'I saw a worn-out Pogacar' - Rivals sense Paris-Roubaix opportunity

Pogačar dispatched Van der Poel on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont in the same manner he did when he won in 2023 and 2025. 

According to Alpecin-Premier Tech team manager Christoph Roodhooft, there was nothing that the Dutchman could do to match the World Champion, despite the 650 watts that Van der Poel stated he was pushing when he was distanced.

“I don’t think Mathieu is to blame. The final stretch of the Oude Kwaremont was just too much for him,” Roodhooft told Het Laatste Nieuws

When asked if Van der Poel pulled too much with Pogačar beforehand, Roodhooft suggested that it was the World Champion who was doing the bulk of the work to keep debutant Remco Evenepoel from returning to the head of the race.

“After Mathieu and Pogacar broke away on the second climb of the Oude Kwaremont, Mathieu did indeed cooperate, but we had the impression that it was mainly Pogacar who was keeping Remco at bay,” said Roodhooft.

Pogačar went on to secure an emphatic third victory at the Tour of Flanders, which draws him level with seven other riders, including Van der Poel, as the joint record holder.

However, Alpecin-Premier Tech have reason to be optimistic ahead of Paris-Roubaix, according to what Head of Performance Kristof De Kegel saw at the finish in Oudenaarde.

“I saw a worn-out Pogacar as he crossed the line. I’ve rarely seen him look so worn out after a one-day race,” said De Kegel. “If Pogacar looked that tired on stage nine of the Tour, I’d be worried about a successful outcome.”

Meanwhile, Visma | Lease a Bike’s Head of Performance, Mathieu Heijboer, saw things from a different angle. “I’ve seen Pogacar look more exhausted in the Tour than he did after this Tour of Flanders,” said Heijboer to Het Laatste Nieuws.

Pogačar has now won four consecutive Monuments, something that no other rider has ever achieved. 

If he can win Paris-Roubaix for the first time, it puts him well on track to becoming the first rider to win all five Monuments in one season, since he is a three-time winner of Liége-Bastogne-Liége and five-time record holder at Il Lombardia, illustrating he knows how to win the final two Monuments of the season.

But first, the Slovenian will face one of his toughest tasks yet at Paris-Roubaix this Sunday, where Van der Poel has won the past three editions, and the hope for the other teams is that the lack of hills will level the scales.

“The biggest hope for us and the other teams is that there are no climbs in Roubaix where Pogacar can make the difference,” said Heijboer.