2025 Paris-Roubaix Race Report: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won Paris-Roubaix for the third year in a row. The Dutchman started a solo with 39 kilometres to go, after his only remaining competitor Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG) missed a corner. A fierce battle ensued, in which Van der Poel proved to be the strongest. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) beat Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates XRG) in the sprint for third place.
*** The full Paris-Roubaix race report very soon. ***
The 2025 Parcours
The route of Paris-Roubaix 2025 has a few minor changes. This year, there are thirty cobblestone sections, one more than last year, and there are a few new sections, early in the race. The cobblestone section of Saint-Python is making its return after a year’s absence. The start in Compiègne has been the tradition since 1977. After 259.2 kilometres, the finish is on the Roubaix velodrome. The first part of the route is on asphalt roads, until the first cobbles come after 95.8 kilometres. The first section is from Troisvilles to Inchy and has three stars. The cobbles from Quiévy to Saint-Python has four stars, and could be the first crucial passage. The early part has also been made a bit more difficult thanks to a detour near Quérénaing. The two new Artres section are not very difficult, but they start five sections, quickly one after another. These sections should thin out the peloton before the Arenberg, the first five-star section of the day.
2025 Paris-Roubaix profile
To increase safety, the approach has been changed again. Last year, a chicane was added to the route, so that the peloton would hit the cobbles of the Trouée d’Arenberg at a lower speed. “But now we have an alternative where the speed will be slowed down in a smoother way. We are making a small detour along the Arenberg mine site, including four right-angle bends in the kilometre before the Forest,” ASO announced.
Arenberg mine detour
The final should then kick in. Then there are eighteen cobbled sections to go, two of which are five stars. Mons-en-Pévèle comes with 48.6 kilometres to go and in the final, the Carrefour de l’Arbre, 17.1 kilometres from the velodrome. These are the toughest sections, but it is the accumulation of punishment that ends a rider’s hopes. After the Carrefour de l’Arbre, the toughest part of the race is behind them , although the sections of Gruson, Hem and Roubaix are still to follow, before the torture ends on the velodrome de Roubaix. The riders then have a lap and a half on the Vélodrome before the finish line.
2025 Paris-Roubaix map
2025 Paris-Roubaix Cobbled Sections:
30. Troisvilles à Inchy (163.4km to go) 2,200m – ***
29. Viesly à Quiévy (156.9km) 1,800m – ***
28. Quiévy à Saint-Python (154.3km) 3,700m – ****
27. Saint-Python (149.6km) 1,500m – **
26. Vertain à Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon (142.5km) 2,300m – ***
25. Verchain-Maugre à Quérénaing (131.2km) 1,600m – ***
24. Artres à Quérénaing (128.3km) 1,300m – **
23. Artres à Famars (125.4km) 1,200m ***
22. Quérénaing à Maing (120.7km) 2,500m – ***
21. Maing à Monchaux-sur-Écaillon (117.6km) 1,600m – ***
20. Haveluy à Wallers (104.7km) 2,500m – ****
19. Trouée d’Arenberg (95.3km) 2,300m – *****
18. Wallers à Hélesmes (another 89.2km) 1,600m – ***
17. Hornaing à Wandignies (82.5km) 3,700m – ****
16. Warlaing à Brillon (75km) 2,400m – ***
15. Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières (71.5km) 2,400m – ****
14. Beuvry à Orchies (65.2km) 1,400m – ***
13. Orchies (60.1km) 1,700m – ***
12. Auchy à Bersée (54km) 2,700m – ****
11. Mons-en-Pévèle (48.6km) 3,000m – *****
10. Mérignies à Avelin (42.6km) 700m – **
9. Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin (39.2km) 1,400m – ***
8. Templeuve (L’Épinette) (33.8km) 200m – *
8. Templeuve (Moulin-de-Vertain) (33.3km) 500m – **
7. Cysoing à Bourghelles (26.8km) 1,300m – ***
6. Bourghelles à Wannehain (24.3km) 1,100m – ***
5. Camphin-en-Pévèle (19.9km) 1,800m – ****
4. Carrefour de l’Arbre (17.1km) 2,100m – *****
3. Gruson (14.8km) 1,100m – **
2. Willems à Hem (8.2km) 1,400m – ***
1. Roubaix (Espace Charles Crupelandt) (1.4km) 300m – *
Another win for Tadej?
After the early attacks, a leading group of 8 was formed. Among them were Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto), Oier Lazkano (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers), Rory Townsend (Q36.5), Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty) and Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility).
Can Mathieu do it again?
Although Visma | Lease a Bike, UAE Emirates XRG, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek all tried in the opening hour, none of these top teams had a man in the break. So it was up to them to control. Initially, Alpecin-Deceuninck set the pace for Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, later, the other top teams also came to the front. As a result, the lead was never much more than 3 minutes.
A grey start to the day
Coming to the first cobbled section, at 163 kilometres from the finish, the nervousness in the peloton increased. This led to several crashes. Per Strand Hagenes, Matej Mohorič and Wout van Aert crashed with some other riders. For the leader of Visma | Lease a Bike, it seemed not too bad, and with the help of a few teammates he was able to return. But he was still behind for the first section. Just before the turn into Troisvilles à Inchy, there were more crashes.
