Paris-Roubaix 2024 Race Report: The Alpecin-Deceuninck team dominated and split the 2024 Paris-Roubaix to pieces to soften the competition for Mathieu van der Poel’s winning attack just under 60 kilometres from the velodrome in Roubaix. His teammate, Jasper Philipsen was second again and Mads Pedersen took third ahead of Nils Politt.
2024 Paris-Roubaix highlights
Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for the second time in a row with a long solo ride. A week after his victory in the Tour of Flanders, his Alpecin-Deceuninck team split the race early, then the World champion went solo with 60 kilometres to go. He had three minutes to enjoy his win on the Roubaix velodrome. Jasper Philipsen sprinted far second place, Mads Pedersen finished third.
Mathieu van der Poel’s second Paris-Roubaix in a row and the fastest ever ‘Sunday in Hell’
The Parcours
The Paris-Roubaix 2024 route has some small changes from last year, but there are still 29 cobbled sections, but the order the riders hit them in is different. The sections of Biastre and Ruesnes return this year, but Saint-Python and Haspres are out because they are being repaired. Due to the length of the Biastre section, the total of kilometres ridden on the cobbles is now 57.5km an increases from 54.5km. The changes in the route come in the first 150 kilometres of the route, the finale to the velodrome in Roubaix is the same. The start is also the same, the riders will line up in Compiègne for the 259.9 kilometres in hell. The first cobbles come after 96 kilometres. Troisvilles to Inchy is a 3 star section, but the next tough strip if from Quiévy to Saint-Python, which is ranked 4 stars, it could the start of the day’s action.
2024 Paris-Roubaix map
The next difficult section is the Trouée d’Arenberg: 2.3 kilometres of full on 5 star cobbles, it comes 95 kilometres from the finish and is probably the best well know section of Pars-Roubaix. There are two more 5 star sections: Mons-en-Pévèle is 50 kilometres for the finish and then 17 kilometres out is the Carrefour de l’Arbre. These are probably the toughest sections of cobbles and where the race can be one or lost for ever. From Wallers onwards, the race is full on.
2024 Paris-Roubaix profile
After Carrefour de l’Arbre, the hardest parts of the ‘Hell of the North’ is behind the riders, but with Gruson, Hem and Roubaix still to come, there can be surprises in the final. All that is left is one and a half laps of that famous Vélodrome.
The cobbled sections
Top favourite – Mathieu van der Poel
Mathieu van der Poel spoke before the start: “It took a little more time than expected, but I have recovered well from the Tour of Flanders,” the World champion told Het Nieuwsblad. “In any case, I was able to train well in Spain and hope to find my Ronde legs again. Winning de Ronde (van Vlaanderen) in the rainbow jersey was already a big goal and afterwards I had a small feeling of decompression, but I was able to quickly stop that. It always remains to be seen what the feeling is on the very first cobbles section. We have been in a similar situation several times this spring, but we have kept it under control each time. We must always stay at the front and wait to see whether the competition will attack the Forest of Wallers. In any case, my race only starts there. Beating me is certainly not very difficult, because the competition has already proven this several times in recent weeks.”
Another to favourite – Mads Pedersen
Last minute starter – Tom Pidcock
The first hour of racing was at a high pace, over 54kph. The strong tail-wind and the riders wanting to be in the early break, made sure the speed was high. In that first hour, a group of seven broke away, with Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step), Liam Slock (Lotto Dstny), Marco Haller (BORA-hansgrohe), Gleb Syritsa (Astana Qazaqstan) and Kamil Malecki (Q36.5).
A nice start before they get into hell
They were not allowed to get too far ahead and so Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Dusan Rajovic (Bahrain Victorious) were able to join them. The peloton led by Alpecin-Deceuninck, didn’t let them take much over 1 minute. Before the Forest of Wallers, the break was caught by a group of favourites that had split the race on the first cobbled sector.
A bad crash after about 35 kilometres – Viviani had to abandon, but Laurenz Rex managed to continue
Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen with most of their teammates rode on the front through the first sections. Then the Alpecin-Deceuninck team formed a front echelon in a cross-wind, this completely split the peloton. Some riders were able to fight their way back to the front group, but most of the peloton was already out of the race with about 150 kilometres still to go.
The break of the day started with Tiller Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease A Bike) and Liam Slock (Lotto Dstny)
Joshua Tarling was disqualified from the race, due to a very long sticky bottle, but he had been waiting a long time for team service. The thinned peloton included most of the favourites. The next action point would be Wallers/Arenberg, the first 5 star sector of the day, with the chicane at its start. The lead group got through without any problem and it was Mads Pedersen who started the cobbled fun.
