Motorbike influence questioned in Pogacar’s Roubaix comeback - 'We were riding 15kph faster'

The 35-year-old Naesen, who was positioned behind the main contenders at the time, believes the role of race motorbikes was impossible to ignore.

Pogačar’s setback came on the cobbles with 120 km to go, at a moment in the race with the key sectors still to come, including the decisive passage through the Trouée d’Arenberg.

With those key sectors approaching, the Slovenian had little time to waste to get himself into position. After switching to a neutral Shimano bike and later back onto his team bike, he immediately began chasing.

“I was in the second group with Yves Lampaert,” Naessen said in the HLN Wielerpodcast. “He [Lampaert] was nervous about the cooperation, because there wasn’t really any. Then Pogačar had his problem. I told him: ‘Lampi [Lampaert], Eurosport, France 2… they’ll bring us back soon enough.’ And that’s exactly what happened.”

While acknowledging the world champion’s strength, Naesen pointed to the presence of motorbikes as a key factor in how quickly the gap was reduced.

“The motorbikes formed a wall in front of our group. Because of that, we were riding 15 kilometres per hour faster, together with Pogačar and his teammates," he explained. "After that, Pogi closed the gap himself, but it was unbelievable how they pulled us along with the motorbikes.”

The discussion adds to a long-running concern within the sport about the influence of race vehicles. Former professional Jakob Fuglsang has recently argued that motorbikes can play a decisive role in whether attacks succeed or fail.

Speaking to Feltet.dk he said: "It’s about attacking first. If you do that, you get the motorbike, and then they can’t catch you, even if they are four riders chasing together. Mathieu van der Poel probably wouldn’t have won E3 if he hadn’t had a motorbike in front. It was one rider against four.”

Also for Naesen, the issue is not limited to a single incident, but reflects a broader pattern.

“At times, it affects the outcome more than it should,” he said. “When the gaps are small, even a slight change in pace can decide everything.”