone victory. "We have a very strong team. Five of the six teammates from Sunday were also part of last year's success. The sixth, Jonas Rickaert, was there in 2023. Those shared experiences are a huge factor in a race like this."

It will not be easy because there are a lot of other contenders with ambitions. "It may be more difficult to predict than usual," the defending champion realizes. One of the most important names to watch is Tadej Pogacar. The world champion is starting in his first Hell of the North. "Pogacar is always a strong candidate. But in Flanders, we also saw that Wout Van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Jasper Stuyven are at a very high level. And then there is also Ganna. Paris-Roubaix might be the perfect race for him." Nathan Van Hooydonck also sees the Italian as the top favorite for Sunday.

Of course, the Trouée d'Arenberg will be a pivotal moment in the race again. The approach will be slightly different this year: there was a chicane last year, but now there will be a parallel road. "I wasn't a fan of last year's chicane. But the new approach is a huge improvement. It means we will start the Trouée d'Arenberg at a lower speed, making it safer and more manageable."

Jasper Philipsen came second in Roubaix for two years in a row, but his preparations did not run as smoothly this year as they should have. He crashed hard in Nokere Koerse. "I'm still suffering a little from that crash. A little whiplash, with some muscle pain and a headache. It's nothing that can't be fixed, and I'm getting good treatment, so it's no excuse. But I'm still not completely comfortable."

So, as the defending champion in Milan-Sanremo, he didn't even get into the story at all: he was dropped before the Cipressa. He eventually finished 163rd in the penultimate group. "But in Gent-Wevelgem and the Scheldeprijs, I built some self-confidence. In any case, I worked hard to be ready. Hopefully, those efforts will be rewarded on Sunday."

Philipsen is riding Paris-Roubaix for the fifth time. It is a race that suits him better than the Tour of Flanders, which he skipped this year. "It is unlike the Tour of Flanders, where the hills keep coming. It is more about positioning and survival on the cobblestones, with the experience and toughness that it requires. If we can avoid bad luck and ride our own course, there is no reason why we cannot go for a good result."

Philipsen also thinks the organization did well changing the run-up to Trouée d'Arenberg. Last year, he was the first to arrive there with Van der Poel, Pedersen, and Mick van Dijke. "There have been a few changes. The revised approach to the Trouée d'Arenberg will mean we enter the forest at lower speeds, making it a bit safer. That is certainly an improvement over last year, with that chicane."