As is happened: No broken records as fan favourite puts on a masterclass at Paris-Roubaix 2026


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Tadej Pogačar after the finish: “No, it (luck) wasn’t (on my side). But, I think a lot of people had a lot of problems with the punctures. I had three punctures today, and three bikes changes so, it was not ideal but I had a strong team to bring me back just before Arenberg but then I was already cooked and when I was with Wout (Van Aert), there was not much freshness in the legs to really maybe have a chance to drop him on the cobbles. I saw quite fast that it would be mission impossible and I gave my best in the sprint but he won (on the) Champs Elysee, so it is hard to beat him.

UAE Team Emirates XRG's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar cycles in a breakaway on a cobblestone sector ahead of Team Visma - Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout van Aert during the 123rd edition of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic cycling race, 258.3 km between Compiègne and Roubaix, northern France, on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It is a bit of a drag uphill as they head into Roubaix with 4km to go.

Pogačar leads the whole sector and Van Aert comes through as soon as they go onto the asphalt. Just 6km to go.

10km to go and this looks almost certain that it will be between Van Aert and Pogačar.

Van Aert is looking superb on the wheel of Pogačar. He is refusing to come through until now. 30″ back to Van der Poel, Pedersen, Stuyven, Van Dijke, Laporte and Bissegger.

There’s 6km to go until the penultimate sector.

And that is the five star sector done.

Everyone back with Van der Poel as the gap drifts out to 23″ again.

Van der Poel splitting the chase group at 17″ with Pogačar unable to drop Van Aert.

Van Aert still halfwheeling Pogačar as the world champion continues not to launch.

The gap is closing to the chasers! Van der Poel and Pedersen are on a mission. 28″ gap now!

There’s a bit of a cross head wind for the riders on this sector. He may wait to launch until the final 5 star sector.

Van der Poel ups the tempo in the chase with 35″ gap now. They are working together very well. 20km to go as Van Aert gets a chat with his team car.

Average speed up at 49.2kph, which is well on track to be the fastest ever Paris-Roubaix.

The four star Camphin-en-Pévèle is just 3km away now wih 41″ back to Van der Poel, Pedersen, Laporte, Stuyven, Bissegger and, apparently, Mick van Dijke, not Tim.

I think Pogačar is a bit uncomfortable, or at least more than he should be on the cobbles. He is stretching his back a lot and getting out the saddle whenever he can.

The gap to the chasers has gone out to 42″ as Van Aert and Pogačar ride well together and the legs go out of the chase. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike cars are coming across to the leaders.

Van der Poel goes into the ditch on a corner but still manages to keep riding for now. Maybe a puncture from that. He’s now at the back of the chase group.

Pogačar taking a chance to have a stretch and a rest as Van Aert taps through.

Team Visma - Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout van Aert (L) and UAE Team Emirates XRG's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar leave the 'Trouée d’Arenberg' cobblestone sector (Arenberg trench) during the 123rd edition of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic cycling race, 258.3 km between Compiègne and Roubaix, northern France, on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Pogačar attacked again on the bridge but Van Aert stayed with him.

Pogačar asked Van Aert through and the Belgian says no.

Pogačar and Van Aert have 20″ on Pedersen with the Van der Poel group about to catch him at 28″.

This is very cagey in the front. Van der Poel is now 22″ behind them.

Politt gets back onto Van der Poel’s group again. Pogačar could maybe be getting a teammate back.

The contrast between Van der Poel and his issues with Pogačar when he had his issues. Van der Poel has been cool, calm and collected. Pogačar has been far happier since getting back into the peloton.

Van der Poel has Gianni Vermeersch, Ganna and Tim van Dijke on his wheel.

The average speed is sat at 50kph in this astonishingly fast race. Van der Poel now just 37″ down!

Meeus goes to the front of the lead group for Pithie on this Orchies sector.

Van Aert, Pithie and Meeus rejoin the leaders again.

1’02” back from the front, Van der Poel and Ganna are working together well.

