Vermeersch saw firsthand "phenomenal acceleration" Van der Poel: "That video went viral"

Vermeersch, who had a fantastic race that day and finished sixth, tells Wielerrevue how impressive the punch was, with which Van der Poel rushed away from everyone else. "Yes, that attack by Mathieu... I rode in the lead because I announced I would set the pace as high as possible from there. I knew that attack was coming, but not exactly where. I thought the pace was pretty high, but how fast Mathieu rushed by..."

The world champion did it just under sixty kilometers from the line, on the cobblestones of Orchies. Vermeersch immediately realized that his leader had started a big solo. "Then you immediately know little chance that someone will close the gap. It didn't scare me too much, no. I have seen him perform similar attacks during training sessions. His acceleration is simply phenomenal. That video went viral, and I still watch it on Instagram sometimes."

That Jasper Philipsen eventually - for the second year in a row - provided a 1-2, and Vermeersch finished sixth, made it an unforgettable day for Alpecin-Deceuninck and the Belgian himself. "Paris-Roubaix 2024 is one of the highlights of my career. I was already eleventh in 2023. OK, but eleventh or tenth is still a big difference. This year, I finished sixth, which made the euphoria of the first two places even more intense. One of the most beautiful moments was when I fell into Jasper and Mathieu's arms on the piste. That picture is not hanging above my bed but will get a nice spot somewhere in the house."

For Van der Poel, the win in Paris-Roubaix was his second in a row and a very special one. The Dutch rider also won the E3 and the Tour of Flanders this season and continued his classic campaign with a solid third place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Add to that the second place in Gent-Wevelgem (behind Mads Pedersen) and his starring role for Philipsen in Milan-Sanremo, and you can consider a nearly perfect spring.