Mathieu van der Poel misses 'partner in crime' Pogacar for Paris-Roubaix

Mathieu van der Poel recons the cobbles ahead of Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu van der Poel recons the cobbles ahead of Paris-Roubaix (Image credit: ©FacePeeters/Alpecin-Deceuninck)

For all the talk of a cobbled Classics' 'Big Three' over the past month of racing, that number will be reduced to a duo at cobbled closer Paris-Roubaix with Mathieu van der Poel standing atop the favourites list alongside his eternal rival, Wout van Aert.

The pair, who have been battling on road and cyclocross bikes for over a decade, head a packed field of contenders for the 257km Monument on Sunday.

Senior News Writer

Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. They write and edit at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel, and their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.

Season highlights from 2024 include reporting from Paris-Roubaix –  'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.