At Paris-Roubaix, Jasper Stuyven finished third behind Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert, who triumphed at the Hell of the North for the first time. Stuyven achieved this result thanks to his experience, lucidity and fatigue management, plus a good dose of luck that is never lacking at Roubaix. Stuyven's third place at Roubaix represents much more than a simple placement: it is the culmination of an important season and a sign of competitive maturity built over the years, between experience, resilience and the ability to read the race in decisive moments.

At the end of an extremely difficult race, as is tradition at the Hell of the North, the Belgian analyzed his result objectively: «Yes, I think it's an excellent podium for me, after being quite consistent over the last few years. And then, with the team change, it's very nice to see that you're given a lot of trust, support and esteem. But obviously, after being consistent this season, it's a way to reward myself but also the team. So I think it's a rather important result, both for me and for my teammates and all the staff».

Stuyven's performance was built kilometer after kilometer, on a course that doesn't forgive mistakes. The Flemish rider, born in Leuven, emphasized the harshness of the race and is happy not to have had major problems on the pavé sections.

«It was a very hard race. But I believe the greatest pain is in the legs. Honestly, I don't have major physical pain after the kilometers on the pavé, like in my back or arms. Anyway, yes, I think I can say I stayed out of trouble, so I believe that helped a lot to reach the finish line in the best way possible».

After the finish line, the fatigue was felt immediately and the Flemish rider sat on the ground, in silence, for several minutes. «Yes, I was tired. I felt truly exhausted, completely exhausted».

His race was also a demonstration of tactical intelligence, as well as physical strength. Highlighting how fundamental it is to race with your head, especially in such a chaotic race: staying lucid, avoiding mistakes and remaining in the thick of the action. In the final stages, the management of the pavé sections and the ability to maintain the right positioning proved decisive: «My mentality in the final is always the same. I think everyone knows that you need that kind of physical and mental resistance. And you have to be able to enter the pavé sections in the right way. But I believe that this time luck helped me».

There was a moment when the podium could have even turned into something more. Stuyven admitted he believed in the possibility of catching up with Van Aert and Pogacar and achieving an even better result. «Yes, I thought I could reach them, but I believe that didn't happen thanks to the work of Christophe Laporte. He did a perfect job, without mistakes, sure, it's annoying. What he did at the end made sense for his team's result. He always broke the chain of pace changes, and I believe that's why at some point we couldn't make up those 25 seconds».

In comparison with Tadej Pogacar, the expected protagonist and special observer in the race, Stuyven didn't perceive any particular signs of pressure: «I must say that we stayed closer to him longer than in other races, but I didn't see him more nervous or anything different compared to other occasions. I think he simply raced in the best way possible and created the greatest possible opportunities to make history».

Finally, the experience accumulated over more than a decade of racing proved decisive: «Experience helps a lot when you manage to stay out of trouble and don't have bad luck. Because in past editions I had some bad luck, but you also need a bit of luck and the speed with which the team's support arrives to change wheels».

Stuyven's third place is the result of a perfect balance between physical condition, strategy and maturity. A podium that's worth double: for the rider and for the team, and which confirms that at Roubaix, it's not just the strongest who wins, but also the smartest and the one who has the least bad luck. Could Stuyven win Roubaix? «When we race we always do it to win and Roubaix is a race that suits a rider like me well. So yes, every year I'll come back to reach the top step of the podium».