The peloton kept an eye on the break – They never had much more than 1 minute
On the uneven cobbles of Arenberg, Van der Poel pushed hard with Pedersen, Philipsen and Mick van Dijke on his wheel. They left the forest with a small lead, but Philipsen had a slow puncture. The pace slowed, allowing a group with Stefan Küng, Laurence Pithie, Tom Pidcock, Nils Politt, Tim Wellens, Stefan Bissegger, Johan Jacobs, Jordi Meeus and Gianni Vermeersch to catch the leaders.
The break expanded to nine riders
Philipsen was also able to return after a quick bike change. Pedersen, Meeus and Wellens all had punctures one after another, but luckily were able to return to the leaders. Politt, Küng and Vermeersch jumped away in the lull and their teammates slowed the chase. They managed to take a 40 second lead, this meant Lidl-Trek had to start the chase.
The first cobbles – Alpecin-Deceuninck kept Van der Poel to the fore
The break didn’t stand a chance on the cobbles
With 70 kilometres to go, the three escapees were caught by Pedersen’s workers. Then on the 3 star Orchies section, Van der Poel decided to attack again and he soon had a big lead. No one could follow the move of the World champion 59 kilometres from the finish. The chase couldn’t get organised as Philipsen and Vermeersch were doing their best to disrupt any work behind their team leader.
2015 Roubaix winner John Degenkolb in the action
Alpecin-Deceuninck split the race and caught the break
Van der Poel soon had over 1 minute in 10 kilometres, his competitors would have to work hard to pull him back and they had Philipsen and Vermeersch along for a free ride. The pace of the chasers dropped on Mons-en-Pévèle and the World champion was able to take even more time. Van der Poel was going to repeat his solo victory of a week before in the Tour of Flanders.
Alpecin domination
Van der Poel on the Wallers/Arenberg cobbles
The battle for the podium continued on Mons-en-Pévèle. Pedersen, Küng, Pithie, Politt and Philipsen broke away from the group, but this was more than 1:40 minutes behind Van der Poel, who now had more than 2 minutes. Pithie crashed on a corner, messing up his top day on the Roubaix cobbles
Big names in the split after Arenberg – But it didn’t last
Pont Gibus…
The rainbow jersey battled on through the dust of the ‘Hell of the North’ setting another record speed for a Classic after last week in Flanders and last year in Paris-Roubaix.
Pont Gibus…
It was a matter of time before Mathieu van der Poel attacked
Van der Poel was putting more time between himself and the Pedersen and Philipsen. Twenty kilometres from the finish the gap was almost 3 minutes. Just before Carrefour de l’Arbre, Vermeersch and Pithie nearly got back to the Pedersen group, but they were stuck at 20 seconds and then started to lose time. Van der Poel was on his way to join Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen and Roger De Vlaeminck as Ronde/Roubaix winners in one season. Plus Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Peter Sagan, all winners of Roubaix as world champion.
Just under 60 kilometres from Roubaix the World champion made his move for victory
With 25 kilometres to go, the World champion had over 2 minutes
On the Gruson section, Philipsen put in an attack, which Küng couldn’t follow. Pedersen and Politt had to try very hard, but were able to pull the Belgian back. These three would sprint for the two podium places. The German was the first to start the sprint, but it was Philipsen who claimed second place, just like last year, ahead of Pedersen. Küng finished fifth, Vermeersch sixth and Pithie seventh.
As his lead was getting close to 3 minutes, Van der Poel could smell the victory
The win was in the bag – Another Monument for Van der Poel
2024 Paris-Roubaix winner, World champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I felt really incredible. It’s hard to believe. With the team we were perhaps even stronger than last year. I am very proud of the boys and very happy to finish it. No, not really (to attack 60k out), but I wanted to make the race hard from there. I know that’s my strength and I felt great today. When I had a gap, I knew I mainly had a tailwind towards the finish. But I had a very good day. A flat tyre is never far away in Roubaix, but I had quite a big gap and the team car was behind me. So I felt confident and could really enjoy the moment. More than last week (in the Tour of Flanders). Last week I was really at my limit, but today I felt incredible. I really enjoyed the last part. I could never have dreamed this as a child. I was super motivated for this year, I wanted to show the Jersey in a beautiful way. But this is beyond expectations. It’s hard for me to find the words for this, but I’m trying to enjoy this moment.”
The sprint for second place went to Jasper Philipsen (again)
The 2024 Pars-Roubaix podium
Paris-Roubaix Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 5:25:58
2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 3:00
3. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek
4. Nils Politt (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
5. Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ at 3:15
6. Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 3:47
7. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Groupama-FDJ at 3:48
8. Tim van Dijke (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 4:45
9. Jordi Meeus (Bel) BORA-hansgrohe at 4:47
10. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility.
# Catch up with all the Roubaix news in EUROTRASH Monday. #
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