Nothing set in stone - Mathieu van der Poel can be beaten at Paris-Roubaix

ROUBAIX FRANCE APRIL 09 LR Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team AlpecinDeceuninck on second place and race winner Mathieu van der Poel of The Netherlands and Team AlpecinDeceuninck pose on the podium ceremony after the 120th ParisRoubaix 2023 Mens Elite a 2566km one day race from Compigne to Roubaix on UCIWT April 09 2023 in Roubaix France Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
2024 Paris-Roubaix runne-up Jasper Philipsen celebrates on the podium alongside teammate and winner Mathieu van der Poel (Image credit: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)

Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix brings the curtain down on the 2024 cobbled season, marking the end of the 'Holy week' of the Classics, a week after Easter and the Tour of Flanders.

Mathieu van der Poel is the rider to beat on Sunday in the men’s race. He seems a level above, a logical winner and destined for greatness. Yet those already bemoaning his dominance should remember that the cycling world could shift on its axis once again, as it already has done so often this spring.

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.