Mathieu van der Poel secures third consecutive Paris-Roubaix win

In France, Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel displayed remarkable resilience and skill to win the Paris-Roubaix race for the third time in a row on April 7, 2025. Competing against a strong field, including world champion Tadej Pogačar in his debut at the event, Van der Poel faced relentless challenges, including being struck by a bottle thrown by an unsuspecting spectator and suffering a puncture near the end of the race. Despite these setbacks, he maintained a lead after Pogačar crashed into crash barriers, allowing Van der Poel to ride into the Roubaix velodrome with a comfortable margin. Van der Poel crossed the finish line in a time of 5 hours, 31 minutes, and 27 seconds, raising three fingers in celebration of his latest victory, while Pogačar finished in second place after experiencing mechanical issues that hindered his performance. The race is renowned as one of the five prestigious monuments of cycling, presenting tough cobbled roads that challenge even the best riders. Van der Poel's victory highlights his tactical intelligence and strength, particularly after a previous defeat by Pogačar at the Tour of Flanders just a week earlier. With this win, Van der Poel has now claimed eight monument titles in his career, once again proving his dominance in one-day classic cycling events. Notably, he became the first rider to win the Paris-Roubaix consecutively three times since Francesco Moser from 1978 to 1980. Both cyclists are now tied with eight victories in monument classics, setting the stage for future encounters and the inevitable rematch as Pogačar seeks redemption next year.