Cycling champion Mathieu van der Poel claims a third victory in Paris-Roubaix, besting Tadej Pogacar in a thrilling finish.
Mathieu van der Poel Wins Third Consecutive Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has made history by becoming the third rider in history to win Paris-Roubaix three times in a row. The Dutch cyclist clinched the victory in the 2023 edition, following his wins in 2024 and 2025.
The race began with high-speed racing, with Alpecin-Deceuninck setting the pace as they approached the first of the 30 sections of cobbles at Troisvilles. A group of eight riders went clear after 20km, including Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), and Mathieu van der Poel.
The big hitters began to strike out at the four-star section at Haveluy, and from then on, van der Poel and Pogačar were in a head-to-head battle for most of the race. On section 15, Pogačar attacked despite appearing to have been suffering physically. However, van der Poel kept attacking on the road sections, creating a smaller lead group.
Pogačar's efforts were further hampered when he crashed on a cobbled section nine and never managed to close the gap on van der Poel. Meanwhile, Filippo Ganna (ineos Grenadiers) punctured and chased for 35km, but it was too late to catch up with the leaders.
Pogačar stopped to switch to a spare bike with 21km left, leaving van der Poel almost a minute clear. Van der Poel's lead was further extended when Stefan Bissegger and Mads Pedersen suffered punctures during the race.
Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease as Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished after Pedersen, while Fred Wright finished the race in 9th place for Bahrain Victorious.
Van der Poel's victory was not without drama. He was hit by a water bottle thrown by a fan, but he managed to avoid a crash. In a final twist, van der Poel punctured on the Carrefour de l'Arbre section of cobbles but continued towards victory, eventually crossing the line 1:18 ahead of Pogačar.
Pogačar finished second, with Mads Pedersen taking third place. The three riders have shown their class and determination in one of the most challenging races in cycling, with van der Poel once again proving his dominance in Paris-Roubaix.
Sports enthusiasts worldwide marveled at Mathieu van der Poel's triumph in the Paris-Roubaix race yet again, as he secured his third consecutive win in this prestigious sports event. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, van der Poel's determination and skill on the track steered him towards an impressive victory in the 2023 edition of the sports competition.
