On April 13, Tadej Pogačar will line up at the start in Compiègne with a chance to do something no cyclist has ever done: win all five of cycling’s Monuments in a single season. After victories at Milan-San Remo in March and Tour of Flanders on Sunday, Paris-Roubaix is the only Monument missing from his career palmares. If he wins it, he joins Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy, and Roger De Vlaeminck as the only riders in history to have conquered all five — and he does it in the most extraordinary fashion imaginable.
The Scale of What Pogačar Is Attempting
To put this in perspective, cycling’s five Monuments are the sport’s oldest, most prestigious one-day races: Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Tour of Lombardy. Each demands different physical attributes — the explosive sprint finish of San Remo, the cobbled power of Flanders and Roubaix, the climbing endurance of Liège and Lombardy. Winning all five in a career is considered one of cycling’s greatest achievements. Winning three of them in a single spring is virtually unheard of.
Pogačar has already won San Remo (three times), Flanders (three times), Liège (three times), and Lombardy (three times), giving him 12 Monument victories — second only to Merckx’s 19 on the all-time list. Paris-Roubaix is the final piece of the puzzle, and his second-place finish there in 2025 proved he has the engine and the courage for the race’s brutal cobblestones.
Why Paris-Roubaix Is Different
Roubaix is cycling’s most unpredictable Monument. The 257-kilometer route from Compiègne to the velodrome in Roubaix includes 30 sectors of cobblestones — ancient farm roads built from rough-hewn granite blocks that shake riders’ bodies and break their equipment. Punctures, crashes, and mechanical failures can eliminate even the strongest rider at any moment.
Unlike Flanders, where pure climbing power often decides the race, Roubaix rewards a combination of positioning, bike-handling skill, raw power, and sheer luck. The famous sectors like the Trouée d’Arenberg — a 2.4-kilometer stretch of brutally uneven cobbles through a forest — and the Carrefour de l’Arbre in the race’s final 15 kilometers have ended the hopes of countless favorites over the decades.
Weather adds another variable. A wet Paris-Roubaix transforms the cobbles into a treacherous surface where gaps between stones fill with mud and standing water. In dry conditions, dust clouds reduce visibility and the cobbles become jarring but manageable. The forecast for April 13 will be watched closely by every team in the peloton.
The Rivals: Van der Poel’s Throne to Defend
Mathieu van der Poel arrives in Roubaix as the three-time defending champion — a run that puts him alongside legends Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen. A fourth victory would make Van der Poel the most successful Paris-Roubaix rider of the modern era and one of the greatest cobbled Classics riders in history.
Van der Poel knows Roubaix better than anyone in the current peloton. His tactical awareness on the cobbles, his exceptional bike-handling from his cyclocross background, and his devastating sprint finish make him the default favorite on any cobbled course. At Flanders on Sunday, he was the only rider who could follow Pogačar’s Kwaremont attack, and his second-place finish was more a testament to Pogačar’s otherworldly form than any deficiency in Van der Poel’s racing.
Remco Evenepoel has confirmed he will skip Paris-Roubaix, turning his focus to the Ardennes Classics where his climbing ability gives him a natural advantage. This simplifies the race dynamic but does not make it easier for Pogačar — Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, and a host of experienced cobbled specialists will all be looking to exploit any moment of vulnerability.
Pogačar’s Approach and Mindset
After his Flanders victory, Pogačar struck a relaxed tone about what lies ahead. He has said the pressure is low after achieving his long-sought San Remo victory, and that whatever comes next at Roubaix is a bonus rather than an expectation. He has even quipped that the pressure will be as low as his tire pressures on the cobbles.
This mental freedom could be his greatest advantage. In 2025, Pogačar’s Roubaix debut was hampered by a slip that cost him his winning chance. With that experience behind him, he now knows the race’s rhythm, understands where the key sectors demand maximum effort, and has a team around him that demonstrated superb Classics support at both San Remo and Flanders.
What to Watch for on Race Day
The Trouée d’Arenberg (sector 19, approximately 95 km to go) is traditionally the first major selection point. Watch for crashes and punctures here — positioning at the entrance to this sector often determines who stays in contention. The Mons-en-Pévèle sector (sector 8, approximately 50 km to go) is where serious attacks begin in earnest. And the Carrefour de l’Arbre (sector 4, approximately 15 km to go) is where the race is usually decided — a 2.1-kilometer cobbled stretch that favors the strongest and most technically skilled riders.
For fans watching at home, the final hour of Paris-Roubaix is among the most dramatic in all of sport. If Pogačar and Van der Poel reach the Carrefour de l’Arbre together, expect a head-to-head battle for the ages.
For recreational cyclists inspired by the cobbles, gravel race preparation is the closest equivalent to Roubaix-style racing at an amateur level. Lower tire pressures, wider tires, and solid recovery strategies are essential for any rough-road riding. And if you want to upgrade your setup for mixed terrain, our guide to gravel bike geometry explains the key differences that matter.
