Paris-Roubaix 2025 men’s race LIVE – Mathieu van der Poel claims third title on bounce, Tadej Pogacar takes second despite crash

What a race and what a rivalry. Long may it continue. Who is already looking forward to next year? Plenty of racing to come before then, starting with Amstel Gold next Sunday. See you then.

1. Mathieu van der Poel 5'31'27"
2. Tadej Pogacar +1'18
3. Mads Pedersen +2'11
4. Wout van Aert "
5. Florian Vermeersch "
6. Jonas Rutsch +3'46
7. Stefan Bisseger "
8. Markus Hoelgaard "
9. Fred Wright +4'35
10. Laurenz Rex +4'36

He led it out himself, and who would begrudge him? Van Aert finishes in fourth place, for the same top four as in Flanders, with only the top two reversed.

He can enjoy his lap, crossing the line just as Tadej Pogacar enters the arena. The world champion can enjoy his second place. He'll be back.

Into the most famous velodrom there is. This looks to have been hard for him, but he can exchange fist bumps with his boss. Behind Wout van Aert has had enough of Vermeersch's slow play and attacks. Pedersen goes after him. He wants that podium and feels he deserves it.

But fortunately they don't have to hang on for much longer. How many other sports torture its talent like this?

35 seconds says the clock at the top of the screen, or at least that's my calculation of the gap. It should be okay, with so little road left. Pedersen has the bit between his teeth.

Onto the last proper sector of pave, and Pogacar is pulling a little bit of time back, and so are Pedersen and Van Aert. Not a crisis, but not showing the imperviousness he has, today and in previous years.

In conversation with his manager in the car, but the champion elect presses on. Pogacar seems to have stabilised the gap to those behind, as his team-mate sits back on with Pedersen and Van Aert.

The change cost Van der Poel less than twenty seconds, as the gap sticks at 1'02. Pedersen, Van Aert and Vermeersch are coming, but the gap to them from Pogacar is down to a minute. As Vermeersch it is who attacks them. That's a surprise.

No panic, that was quick, even as it had to happen on the Carrefour . He could afford it, just as he could when he crashed in Glasgow a few years back.

The sharp turn onto the most horrible cobbles there are. The spectators are roaring, and hopefully doing no more than that, as Mathieu van der Poel glides along the crown. At the end of these there'll be just 15km of the race remaining, and only two proper stretches of cobbles.

A four star sector they could easily give five, says Robbie McEwen. The race looks won, and Pogacar is now defending second place.

It's fairly quick, but surely that's that?

It's now thirty seconds, as we look back down the road, where we haven't spent much time for the last hour or so, as Jasper Philipsen is definitely fading. The race is on for the final step on the podium, with Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen and Florian Vermeersch the main contenders.

Pogacar can see his rival across the field, and he's beginning to look laboured, and a little nervous driving into every corner. The gap is 22 seconds.

This is Van der Poel's terrain. Nobody in the world is better at riding this course. The helicam pulls back and we can see them both, but Van der Poel is cruising.

Second by second, even as it wobbles a bit back and forth. It's looking all but done, bar accident or injury. Sorry, that's Rob's line.