Paris-Roubaix: Wout van Aert sprints to victory in velodrome to deny Tadej Pogacar Monument clean sweep

Wout van Aert celebrates as he wins the 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix JASPER JACOBS/Getty Images Share full articleWout van Aert has dreamed of winning Paris-Roubaix for his entire career and now, at the age of 31, the Belgian superstar has finally added one of the sport’s biggest prizes to his palmares. To do so, Van Aert had to both match Tadej Pogacar’s pace in the final 50 kilometres, and then outsprint the world champion in Roubaix velodrome. One of the sport’s most iconic races served up one of its most iconic editions, and one of its most emotional finishes. In most seasons, getting into the early breakaway at Paris-Roubaix can be one of the most profitable outcomes of the season — it invariably hands some of those riders a decent chance of a high finish. In 2026, a break simply did not form — such was the power of both the tailwind, and the peloton’s legs. That meant that the early cobbled sectors took on greater importance, kicking off a cavalcade of punctures and other mechanicals for all of the race’s big hitters throughout the day. Mads Pedersen was the first rider to have to chase back on, followed by Pogacar — who even had to hop upon the Shimano neutral bike at one point — with the world champion rejoining the front group just as it reached the infamous Arenberg trench, a five-star difficulty sector. Now it was Mathieu van der Poel’s turn to suffer — a pair of punctures in the Arenberg seeing the winner of the last three editions ship two minutes to his rivals. But in an edition where nothing was set, and fate didn’t smile on anyone in particular, Pogacar had a second mechanical, and then Van Aert punctured. But the Belgian fought back to the front group and even attacked on the four-star Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée section with more than 50km remaining, an effort only Pogacar and Pedersen (briefly) could match. ⚡️ Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar broke clear at the front! Wout van Aert et Tadej Pogacar ont fait le trou en tête de course ! 🔥#ParisRoubaix 😈 pic.twitter.com/24CUxNTdEt — Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France (@parisroubaix) April 12, 2026 The five-star Mons-en-Pévèle cobbles saw Pogacar unsuccessfully experiment with dropping Van Aert — both riders aware of the looming threat of Van der Poel around 30 seconds behind them. The front pair then settled into a collaborative rhythm as they prepared themselves for the race’s finale. Both riders almost pushed it too far on the final five-star sector at Carrefour de l’Arbre, Pogacar just about controlling a two-wheel slide, and Van Aert having to adjust to avoid him. The Slovenian took the lead through the rest of the sector but the Belgian looked more than capable of holding the world champion’s wheel — invariably at a terrifyingly short distance. So with the race’s most-feared cobbled sections unable to divide the front two, it came down to a sprint in the Roubaix velodrome. On the run-in Van Aert made sure that Pogacar led into the stadium, and waited until there was around half a lap remaining before launching a vicious sprint that immediately gapped Pogacar, who had to settle for second place for the second-successive year. Jacob Whitehead analyzes a sensational edition of the ‘Hell of the North’. This is Fabio Baldato’s 30th edition of Paris-Roubaix — having completed 14 as a rider, 15 as a directeur sportif — making the chief strategist in Pogacar’s team car something of a cobbled sage. If UAE Team Emirates were going to make history, they were going to have to draw on it. “When we are the favourite, (the others) will try to force an advantage during the first part of the race,” he told The Athletic before the start in Compiègne, packed in by supporters waiting for a glimpse of the world champion. “They will try to form a break — but at the same time, we have a few guys we will use to work, before then (Nils) Pollitt and (Florian) Vermeersch will be the last to stay with Tadej. “Everybody has a job to go, some guys early and some on the crucial part. And then it is all about Tadej.” His plan, for the first 100km, could not have gone better. Amidst a strong tailwind blowing the bunch towards the Belgian border, no breakaway was able to get away, UAE driving a fierce pace at the front to keep the peloton together. Pogacar, Pollit, and Vermeesch stayed cocooned, two or three wheels back from the front. But Baltano had also sounded a note of warning — for all the plans and reconnaissance missions in the world, this race remains unpredictable. Pogacar on a mission 🚀#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/ZbnLQrRuBp — Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France (@parisroubaix) April 12, 2026 “It’s difficult to really understand what is going on because you have some information from the TV, a little bit from the race radio, some from the tracking, and you need to try to put it all together amidst the chaos, on the cobbles, from the car, and being shaken every metre. “But tactics in the end are about legs, they’re about power, and everything going well with material and bikes.” And Pogacar began to slow with 120km remaining, half-visible through a field of rapeseed. The Slovenian had opted for a huge 35mm front tire to cope with Roubaix’s cobbles — 30-32mm is more typical — but it was leaking air here, approaching several of the most critical cobbled sections of the race. He leapt onto an ill-fitting neutral service bike, labouring on for five kilometres until changing onto one of his four spare options when his team car caught up — but as he did, Van der Poel attacked from the front on Haveluy. Was it sporting for Van der Poel to attack after a rival’s mechanical? Cycling’s code of ethics is both oddly immutable and strangely fluid — ultimately, it was over 15km since Pogacar had first punctured, with Van der Poel attacking in the same spot as the previous year. Had it been Mads Pedersen, for example, in Pogacar’s position, this would not have been a debate. Instead of sending them deep into the