Pogačar Makes History with 2nd Place at Paris-Roubaix 2025

Photo: WAM

On a "Sunday in Hell," Tadej Pogačar from UAE Team Emirates XRG made history by becoming the first reigning Tour de France champion to finish on the podium at Paris-Roubaix since Eddy Merckx did it in 1975.

The race was an exciting and tough battle, especially between Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck. In the end, Pogačar finished second in the Roubaix Velodrome, which is an amazing achievement. Van der Poel won the race, marking his third win in a row.

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Pogačar faced a few problems during the race, including mechanical issues and even a crash, but he managed to recover and finish strong in second place. His teammate, Florian Vermeersch from UAE Team Emirates XRG, also had a great performance, finishing in fifth place. It was an impressive ride for him, continuing his strong spring Classics campaign.

At the start of the race, Pogačar, Van der Poel, and Mads Pedersen from Lidl-Trek were the main riders who broke away from the pack as they entered the tough section of the race called the Trouée d'Arenberg. As the race went on, Pogačar and Van der Poel became the two strongest riders, but at one point, Pogačar went wide on a right turn, which allowed Van der Poel to take the lead and ride alone to the finish line.

After the race, Pogačar spoke to the media and said that it was a great day for his team, with two riders finishing in the top five. He said they would come back next year with a strong team and be motivated to fight for the victory in the years to come.