Wout van Aert restores unpredictability to the Monument hierarchy at Paris-Roubaix

Wout van Aert restores unpredictability to the Monument hierarchy at Paris-Roubaix

Three tactical decisions across the cobbles of northern France gave Van Aert the platform to outsprint Pogačar in Roubaix. Here's how he managed it.

Danny Bellion
•4 min read

Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) won the 2026 Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, beating Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the velodrome sprint after a race defined by mechanicals, forced selections, and one rider's refusal to spend a watt more than necessary.

Van Aert's victory turned on three moments: entering the Trouée d'Arenberg at the front of the race, splitting the group again on Orchies and Mons-en-Pévèle when Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was closing in, and then making Pogačar do the heavier share of the work before the sprint. Each decision compounded the last, and the cumulative effect was a rider who arrived in Roubaix with a finishing kick his rival could not match.

The race was brutal on equipment. Pogačar punctured with roughly 120km to go and lost close to a minute before chasing back to the main group just before the Arenberg. Van der Poel then punctured half way through the forest, probably the worst possible moment and was unable to take Jasper Philipsen's bike due to having different pedals. He exited the Arenberg already more than two minutes down. Van Aert had his own issue and was forced to chase solo at one point, dropping around 20 seconds behind, but he rejoined with less damage done than either of his main rivals.

