'Fifty fifty' - Van der Poel senior sees Roubaix as level playing field with Pogacar

Speaking after the race in Oudenaarde to Wielerflits, he did not see a decisive gap between the two. The difference, he argued, came at specific moments rather than across the full distance.

“He was exactly where he needed to be,” he said of his son. “Every time the race opened up, he was there. That’s what matters in these races.”

The decisive moves followed a pattern seen time and again in Flanders. A hard acceleration, a small group forms. Another, and the selection is reduced further. By then, only the strongest remain. Van der Poel was part of that process all the way through.

“The differences weren’t that big,” he said. “If you look at how the race developed, it was always the same riders at the front.”

The wider context reinforces that view. The gaps behind the leading group were telling, with Jasper Stuyven finishing as best of the rest at 4:28 behind the ‘Big Five’, underlining just how selective the race had been.

There is no suggestion that Van der Poel needs to adjust his approach ahead of the next Monument. If anything, the message is to stay the course.

“He doesn’t have to do anything different. Just keep working towards these races and enjoy it.”

That sense of continuity carries over into Paris-Roubaix, even if the race itself demands something entirely different. Where Flanders revolves around explosive climbs, Roubaix comes down to positioning, resilience and a degree of unpredictability.

For Adrie van der Poel, that shift in terrain brings the two favourites closer together. "In Flanders it’s maybe 60/40,” he said. “Next week, it’s 50/50.”

Pogačar, meanwhile, arrives with momentum and a clear objective. The Slovenian has already spoken about his motivation to complete his set of Monument victories, but struck a relaxed tone when looking ahead after his win in Oudenaarde.

“I don’t race too much, no, so when I race there’s pressure to win,” Pogačar said. “So far everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy. Coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated and try to enjoy the cobbles.”