Van Aert, Pithie and Meeus are so close but so far from the back of the leading group with 60km to go.

Pithie is pushing hard and passes Van Aert, dropping Meeus. They’re together again now at just 16″ back on the leaders.

Van der Poel and Ganna chatting in their group that are now 1’07” behind the leaders.

Van Aert with Pithie and Meeus at 25″ as Laporte tries to slow things down in the lead group.

Pogačar back with Pedersen, Laporte, Stuyven and Bissegger.

Van der Poel makes it to the Ganna group at 1’14”.

Van der Poel starting to distance Politt and Heiduk in his quest to return to the front, but he is still 1’26” back on the leaders.

Van Aert looks to be dropping Pithie who has been having to push for a while since his puncture.

Milan punctures out of the Van der Poel group.

Van der Poel is flying, just 1’27” further back than where he wants to be.

Van der poel at paris roubaix

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PIthie leads Meeus behind on the Warlaing à Brillon as he tries to get back to the leaders.

Van der Poel has Politt, Heiduk and Milan on his wheel. Three riders who will absolutely not work with him.

Leaders have 49″ on Pithie and Meeus then 1’06” to the Ineos led Ganna group and then 1’33” to the Van der Poel group.

Meeus and Pithie now both riding with the Belgian sprinter working for his leader who has looked in amazing form.

Pithie with a puncture! Meeus stops to give him his wheel.

Van der Poel drops Brennan and catches Milan, but Pogačar has dragged the gap back to 1’33” as Van Aert comes through at the front.

Van der Poel has Politt, Brennan, Turner and a couple of others on his wheel, but he has destroyed that chase group.

Pogačar is giving it a lot of welly on this sector as Meeus is being distanced after all the work he did with Ganna to get back in.

80km to go as Ganna is now over 40 seconds back. Van der Poel is slowly closing the gap at 1’27” now.

Philipsen leads Van der Poel onto sector 17 and the defending champion looks locked in and is very focused.

Another puncture for Ganna who has given so much to get back to the front is now out the back again as Pogačar is really pushing on this four star sector.

Van der Poel is now 1’30” behind the lead group of seven that includes Van Aert and Pogačar.

Del Grosso is taking the wheel off his bike and puts it on his leader’s bike.

Huge crowds on the trench today as the riders battle to try and move up off the main racing line. Van Aert and Van der Poel well placed.

Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar racing on the cobblestones at Paris-Roubaix

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Pogačar having to make another effort to move up as Brennan sits up and Van Aert leads onto the cobbles.

Florian Vermeersch drops back and drags Tadej Pogačar back into the lead group. Vermeersch straight to the front.

Pogačar joins the second group on the road and is now about 10″ off the back of the front of the race as they head to the Arenberg.

The front group has eased dramatically with a lot of looking around. Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) comes back to the front.

Into the final 100km and Pogačar has a long line of the domestiques of his main rivals on his wheel.

The answer is yes. Van Aert comes through with Teunissen and Hoole. Van der Poel looking very twitchy. 18″ back to Pogačar.

Off sector 20 and Van der Poel looks around to ask for help. Will anyone give it with 7km to go to the Arenberg?

Van der Poel is not going full, yet. He has Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on his wheel. Philipsen, Pedersen, Van Aert, Hoole, Laporte, Bissegger and a few others.

The pace is very high in both groups. Pogačar is now 35″ off the back of the peloton that is led by Visma-Lease a Bike and Alpecin-Premier Tech.

Bjerg and Politt drop back for Pogačar. They are frantically chasing for the world champion.

It is the longest gap between sectors now, so a good opportunity for UAE to bring things back together again.

Morgado is now with Pogačar and now Politt is dropping back, too. He is now 45″ behind the peloton.

Bike change for Pogačar. He shouts at the TV moto to get out of the way. He seems very rattled.

Pogačar finally has a car who has come to the middle of the group. They’re very panicked.