Paris-Roubaix 2026 Results

Compiègne — Roubaix • Apr 12 • 259km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Wout van Aert
Team Visma | Lease a Bike5:16:52
🥈
Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates XRG+00
🥉
Jasper Stuyven
Soudal Quick-Step+13
4
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin-Premier Tech+15
5
Christophe Laporte
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+15
6
Tim van Dijke
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+15
7
Mads Pedersen
Lidl-Trek+15
8
Stefan Bissegger
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+20
9
Nils Politt
UAE Team Emirates XRG+2:36
10
Mike Teunissen
XDS Astana Team+2:36
11
Maximilian Richard Walscheid
Lidl-Trek+3:46
12
Gianni Vermeersch
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+3:46
13
Guillaume Boivin
NSN Cycling Team+3:46
14
Anthony Turgis
TotalEnergies+3:46
15
Daan Hoole
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+3:46
16
Alec Segaert
Bahrain Victorious+3:46
17
Jordi Meeus
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+5:43
18
Stanisław Aniołkowski
Cofidis+5:43
19
Brent van Moer
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+5:43
20
Dries van Gestel
Soudal Quick-Step+5:43
21
Kim Alexander Heiduk
INEOS Grenadiers+5:43
22
Mathias Vacek
Lidl-Trek+5:51
23
Clément Russo
Groupama-FDJ United+7:20
24
Ivan Garcia Cortina
Movistar Team+7:29
25
Filippo Ganna
INEOS Grenadiers+7:32
26
Laurence Pithie
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+7:32
27
Edward Theuns
Lidl-Trek+8:01
28
Kasper Asgreen
EF Education - EasyPost+8:01
29
Aime De Gendt
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+8:01
30
Matyáš Kopecký
Unibet Rose Rockets+8:01
31
John Degenkolb
Team Picnic PostNL+8:01
32
Huub Artz
Lotto Intermarché+8:01
33
Frits Biesterbos
Team Picnic PostNL+8:01
34
Bert van Lerberghe
Soudal Quick-Step+8:01
35
Robert Donaldson
Team Jayco AlUla+8:01
36
Matys Grisel
Lotto Intermarché+8:01
37
Stan Dewulf
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+8:01
38
Toon Aerts
Lotto Intermarché+8:01
39
Oliver Naesen
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+8:01
40
Rasmus Tiller
Uno-X Mobility+8:01
41
Joshua Michael Tarling
INEOS Grenadiers+8:01
42
Florian Dauphin
TotalEnergies+8:01
43
Jonas Abrahamsen
Uno-X Mobility+8:01
44
Erik Nordsaeter Resell
Uno-X Mobility+8:01
45
Tim Merlier
Soudal Quick-Step+8:01
46
Axel Huens
Groupama-FDJ United+8:01
47
Ben Oliver
Modern Adventure Pro Cycling+8:01
48
Sander De Pestel
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+8:01
49
Frederik Frison
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+8:01
50
Jonas Rutsch
Lotto Intermarché+8:01
51
Dylan Teuns
Cofidis+8:01
52
Thomas Gachignard
TotalEnergies+8:01
53
Davide Ballerini
XDS Astana Team+8:01
54
Filip Maciejuk
Movistar Team+8:01
55
Dries De Bondt
Team Jayco AlUla+8:14
56
Per Strand Hagenes
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+8:14
57
Clement Izquierdo
Cofidis+8:22
58
Žak Eržen
Bahrain Victorious+8:22
59
Samuel Leroux
TotalEnergies+8:34
60
Johan Jacobs
Groupama-FDJ United+8:34
61
Tomas Kopecký
Unibet Rose Rockets+8:38
62
Arne Marit
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+9:18
63
Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri
Movistar Team+9:18
64
Jonathan Milan
Lidl-Trek+9:18
65
Brem Deman
Team Flanders - Baloise+9:18
66
Mathias Norsgaard
Lidl-Trek+9:18
67
Bastien Tronchon
Groupama-FDJ United+9:18
68
Luca Mozzato
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+9:18
69
Dillon Corkery
Team Picnic PostNL+9:23
70
Alessandro Borgo
Bahrain Victorious+9:25
71
Martijn Rasenberg
Unibet Rose Rockets+9:37
72
Yves Lampaert
Soudal Quick-Step+9:59
73
Cyril Barthe
Groupama-FDJ United+9:59
74
Colby Simmons
EF Education - EasyPost+10:42
75
Jakob Söderqvist
Lidl-Trek+10:45
76
Cedric Beullens
Lotto Intermarché+10:45
77
Aivaras Mikutis
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+10:45
78
Arjen Livyns
XDS Astana Team+10:45
79
Thibaud Gruel
Groupama-FDJ United+10:45
80
Madis Mihkels
EF Education - EasyPost+10:45
81
Dylan van Baarle
Soudal Quick-Step+12:00
82
Alessandro Romele
XDS Astana Team+12:00
83
Ferre Geeraerts
Team Flanders - Baloise+12:39
84
Ben Turner
INEOS Grenadiers+13:00
85
Lukáš Kubiš
Unibet Rose Rockets+13:03
86
Tom van Asbroeck
NSN Cycling Team+13:50
87
Luke Lamperti
EF Education - EasyPost+13:57
88
Emils Liepins
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+14:46
89
Camille Charret
Cofidis+14:49
90
Samuel Welsford
INEOS Grenadiers+14:49
91
Leander van Hautegem
Team Flanders - Baloise+14:49
92
Rayan Boulahoite
TotalEnergies+15:20
93
Jules Hesters
Team Flanders - Baloise+15:20
94
Aaron Murray Gate
XDS Astana Team+15:20
95
Matis Louvel
NSN Cycling Team+15:20
96
Henri François Renard Haquin
Team Picnic PostNL+15:20
97
Rasmus Pedersen
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+15:20
98
Albert Torres Barcelo
Movistar Team+15:20
99
Callum Thornley
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe+15:20
100
Yevgeniy Fedorov
XDS Astana Team+15:20
101
Michiel Lambrecht
Team Flanders - Baloise+15:20
102
Storm Ingebrigtsen
Uno-X Mobility+15:20
103
Luke Durbridge
Team Jayco AlUla+15:20
104
Victor Vercouillie
Team Flanders - Baloise+15:26
105
Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez
Movistar Team+15:26
106
Connor Swift
INEOS Grenadiers+15:31
107
Cole Kessler
Modern Adventure Pro Cycling+15:31
108
Sandy Dujardin
TotalEnergies+15:31
109
Alexis Renard
Cofidis+15:31
110
Hugo Page
Cofidis+15:31
111
Artem Shmidt
INEOS Grenadiers+15:31
112
Mark Stewart
Modern Adventure Pro Cycling+15:31
113
Robin Carpenter
Modern Adventure Pro Cycling+15:31
114
Sebastian Kolze Changizi
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+15:35
115
Fabian Lienhard
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+15:35
116
António Tomas Morgado
UAE Team Emirates XRG+15:35
117
Edward Planckaert
Alpecin-Premier Tech+15:42
118
Jonas Rickaert
Alpecin-Premier Tech+15:42
119
Ezra Caudell
Modern Adventure Pro Cycling+17:22
120
Matthew James Brennan
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+17:22
121
Cees Bol
Decathlon CMA CGM Team+17:22
122
Ryan William Mullen
NSN Cycling Team+17:22
123
Niklas Larsen
Unibet Rose Rockets+18:54
124
Mikkel Norsgaard Bjerg
UAE Team Emirates XRG+19:02
125
Jasha Sütterlin
Team Jayco AlUla+19:02
126
Hamish McKenzie
Team Jayco AlUla+19:02
127
Rui Filipe Alves Oliveira
UAE Team Emirates XRG+19:02
128
Kelland O’Brien
Team Jayco AlUla+19:02
129
Joshua Giddings
Lotto Intermarché+19:28
130
Ronan Auge
Unibet Rose Rockets+19:28
131
Alfred Brockwell Wright
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+21:13
132
Alexys Brunel
TotalEnergies+22:14
133
Silvan Dillier
Alpecin-Premier Tech+22:14
134
Owain Doull
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+22:14
135
Petr Kelemen
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+22:14
136
Tibor Del Grosso
Alpecin-Premier Tech+22:14
137
Nickolas Zukowsky
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+23:33
138
Noah Vandenbranden
Team Flanders - Baloise+24:31
139
Benjamin Thomas
Cofidis+24:31

