Paris-Roubaix – Mathieu Van der Poel, the weight of history and racing – Eurosport FR

Learning, very little for Mathieu van der Poel. What is exceptional about the Dutchman is his ability to triumph quickly, in races where experience generally prevails. This was the case for his first participation in the Amstel Gold Race (2019), and for the second on the Strade Bianche (2021) or the Tour of Flanders (2020). Notable exception, Milan-Sanremo still resists him after three tries. For Paris-Roubaix, we will judge on Sunday when “MVDP” has put its wheels on the Hell of the North for the second time. He will be the favorite and therefore the most scrutinized rider. Everything, or almost, should go through him. The history books are clear: Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel will be the 81st rider who will be able to overtake Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. This one has not always been hailed as it is today, but the old ones appear alongside the newer ones in the list of cobblestone champions. Out of 80, only ten achieved this double: Suter (1923), Gijssels (1932), Rebry (1934), Impanis (1954), De Bruyne (1957), Van Looy (1962), De Vlaeminck (1977), Van Petegem (2003), Boonen (2005 and 2012) and Cancellara (2010 and 2013). It is therefore against this greatness that Van der Poel will measure himself. He, the four-time cyclo-cross world champion, would go down in road history. At 27, and for only his second attempt, the feat would be anything but small and would give his career, whatever happens next, the posterity it deserves. It will no doubt be a detail in terms of accomplishment, but among its ten predecessors, none has won the Amstel Gold Race. Neither before nor after. The grandson of Raymond Poulidor is an all-terrain champion. In reality, he should have already benefited from a first chance of a double in 2020 but the Prefect of the North had canceled Paris-Roubaix against the backdrop of the health crisis still very present in the hexagon. In 2019, when he came out of a frankly stunning Tour of Flanders for a first (4th), “MVDP” had been deprived of the Hell of the North. His team at the time, Corendon – Circus, was then not invited. That’s how we find ourselves, five years after his real arrival on the road, with a van der Poel who only has one participation in the Queen of the Classics.The only head that sticks out is van der PoelThe dantesque edition of 2021 seemed to match his crossman qualities. “I’m proud to be on the podium (3rd) for my first participation, he whispered at the finish. In the sprint, I was exhausted, the first two were better. I will not forget this racing anytime soon. I fought and I’m proud of it.” No one will forget either that one of the main players in the race was precisely Mathieu van der Poel who set fire to the peloton of favorites 70 kilometers from the finish, dropping a misplaced Wout Van Aert. Tour de force: Van der Poel sent Van Aert and company into the ropes 70 km from the finish “I especially had van der Poel in my eye”, underlined the winner, Sonny Colbrelli. “I can’t respond to all attacks,” slipped van der Poel after Amstel last Sunday. There is a good chance that the scenario will repeat itself this time with attacks from afar from second knives. Van der Poel is too attacking, too determined and perhaps not stingy enough to make his opponents behave otherwise. “After the Tour of Flanders, I felt a little decompression, he explained this week to the Dutch media, Wielerflits. I hope to be back 100%”. Without Tadej Pogacar who makes fun of the label , with a Wout Van Aert who, bluff or not, arrives on tiptoe, the only head that sticks out is him. The Quick-Step have strength in numbers but outsiders at most. Ganna, Küng or Mohoric are cited as potential, not probable, winners. A logical and unique favourite, he will have to make choices because it’s a safe bet that his rivals will often turn to him to seek the daring one or more. Unless you are this one and abandon the others to go on to posterity. It is at this price that his Northern Hell will turn into paradise. It is also at this price that his entry into the history of cycling is located. to her teammates after her victory17 HOURS AGOParis – Roubaix33 km solo breakaway and Borghini wins in the hell of the North17 HOURS AGO