Tadej Pogacar debut win at Paris-Roubaix would be his 'greatest performance ever', Wout van Aert 'lacking' ahead of classic - Philippe Gilbert
ByOli Gent
Published 11/04/2025 at 11:21 GMT+1
TNT Sports expert Philippe Gilbert says that if Tadej Pogacar wins on his Paris-Roubaix debut this weekend, then it would be "his greatest performance ever". A grand statement indeed, but one that could ring true when considering the Slovenian's weight difference in comparison to other riders in the field, as well as the cobbled pavements that Gilbert says "wears you out" physically and mentally.
After another Flanders triumph, is Pogacar the GOAT?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Philippe Gilbert believes that if Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG) emerges victorious on his Paris-Roubaix debut, it would be his "greatest performance ever".
Pogacar comes into the 'Hell of the North' in excellent form, having soloed to victory from 19km out at the Tour of Flanders last week to claim his second title, over a minute ahead of second-placed Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).
This year, Pogacar won the general classification at the UAE Tour, before defending his title at Strade Bianche, despite suffering a crash on the descent from Monteaperti with 50km to go.
However, he had enough to haul Great Britain's Tom Pidcock back in, eventually overtaking him to claim a third title.
Now, the UAE rider competes for the first time on the cobbles at the classic, and Gilbert thinks that if the Slovenian can triumph over the heavier riders in the field, the display would rank above all of the incredible showings that have come before it.
"I think he’s around 64–65kg right now," Gilbert said of Pogacar.
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"His Tour de France weight, when he’s super lean, is probably 62kg. So if he manages to fight with the best on this kind of terrain, it would honestly be incredible - it would be his greatest performance ever. Have there ever been winners under 70kg? Honestly, I’m not sure.
"It’s really a combination of things - weight, bike quality, tyre pressure and width. Now I’ve heard that guys like [Mathieu] van der Poel are considering going with 40mm tyres. That’s basically mountain bike territory - it’s insane.
"For Pogacar, that’ll give him more grip and better efficiency. The difference in terrain will feel less extreme, and most importantly, there’s less risk of punctures. The wider the tyre, the less chance of a flat. A few years back, people were using 25mm tyres - that’s 2.5 cm.
"It was barely wide enough for the cobbles. If your wheel slipped between two cobbles, it was over - instant puncture, especially on the sidewall. But now, with much wider tyres, even if your line isn’t perfect, you glide over the gaps instead of getting caught.
"There are 20km of cobbles in Flanders and around 50km in Roubaix. That difference changes everything as the race goes on - it wears you out, especially mentally. In the last third of the race, when fatigue sets in and you’re less focused, it’s easier to make mistakes. Roubaix cobbles can be really rough depending on the section. It’s easy to crash out."
Van Aert risks 'another year of waiting' if he does not win Paris-Roubaix
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) should have won "at least one" of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix titles by now, believes Gilbert.
Van Aert, the 30-year-old Belgian, missed out on a podium finish at the Tour of Flanders, edged out by Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Van Aert is out for victory at Paris-Roubaix this year, having not competed at the last event due to a broken collar bone and several fractured ribs sustained at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the injury hampered his Tour de France hopes, with the Belgian not winning a single stage.
While he would have preferred a podium place, Van Aert will take comfort in his performance at Flanders, attacking on the final ascent of Oude Kwaremont, and keeping with the chasing pack behind Pogacar.
Mathieu Heijboer, the Visma team performance manager, said that Paris-Roubaix "suited Wout best", and Van Aert will be keen to complete a trilogy of podium finishes at the classic, having finished third in 2022 and second in 2023.
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Highlights: Masterful Pogacar powers to thrilling solo victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
Gilbert thinks that Van Aert's "talent and engine" should have earned him at least one classic title by now, questioning whether the Belgian should really be content with fourth in Flanders.
"Everyone’s happy, but I honestly wonder why," Gilbert said.
"From what I remember, since October, Van Aert’s been saying he’s targeting this week - Flanders and Roubaix.
"That was his big goal. But when he came back to racing, he was way off his peak. So I have to ask: was his prep ideal? Wouldn’t it have been better to do Tirreno or Paris-Nice instead of staying at altitude?
"To me, it feels like what he’s lacking - those last 3–4% - can only come from racing. So maybe we need to take a hard look at the past few months and ask if his race schedule was the right call.
"He might just hit top form in extremis for Roubaix, but for Flanders, it’s already too late.
"He’ll be there, sure. But he hasn’t shown the ability to really hurt the others. He’ll be in the mix, but I don’t see him pulling off a Van Aert-style solo move like he did at Gent-Wevelgem, E3 or Omloop - where he’d attack, and boom, it’s over. Thanks for coming.
"If he misses on Sunday, it’s another year of waiting. He dreams of winning these races - and I totally get it.
"With his talent and engine, Van Aert should already have at least one Flanders and one Roubaix on his palmares."
How to watch Paris-Roubaix 2025
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