The Classics continue on SBS VICELAND, with Fleche Wallonne men's and women's races this Wednesday. The women's race broadcast will start at 1910 AEDT on SBS On Demand and SBS VICELAND, with the men's race commencing at 2100 AEST on SBS On Demand, 2200 AEDT on SBS VICELAND.
INEOS Grenadiers had most moves covered throughout the day and it was van Baarle who chased a dangerous late attack by Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Yves Lampaert (QuickStep Alpha Vinyl) across to lone leader Tom Devriendt (Intermarche Wanty Gobert Materiaux). He was then able to match surges from Mohoric before accelerating away on the Camphin-en-Pevele cobbled sector, quickly putting time into his rivals enroute to a big win.
"It’s unbelievable," said van Baarle. "I couldn’t believe it when I went on the velodrome, you know. I looked at the other side to see if there were some other guys. When the team car came up next to me with Servais [Knaven]. then I really started believing in it. It’s been crazy."
The Dutchman clearly showed himself to be the strongest on a hard-raced edition of Paris-Roubaix with crashes, mechanicals and punctures. The win comes off the back of a strong string of results, 2nd in last year's world championships and 2nd in Tour of Flanders ahead of today's victory.
"I mean, it’s a Monument, so of course, I wanted to win a Monument," said van Baarle. "To be second in Flanders and then to win Roubaix, I’m lost for words."
Owain Doull (EF-EasyPost), Alexandr Riabuschenko (Astana Qazaqstan) and Laurent Pichon (Arkea-Samsic) were the only riders to get a decent lead in the early stages of the race. The successful attackers got clear after 30 kilometres of continuous attempts by riders to go clear, and the trio weren’t to enjoy freedom at the front for long.
INEOS Grenadiers went to the front of the peloton and upped the pace in the crosswinds, with the main bunch splitting and a group of 70 riders leaving the other half of the field behind. They quickly pushed out the lead to beyond a minute’s advantage, with the gap stabilising at a minute and 20 seconds. Favourites Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) and Kasper Asgreen (QuickStep Alpha Vinyl) all missing the move.
It became a battle between the teams of riders that had missed out and the ones looking to press their advantage.
The early cobbled sectors proved to be important, with Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) puncturing out of the lead group and the leaders slowing down as the time trial world champion fought his way back, with the peloton regaining 30 seconds.
Then a huge crash in the front group saw many of the riders in that move hit the ground or significantly held up to the extent that they were caught by the peloton.
Niki Terpstra (Total Energies) emerged briefly as a solo leader, before a group of 15, later joined by a further 20, formed at the front of the race.
The chasing peloton had been delayed by the crash and the leaders advantage increased to a minute and forty seconds in the aftermath. Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) attacked clear at the front of the race before suffering a puncture and being caught.
Then an attack from Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Casper Pedersen (Team DSM), Davide Ballerini (QuickStep Alpha Vinyl), Tom Devriendt (Intermarche Wanty Gobert Materiaux) and Pichon jumped clear at the head of affairs, pushing out their lead as behind them the chasing peloton caught the remnants of the big split that had started over 100 kilometres earlier in the crosswinds.
Mohoric, Devriendt and Pichon emerged the strongest of the break, forging clear at the head of the race and pushing their lead out the over two minutes with 65 kilometres remaining. Jumbo-Visma took up the burden of chasing, with Nathan van Hooydonck setting a strong tempo for team leader Wout van Aert that saw the break’s lead reduce significantly.
Van Aert used the hard pace to launch an attack on the Orchies cobble sector, with a strong selection of ten riders able to follow. Pichon was dropped from the front, leaving just Mohoric and Devriendt with an ever-shrinking lead, with Dylan van Baarle (INEOS Grenadiers) attacking to try and track them down.
Van Aert backed his attack up with a major assault on the five-star cobbled sector of Mons-en-Pevele, surging clear to catch van Baarle and Pichon before van der Poel and Kung managed to make contact.
Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Adrien Petit (Intermarche Wanty Gobert Materiaux) and Yves Lampaert (QuickStep Alpha Vinyl) battled to get back in touch with that elite group, with van Aert puncturing and having to fight his way back.
The same fate hit Mohoric at the head of the race, leaving Devriendt by himself at the front with a 35-second lead and 37 kilometres to go as Mohoric joined the chasing group.
Attacks and counterattacks flowed from the group, until Mohoric and Lampaert managed to bridge across to Devriendt, with van Baarle fighting solo to join soon after.
The gap was stretching out to the front four and Stuyven attacked to try and make his way over to the leaders, with Kung and van Aert joining him, leaving van der Poel struggling behind.
With the riders entering the Camphin-En-Pevele and Carrefour de l’Arbre with Mohoric pulling some very hard turns that verged on attacks. However, it was van Baarle who emerged the strongest at the front entering the Carrefour de l’Arbre, with Mohoric and Lampaert in pursuit.
Stuyven punctured, while Lampaert was taken out by a spectator who clipped his handlebars, leaving the Belgian star cartwheeling to the cobbles. Van Aert, Devriendt and Kung made contact with Mohoric to form the group behind van Baarle, but the Dutchman was well ahead and on his way to victory.
He entered the famous Roubaix velodrome alone and lapped up the moment as he crossed the line for the biggest victory of his career.
Van Aert was able to overcome a late surge from Stefan Kung to take second, with Kung just holding off Devriendt for third, the group finishing over a minute and a half behind van Baarle.
The Classics continue on SBS VICELAND, with Fleche Wallonne men's and women's races this Wednesday. The women's race broadcast will start at 1910 AEDT on SBS On Demand and SBS VICELAND, with the men's race commencing at 2100 AEST on SBS On Demand, 2200 AEDT on SBS VICELAND.
