Slovenia's cycling superstar denies Paris-Roubaix crown

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar came within a whisker of completing the full set of Monument victories on 12 April.

He finished second at Paris-Roubaix after being edged out on the famous velodrome by Belgium's Wout van Aert, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The pair arrived together at the Roubaix track after a punishing 258 km race across the cobbled roads of northern France, but van Aert proved stronger in the final sprint to claim his first victory in a race often referred to as the Hell of the North.

For Pogačar, sometimes called a Monument Man for his dominance of cycling's biggest one-day races, the result means he remains one win short of sweeping all five Monuments.

The 27-year-old world champion already has 12 Monument victories and earlier this year finally added Milan-San Remo to his tally, leaving Roubaix as the final missing piece.

"It was a really tough day," Pogačar said after the race. "I had three punctures and several bike changes. When I saw Wout was still there on the cobbles, I knew it would be difficult. I tried everything in the sprint, but my legs were like spaghetti."

The Slovenian endured a chaotic afternoon typical of the race's brutal reputation. A puncture around 120 km from the finish forced him onto a neutral service bike before he regained contact with the leaders, and he later suffered another tyre problem with about 70 km remaining.

Despite the setbacks, Pogačar clawed his way back and eventually broke clear with van Aert with roughly 50 km left, while pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel lost ground after his own punctures on the notorious Arenberg sector.

Over the final cobbled stretches, Pogačar repeatedly tried to shake the Belgian, launching attacks on the race's toughest sections including Carrefour de l'Arbre. Van Aert clung to his wheel each time, setting up a two-man showdown on the Roubaix velodrome.

Pogačar led out the sprint, but van Aert surged past to take victory, his second Monument after the 2020 Milan-San Remo.

Behind them, Belgium's Jasper Stuyven finished third, while van der Poel battled back to fourth.

The next chance for Pogačar to add to his haul comes in two weeks at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, one of the races he has already won.

Photo: UAE Team Emirates/X