Wout Van Aert 'relegated' Pogacar again in the velodrome and won Paris-Roubaix 2026
He tried many times to conquer 'hell' and finally succeeded. He had seen the possibility of making history slip away in the final meters of the Roubaix velodrome. In the 2022 edition he was second. In 2023 third. This year, after crossing the most uncomfortable cobblestones in world cycling, Belgian Wout Van Aert finally achieved the title he so dreamed of as a classics rider: Paris-Roubaix.
TL;DR
- Wout Van Aert won the Paris-Roubaix after previously finishing second in 2022 and third in 2023.
- The race is known for its difficult cobblestone sections, often muddy or dusty.
- Van Aert secured the victory by out-sprinting Tadej Pogacar in the final meters at the Roubaix velodrome.
- Winning Paris-Roubaix is a significant achievement, often referred to as conquering 'the Hell of the North'.