All the teams wanted a rider in the break
First Jasper Stuyven and then Jasper Philipsen came down. Both were able to continue, but Stuyven in particular had lost time. Van Aert also had to chase, because the peloton had been split by the crashes. Fortunately for the Belgian, the pace eased after the section. This was also because INEOS Grenadiers slowed the pace as their leader Filippo Ganna had a puncture.
Pogačar and Van der Poel were never far from each other
Van Aert quickly rejoined, but the group with Ganna, Dylan van Baarle and later Stuyven and Philipsen ttook longer. Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek did not hold back at the front of the peloton. Only later did they start to slow. With 128 kilometres to go, shortly after yet another big crash, this time with Alexander Kristoff and Edward Theuns as the main victims, there was a regrouping.
The break couldn’t get a big gap
The race went quieter until Wallers, but the race had started earlier. On Haveluy à Wallers, Mads Pedersen accelerated and then Tadej Pogačar took over Now that the World champion was active, Mathieu van der Poel didn’t want to be left out. The leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck came through to the front. As a result, a gap opened up around 20th place. Van Aert was there, as were Philipsen, Stefan Küng, Matthew Brennan and Florian Vermeersch.
It was slippy on the cobbles
Joshua Tarling was also alert, but Ganna missed the move. The Italian had to chase again. Just before Arnberg, the group rejoined, but at the front of the peloton, the other favourites were pushing. First Pogačar took the lead, later Van der Poel pushed past. Pedersen was also there, but Van Aert had to leave a gap. At the end of the section, he was in the third group. His teammate Brennan was in the second group, behind Pedersen, Pogačar and Van der Poel, and others.
Wout van Aert didn’t have a good early race
Van der Poel was the first of the favourites on to the road. Under his leadership, the last early escapees were caught. The Dutchman then attacked once more, but didn’t get away. Van Aert continued to ride behind. On the strip after Wallers, he was able to reconnect in a group with Küng, but here Pedersen accelerated once more. And not long after, Van der Poel made a really big attack. Pogačar had to go all out to catch the Dutchman, but he managed to close the gap. Only a few other riders were able to follow. These were Philipsen, Pedersen and Stefan Bissegger. With 85 kilometres to go, there was a leading group of five with all the favourites, except Van Aert. The leader of Visma | Lease a Bike was able to return to the Brennan group, but this second group quickly lost ground to the favourites. It was clear that the five at the front were going to fight it out.
Mostly dry mud
On the Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières section, with more than 70 kilometres to go, Pogačar attacked. Pedersen passed Bissegger to jump to the World champion, but he punctured. A big disappointment for the Dane and he fell back into the group with Van Aert. Van der Poel was the only one who managed to cross to Pogačar. The two came down the sector together, after which Van der Poel wouldn’t work as he had Philipsen behind.
INEOS Grenadiers had a lot of problems, but fought back with Ganna
Because Van der Poel eased off at the front, Philipsen was able to join them. There was now a leading group of three, with two riders from Alpecin-Deceuninck. The group with Pedersen and Van Aert were at more than 1 minute. Pedersen then made several attempts to cross on his own, but failed. The chasing group did thin out to seven riders: Pedersen, Van Aert, Brennan, Bissegger, Florian Vermeersch and early escapees Rutsch and Hoelgaard.
A fast day with a tail-wind
At the front, on Mons-en-Pévèle, Pogačar put the Alpecin men under pressure, but Van der Poel didn’t think it was going fast enough. He took over and pushed hard. However, in doing so, he didn’t put Pogačar into trouble, but his teammate Philipsen. Pogačar saw this and took the lead again. Pogačar and Van der Poel rode the section together, after which Van der Poel initially didn’t come through. But after a few minutes on the wheel, he did take the lead and now there was only two.
Van der Poel put the hammer down on the Trouée d’Arenberg
Pogačar wanted to get rid of the faster finisher Van der Poel and accelerated on the Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin section, 39 kilometres from the finish. He went so fast that he missed a right turn. The World champion almost rode into the crowd, fell into the verge and had to put his chain back on. Van der Poel managed to avoid Pogačar and had 20 seconds advantage and started his solo.
Van Aert had trouble on the Arnberg cobbles
Pogačar had Van der Poel and Philipsen with him
It was bound to happen – Pogačar and Van der Poel together off the front
Then bad luck hit Pogačar
And his chain was stuck
Van der Poel was gone
Pogačar got within 15 seconds and then the race was lost
Even with a bike change there was no catching Van der Poel
Three in a row for Mathieu van der Poel
# All the news from Roubaix in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Paris-Roubaix Result:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 5:31:27
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG at 1:18
3. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek at 2:11
4. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
5. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Emirates XRG
6. Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Intermarché-Wanty at 3:46
7. Stefan Bissegger (Sui) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
8. Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
9. Alfred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious at 4:35
10. Laurenz Rex (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty at 4:36.
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