Pogačar is about 45″ down on the now Visma led peloton. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe also leading the bunch with Alpecin-Premier Tech.

Puncture for Dillier.

Puncture for former winner, Dylan van Baarle (Soudal-Quickstep).

Pogačar looks very uncomfortable on the Shimano neutral bike. Alpecin-Premier Tech and Visma-Lease a Bike lead the front peloton.

Turner just about to get back on as they start this three start sector.

Bjerg back on the front of the peloton.

Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) leads his team’s train as Abrahamsen is in the second group.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Biniam Girmay (NSN) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) all looking good early doors.

Ganna still at the back with Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Marco Haller (Tudor) as Morgado is dropped.

Puncture for Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike). He drops out of the front peloton.

There’s a bit of crosswind on this sector. Pogačar in second wheel. Van der Poel in about seventh wheel. Van Aert, Pedersen and Ganna all poorly placed with the latter right at the back of the peloton.

The pace eases a bit and more teams come to the front of what is left of the peloton.

Lots of Visma and Ineos riders in the second group that are over 30″ down. Molano and Oliveira in that group as well after doing their job for UAE.

Bjerg is going flat out on the front of the peloton. The team of the world champion are destroying the peloton.

Puncture for Lukáš Kubiš.

Huge gap between the front group and the second. Mikkel Bjerg leading the way for UAE, now.

Groups all over the road with Kubis being one of the riders caught out.

Issues for Lampaert now as well. He’s out the back on the Briaste sector as the head of the bunch leaves that sector.

Sector 27 done and very dusted. The dust cloud is huge.

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarche) out of the back.

Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leads the peloton now. Pogačar is right up at the front with Florian Vermeersch.

Mechanical for Wout Van Aert! He has Owain Doull coming back for him. Bike change for Abrahamsen as well. A UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider with an issue too.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Alpecin-Premier Tech and Soudal-Quickstep leading the peloton as they finish sector 28.

Mechanical for Titouan Fontaine (Groupama-FDJ United).

ROUBAIX, FRANCE - APRIL 12: (L-R) Titouan Fontaine of France and Team Groupama - FDJ United and Kamil Gradek of Poland and Team Bahrain - Victorious compete passing through the Troisvilles a Inchy cobblestones sector while fans cheer during the 123rd Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France 2026 - Men's Elite a 258.3km one day race from Compiegne to Roubaix / #UCIWT / on April 12, 2026 in Roubaix, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Front puncture for former Tour of Flanders winner, Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost).

The riders are surrounded by the yellow flowers of the Oil Seed Rape fields.

Pedersen is back in the peloton. A teammate will now come back for him to try and move him up but he needs to try and stay calm. Something I would definitely be struggling with in his situation. Fortunately, I only have to do it on Pro Cycling Manager!

They leave sector 29. Pedersen had to negotiate a few stopped cars who were servicing riders. He joins William Blume Levy (Uno-X Mobility) at the back of the peloton. So many riders stopping with issues. Including Toon Aerts (Lotto-Intermarche).

Molano leading the peloton and Teunissen is caught.

ROUBAIX, FRANCE - APRIL 12: (L-R) Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, Florian Vermeersch of Belgium and Juan Sebastian Molano of Colombia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG lead the peloton passing through the Quievy a Fontaine au Tertre cobblestones sector while fans cheer during the 123rd Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France 2026 - Men's Elite a 258.3km one day race from Compiegne to Roubaix / #UCIWT / on April 12, 2026 in Roubaix, France. (Photo by Rhode Van Elsen/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

UAE Team Emirates-XRG leading the peloton with Pogačar in fourth wheel.

So much wasted energy for the former world champion.

Pedersen trying to quickly make his way through the cars but is being kicked about all over the pave.

Puncture for Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and he stops for a bike change. Lidl-Trek said that their new special double inner tube/tubeless tyres were puncture proof. The first cobbled sector proves otherwise.

Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) was one of the riders caught out.

So many mechanicals and punctures with various teams involved.

