Paris-Roubaix: fall, puncture, completely crazy and determined Carrefour de l’Arbre

As always, the paved sector of Carrefour de l’Arbre kept all its promises. In the exceptional Paris-Roubaix, where all the favorites were in the lead, except Frenchman Christophe Laporte, who suffered a fatal puncture at the Trouet d’Arenberg exit, the race was decided after a few hundred meters.

It all started with the move of John Degenkolb. The German turned to the right side of the road to roll on the unpaved part. During the substitution, he hit Mathieu van der Pool, who was about to attack. Degenkolb fell on his side and lost all chance of winning.

Wooth Van Aert intended to use this sequence to escape. Then he pulled ahead a bit, the one who had already blown up the 100K with van de Poel already at the wheel. It was then that he reached for his radio, and his advantage over Van der Poel evaporated. We created a problem when van Aert was overtaken by his great rival from the Netherlands as he approached the end of the sector.

Slowing down more and more, Van Aert actually became the victim of a rear tire puncture. At the exit of Carrefour de l’Arbre he was able to change a wheel thanks to a neutral car – his own was blocked behind Degenkolb – but too late, van der Poel was already on his way to Roubaix where he raised his hands as the only winner. .

“It’s a shame that at this time I was not lucky, sorry for Van Aert at the France 3 microphone. For me, this is a difficult situation. I blew it when I attacked in Carrefour, otherwise there would be a good chance that we would end up together, Mathieu and I. That is life. It was a very bad dream, I immediately felt a puncture. I think even after that I showed that I was the strongest of the group behind. But the hole could not be repaired 28 seconds after the puncture…”