race, UAE had to burn Pollitt and Vermeesch for Pogacar to rejoin — sending him alone into the Arenberg Trench with 98km remaining, the race’s most infamous sector. Van der Poel had been the first favorite to attack, launching with 104km remaining on the Haveluy sector — but less than 10km later, the three-time winner was without his bike, striding the wrong way down the Arenberg Trench like a lost child searching for their parent. Professional cycling does not care for its champions, every branch of their palmares needs to be earned anew. The Arenberg is as capricious as the idiosyncranicity of its cobbles, each rut and rock of pavé a potential pitfall, one of just three five-star stretches of cobbles in the race. With Van Aert drilling the peloton from the front, Van der Poel punctured halfway through the 2.4km sector, cast onto the verge with disdain by the cobbled gods. He searched in desperation for a spare bike, snatching teammate Tibor Del Grosso’s mount from his compatriot’s startled grasp, but it took just a few revolutions of the pedals before its minute size became manifest. As Del Grosso feverishly attempted to change his leader’s tire, Van der Poel walked back down the course towards Compiègne in search of something only he knew — the team cars unable to follow down the Arenberg. It summoned memories of Chris Froome on Ventoux, ten years ago now, but then, at least, the eventual Tour de France winner was running in the right direction up the mountain. By the time Van der Poel remounted his bike, he was 90 seconds behind the lead group — but another puncture in the final few hundred metres meant he dropped another half a minute before giving chase. Van der Poel gave chase; not something he is accustomed to do, but all he had left. The 31-year-old would not become the first rider in history to win four straight editions of Paris-Roubaix — the game was up. His eventual fourth place was testament to the strength he had in his legs. He sought out his long-time rival Van Aert at the finish to congratulate him — he more than most knows what it takes to win this race. And so it has come; a day that felt fated to arrive, yet which appeared to be slipping away into the evening light of Van Aert’s career. A group of a dozen or so had formed after the Arenberg, and as the selection whittled down, the favourites rotated in and out of the bunch with punctures. INEOS Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna rejoined the front and dropped again; both Van Aert and Pogacar made swift changes and carved their way back. Van Aert, in many ways, was the race’s key protagonist. Having neither won Paris-Roubaix or the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the two races he holds most dear — his moves proved the most decisive in establishing the pattern of the race. Having formed the lead group off the Arenberg, his attack in Auchy-les-Orchies produced a gap to every rider but Pogacar, Pedersen slipping grim-faced off the back. Pogacar countered and then tried twice, three times more — but was unable to shake the Dutchman, known for his faster finish. But Van Aert has been in these positions before — and crashed, punctured, or simply outpowered. Pogacar, despite his profile, had still won 14 of his past 15 two-up sprints. Behind, a group including Van der Poel and Pedersen gave chase, closing the gap to 19 seconds at one stage, ensuring Pogacar and Van Aert needed to push all the way to the velodrome. Third-place finisher Jasper Stuyven gave Van Aert’s teammate Christophe Laporte credit for disrupting the turn-taking of the chase. Van Aert manufactured his way onto Pogacar’s wheel; for the first 400 metres, the pair were frozen in position, mirror images of the other in more ways than open. Then Pogacar opened the sprint, Van Aert launched, and did not stop until his hand was in the air, the tears were in his eyes, and his front wheel was across the line. Finally, we can write the words: Wout Van Aert has won Paris-Roubaix. Quel duel sur le Vélodrome de Roubaix ! ⚔️#ParisRoubaix 😈 pic.twitter.com/nLBB7wyncO — Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France (@parisroubaix) April 12, 2026 Speaking afterwards, an emotional Van Aert paid tribute to a former teammate. “It means everything to me, it’s been my goal since i was 18. Eight years ago I lost a teammate Michael Goolaerts, and it has been my goal to come here and point my finger to the sky. This victory is for Michael but especially for his family. And all my friends and teammates, too. “It was a really tough day. So many times I was unlucky in this race but each time it brought me experience. Even today when I was unlucky, I still had belief. “When I entered the velodrome I was sticking to my plan. In my dreams I’ve done this sprint so many times I knew exactly what to do, the hardest part was coming to the velodrome — there were so many attacks from Tadej, I was on my limit so many times.” The rationale, in some ways, makes sense. Organisers had two factors in mind when moving the women’s race to Sunday from its previous Saturday slot — to keep the hordes of physical spectators on roadside, and to keep television viewers of the men’s race glued to coverage for their counterparts’ conclusion. Issues, however, remain. The amount of live television coverage fell from three hours to 90 minutes — more eyeballs for a shorter period — while its denouement felt overshadowed. Would Pogacar complete his collection of Monuments? Would Van Aert finally win Roubaix? Deena Blacking, managing director of The Cyclists’ Alliance, representing the women’s peloton, told Cycling Weekly this week that the decision was a “massive affront to women’s cycling and takes away from its growth.” “When the races are done on the same day, the women inevitably draw the short straw, including on start times, prime viewing times, and more,” she added. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Jacob Whitehead is a reporter for The Athletic who covers investigations, cycling, and Newcastle United. He previously worked on the news desk. In 2025, he was a Gold Award winner at the 30 to Watch journalism awards. Follow Jacob on Twitter @jwhitey98