Mike Teunissen (XDS-Astana) is the rider who is solo out front.

More mechanicals and punctures very early on.

Stafan Bissegger (Decathlon-CMA CGM) rolled off the front but, as they leave the cobbles, he sits up with an XDS-Astana rider going over the top.

Several punctures on this first sector of cobbles with Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) being one of them.

Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Matthias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) moving to the front too on the early cobbles.

Tarling flicking his elbow, he doesn’t want to lead for too long.

Bike change for Niklas Märkl (Pinic-PostNL). A nightmare time to get a mechanical with about 3km to the cobbles.

Visma-Lease a Bike, Uno-X Mobility, Decathlon-CMA CGM, Ineos Grenadiers, Alpecin-Premier Tech and UAE Team Emirates-XRG all on the front of the peloton with 165km to go.

So, no breakaway today. The peloton will hit the cobbles all together.

Ineos Grenadiers now appears on the front of the peloton for Ganna.

The pace rockets in the peloton with just over 10km to the first sector of the day. Sector 30, Troisvilles à Inchy.

A few riders having to unclip right at the back of the peloton. But no-one goes down.

20km to go until the first cobbled sector, the Troisvilles à Inchy.

Cofidis tried a new move and, for a moment, it looked like he’d be allowed to go. A few more saw this as a chance and the fight gets going all over again.

A brief hiatus in attacks comes and goes as another move starts, led by Groupama-FDJ United.

Dillier closes things down with Van der Poel in his wheel and the peloton is back together again.

Pogačar coming back to the peloton after a nature break with Mick van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). He has a lot of teammates in the front group. Very interesting situation.

There’s a lot of panic in the peloton with Visma-Lease a Bike frantically riding on the front. More riders trying to bridge the gap between the peloton and the break. Another Visma rider now kick clear and it is down to Alpecin-Premier Tech and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leading the chase.

The peloton is stretched right out in a massive line and some splits re starting to appear. Van der Poel and Pogačar not in it but lots of UAE riders as well as Oliver Naesen (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). Previous winner, John Degenkolb (Picnic-PostNL) and former podium sitter Yves Lampaert (Soudal-QuickStep) also in this huge group.

Fedorov tries to go, yet again. Flying at about 70kph!

The moves are just utterly ridiculous. So many moves as Visma-Lease a Bike, Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates-XRG are trying to get into the break for the first time.

ROUBAIX, FRANCE - APRIL 12: (L-R) Samuel Leroux of France and Team TotalEnergies and Cees Bol of Netherlands and Team Decathlon CMA CGM attack during the 123rd Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France 2026 - Men's Elite a 258.3km one day race from Compiegne to Roubaix / #UCIWT / on April 12, 2026 in Roubaix, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lotto-Intermarche get a solo rider clear but he has a long long line leading the peloton. 54kph average speed so far after just over an hour.

Groupama-FDJ United now getting involved in the latest moves. Bahrain Victorious and several Modern Adventure riders also at the front. No gap formed yet, though.

So many attacks but nothing is getting away. With this strong tailwind, there is a very big chance that there will be no breakaway at all today.

Fabian Lienhard (Tudor) makes it back into the peloton.

There will be a delayed start as there are some mechanicals.

Just 1km to the official start.

Just under 15 minutes to the official start. The riders have just started the neutral zone in Compiègne,

COMPIEGNE, FRANCE - APRIL 12: A general view of the peloton prior to the 123rd Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France 2026 - Men's Elite a 258.3km one day race from Compiegne to Roubaix / #UCIWT / on April 12, 2026 in Compiegne, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Patrick Lefevere looked at the likely outcome of today but also a look back at the late Franco Ballerini…

>>> ‘I don’t see where Van der Poel can drop Pogačar on Sunday. Or vice versa.’ – Patrick Lefevere, ‘Mr. Paris-Roubaix’, predicts velodrome showdown between two biggest stars

1998 Paris-Roubaix: the late Franco Ballerini en route to his second victory in four editions

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