Cycling fans enjoyed another exceptional duel between Tadej (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) and his great rival in classic races, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck). They clashed again in the 122nd Paris-Roubaix, after they shared victories in the opening monuments of the season, Milan-San Remo and Tour of Flanders.
Once again, they were stronger than the other riders, exchanging attacks and thinning the peloton. Thus, with 88 kilometers to go in the 259.2-kilometer race, only a group of five remained in the lead, including Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceuninck), Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek), and Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon Ag2r).
Tadej continued to attack, and with 71 kilometers to go, only van der Poel and Philipsen remained with him, but Philipsen could not withstand Tadej’s next acceleration about 45 kilometers from the finish. So, only the two favorites remained in the battle for victory, and it looked like a tense duel until the end, but Tadej made a mistake. He took a corner too quickly 38 kilometers from the finish, veered onto the grass, and fell.
Before he continued the race on a spare bike, his deficit was more than 20 seconds. Initially, he reduced it, but then it began to increase, also due to a flat tire. Tadej had to change bikes again 20.7 kilometers from the finish, and his fight for victory was over.
»That atmosphere was amazing. On every sector there was so many people and it helps. Whether it’s crosswinds or headwinds, it helps if there is a lot of people,« Tadej said about his first experience with the Paris-Roubaix race. He used all his strength to reach the finish at the famous velodrome. »In the end, I was empty, I suffered in the last 20 kilometers, they were really long. This was one of the hardest races of my career, it’s a pity I didn’t have a cycling computer in the last 40 kilometers. I would have recorded exceptional numbers; while we were five in the lead, they were among the highest I’ve seen in my life. The race was very tough,« Tadej revealed how challenging the »Hell of the North« was this time.
At the finish, he also spoke about the moment that probably decided the winner. »I saw the motorcycles that were standing in front of us. Nothing indicated that they would turn, and I misjudged that they would go straight. I took the corner too quickly, the speed was really high since I was attacking, and the wind was also blowing from the back,« Tadej said, confirming that he would return in the future for the victory that eluded him this time. »Can I win? I think I can. I finished 2nd in my first appearance, so I can also fight for the win. Next year? Maybe, I don’t know yet,« added Tadej. He is now most likely taking on the Ardennes trio, Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.