How Van Aert controlled the decisive sectors

The Arenberg was the first point where Van Aert's positioning paid off. Teammate Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) gave him what amounted to a lead-out into the sector, placing him on the front before the cobbles began. That mattered because the rider at the front picks the cleanest line and avoids the accordion effect behind. While others fought for his wheel, Van Aert rode through the forest in relative comfort. Van der Poel did not have this luxury and paid for it.

The second key move came on the Orchies and Mons-en-Pévèle sectors. Van der Poel had been clawing his way back and at one point closed to within 20 seconds of the front. Van Aert responded by hitting the cobbles hard at the front, splitting the group immediately. The selection came down to Van Aert, Pogačar, and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). Pedersen could not hold on for long, and the race became a two-up contest. Van der Poel rejoined a chasing group behind, but the gap stabilised between 30 and 40 seconds for most of the remaining distance.

From that point, Van Aert's race became an exercise in restraint. He let Pogačar lead where possible, did enough work to keep the pair clear of the chasers, but refused to burn energy that would cost him at the finish. Pogačar attacked hard on the uphill exit of Mons-en-Pévèle and again at the Carrefour de l'Arbre. Van Aert held his wheel each time without losing contact.

By the time the pair reached the velodrome, Van Aert had the speed advantage and used it decisively. The gap between conservation and collapse was narrow, but Van Aert stayed on the right side of it.

For Pogačar, the defeat delays his bid to become the first rider to hold all five Monument titles simultaneously. He rode aggressively after his early puncture and animated the finale, but the energy cost of chasing back and then trying to drop Van Aert on the cobbles left him without a sprint to match. The road to the full set remains open, but this edition showed it will not come easily.

The narrative of this Classics season had effectively reduced to one question – is Pogačar or Van der Poel on the startlist? Wout van Aert’s victory shows the hierarchy is not fixed, and reminds us why the Monuments retain their grip on the sport: no races combine status, chaos and unpredictability quite like Roubaix.

Cover image credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

Feed Zone — a free cycling mini-game
Danny

Danny Bellion

Senior Tech Editor

Danny is an ultra-endurance cyclist and the technical co-founder of Velora. He’s been riding for over 20 years across road, gravel and MTB and done gravel races on both sides of the Atlantic. He’s completed ultras including BikingMan Oman and Dales Divide, where he finished 2nd in 2021.

Away from racing, he’s ridden in more than 40 countries, from bikepacking trips across Europe to an eight-month tour of Asia. He draws on two decades of experience to inform Velora’s product reviews, training and event coverage.

Never miss a story

Get the latest cycling news, tech reviews, and race analysis delivered to your inbox twice a week.