Reigning World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) scorched home solo to a second successive victory in the fastest-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix, simultaneously becoming the first rider in 11 years to clinch the Tour of Flanders-Roubaix double.
Second in the historic Roubaix velodrome was Jasper Philipsen, for a 1-2 for Alpecin-Deceuninck, outsprinting Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in third and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) fourth.
After iron control from Alpecin-Deceuninck left the race in Van der Poel’s grip very early on, the Dutchman attacked with 60 kilometres to go. At 20 kilometres further on, his advantage had risen to over two minutes, and barring disaster, the race was all but over.
Van der Poel has thereby claimed his sixth Monument of his career and, after his third Tour of Flanders, his second of 2023.
Van der Poel has also become the second World Champion after Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) to claim Paris-Roubaix in as many days and the first in the men’s race since Peter Sagan in 2018.
More to follow…
Results
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