for Mathieu van der Poel, on the cobbles, an undivided raid – Libération

A week after his success on the Tour of Flanders, the Dutch cyclist achieves the double by winning the “Hell of the North” this Sunday, April 7. Yet another demonstration of force that leaves the competition speechless.

Three out of three for the Alpecin-Deceunick team, which continues its almost flawless performance in the classics campaign of the 2024 season. After the Belgian Jasper Philipsen at Milan-San Remo, Mathieu van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders, it’s is once again the Dutch world champion, grandson of Raymond Poulidor, who won this Sunday April 7 at Paris-Roubaix. A week ago, on the mountains of Flanders, Van der Poel set off solo 45 kilometers from the finish. On the northern cobbles, he did better (or worse, a matter of point of view) by saying tot ziens to the competition at 60 terminals at the Roubaix velodrome. Maintained at around ten seconds for a few kilometers, “MVDP” continued his effort, while his number one rival, the Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) ended up giving up when he saw two leeches attached to his wheel, occurrence the teammates of the leading man.

In recent seasons, followers have welcomed the emergence of several “fantastic”, sort of Avengers on bicycles, capable of performing all season long, on all terrains. There was Mathieu van der Poel, of course, but also the Belgian Wout Van Aert, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, and even, on more rugged routes, the climbers Remco Evenepoel or Jonas Vingegaard. This year, the blockbuster is filming with two headliners, Van der Poel and Pogacar, the others nursing their wounds following various falls. At the risk of tiring the spectators, but especially the opponents, returned to the role of foil week after week.

Arriving on the velodrome with almost three minutes ahead of his runner-up (his partner Philipsen), Van der Poel fills his trophy cabinet even more, already stocked with three Tours of Flanders, a Milan-San Remo, and now two Paris -Roubaix. And the raid may not be over. In two weeks, the Flying Dutchman will line up on Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a cycling monument rather reserved for climbers. Not for long ?