Roubaix: Mathieu van der Poel won the Paris-Roubaix stake for the second year running after a solo 60km break to win the race known as “Arctic Hell”.
The 29-year-old Dutch world champion had won the Tour of Flanders a week earlier and was almost three minutes ahead of the nearest chaser after 260km of running 57km.
“It’s more than expected, it’s going to be a big party tonight,” he said.
“I peaked in Flanders, but here I was very happy with the last few kilometers,” said Van der Poel, who was cheered by the crowd until the last 50 kilometers.
Van der Poel, one of the highest-paid drivers, earned 30,000 euros ($32,500) for his efforts and will record the places where riders usually wash off the mud in outdoor showers.
The winning time of 5 hours 25 minutes 58 seconds marked the fastest average speed in the history of the race, which was first run in 1896, the 121st edition.
Van der Poel’s Belgian team-mate Jasper Philipsen was second and Lidl-Trekli Dane Mads Pedersen third in a three-way race with Germany’s Nils Politt of the UAE.
“It will take a bit of luck to win here and avoid the pits,” Politt told AFP before the race. He hit it, but so did Pedersen and Philipsen.
