Mathieu van der Poel and his team toughen up the race in the first cobbled sectors… Follow the Hell of the North

A week after his historic hat-trick on the Tour of Flanders, Mathieu van der Poel is now aiming for the double, Sunday April 7, on Paris-Roubaix. Crowned last year, the world champion would become the first rider to retain his crown in the Hell of the North since Tom Boonen, in 2009. In the event of victory, the Dutchman would also be the first rider to tame Holy Week by winning in quick succession Flanders and Roubaix since Fabian Cancellara in 2013.

But the grandson of Raymond Poulidor will have a lot to do, despite the absence of Wout van Aert, after his fall on Across Flanders. The Belgian’s team will ultimately only be able to count on the Frenchman Christophe Laporte after the last minute withdrawal of Dylan Van Baarle (winner in 2022), who was ill. A strike force which will not be the only threat for Mathieu van der Poel, who will also have his eye on, among others, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who recently beat him during Ghent-Wevelgem.