Mathieu Van der Poel has completed another masterpiece. Like an artist capable of painting wonderful canvases, on the Paris-Roubaix cobblestones, the Dutchman created a battle that transformed into a work of art for all cycling enthusiasts.

The former world champion has won the race of stones for the third consecutive time and after this result has no intention of stopping and will continue to seek victories in every race of the year.

During the press conference, MVDP reflected on incidents that could have compromised his success, such as the water bottle deliberately thrown at him while racing. "The water bottle incident hurt me. This type of situation is unacceptable. It was a full bottle, which must have weighed almost half a kilo, and I was going 40 kilometers per hour. It's like receiving a stone in the face. It hurt me a lot. I hope we can identify the spectator and prosecute them criminally. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated in a race".

This is the third consecutive year Van der Poel has won in the Hell of the North, and this edition was perhaps the hardest to conquer. "Perhaps yes, it was the toughest. In my mind, I didn't think I would be alone for so long. Moreover, I had a problem with the radio and the power meter stopped working. I felt like I was riding blind, I didn't know how far ahead I was. It was a really difficult situation. But in the end, everything went well. I'm very happy, especially after my health problems last week. I felt my legs responding better with each passing day this week. I'm happy to conclude this Classics season with another victory".

Many riders had problems during the race, and Tadej Pogacar also slipped. The Dutchman was ahead when the Slovenian slipped, and the gap between the two immediately increased.

"At that moment, the speed was very high. I saw he couldn't make the turn, but I didn't think he had fallen. When I looked back a bit further, I saw a gap had formed. Then I understood and accelerated. I had to increase the distance. It's a shame, of course, but accidents are part of Paris-Roubaix".

This was the first time Van der Poel faced Tadej Pogacar in this Roubaix. In fact, the world champion had never participated in this race as a professional. For Van der Poel, the duel was very exciting, and after the victory, he went to congratulate his opponent.

"When he's in the race, it's always special. The crazy thing is that we're not even surprised that he finished second, despite it being his first participation in this race. What he did was truly exceptional. I'm sure he'll come back even stronger in the coming years".

Van der Poel's Classics season has concluded, and we won't see him at the Amstel Gold Race. The Dutchman will take some rest and analyze what he's done in the first part of the season before focusing on the second half of the year.

"For now, Paris-Roubaix was my last scheduled race, I won't participate in the Amstel. Winning this race three times in a row is something truly exceptional. I didn't think I could do it at the beginning of my career. This day will certainly be a milestone. Winning three times in a row is extraordinary, and I never would have thought I could do it".

In his press conference, Tadej Pogacar said that as a child, Van der Poel would have been his idol, and the Dutchman also has great admiration for his opponent.

"When I look at other sports, it's not necessarily about the athletes, but about love for the discipline. The same would happen for cycling. I don't know if I could have a favorite rider, but what Tadej Pogacar is doing, at just 26 years old, is simply incredible. He's the only man today capable of winning everything".