Van der Poel and Philipsen fight back from illness and injury to bid for third Alpecin-Deceuninck Paris-Roubaix win

Alpecin-Deceuninck have dominated the previous two editions of Paris-Roubaix, having locked out the top two positions on the podium at the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux.

On both occasions, Mathieu van der Poel secured the win with a long-range solo move while teammate Jasper Philipsen sprinted home to take second place. This time around, the pair head into the race nursing illness and injury, though both riders said on Friday that they hope to be at full fitness for Sunday’s race.

Van der Poel has been fighting back from a cold he caught after Milan-San Remo, which lingered through the Tour of Flanders, while Philipsen hasn’t been at full strength since a late crash at Nokere Koerse.

“Racing E3 Harelbeke made things worse,” Van der Poel said of his illness. “By Monday, I felt really under the weather. I ended up on antibiotics, and during Flanders, I still wasn’t at 100%, though I was able to defend myself fairly well. In the end, I still made the podium.

“After the Tour of Flanders, I had a bit of a dip again. That’s probably not surprising: it was a big effort on Sunday, and I still wasn’t fully recovered. But now it’s Friday, and I’m feeling much better. I think I’m reasonably OK to try and defend my title on Sunday.”

Philipsen, meanwhile, said that he suffered from “minor whiplash, some muscle soreness, and occasional headaches” in his crash. He’s since raced at Milan-San Remo and four Belgian Classics, including Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, where he finished second to build confidence ahead of Roubaix.

“The crash is still lingering a bit,” he said. “It’s nothing unmanageable, and I’m getting treatment, so it’s no excuse. But I’m not completely comfortable yet.

“In Gent-Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs, I was able to regain some confidence. In any case, I’ve worked hard to be ready. Hopefully, that effort will be rewarded on Sunday.”

Van der Poel has been in the wars himself, having been caught up in a crash at the Tour of Flanders last week before battling on to finish second behind Tadej Pogačar.

He’s since recovered from any stiffness resulting from that fall and now heads back to Roubaix to go back-to-back-to-back, a feat not seen since Francesco Moser did the same 45 years ago.

“I start every race to win, and this year is no different,” Van der Poel said. “Of course, that’s easier said than done, but that’s the mindset I bring to the start.

“And if I’m not at my absolute best, we’ll do everything we can to keep the victory within the team. Jasper Philipsen has shown over the past two years that he’s more than capable of winning this race, too.”

Philipsen, who beat Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen in the sprints for second in the past two years, said that finishing second behind his teammate for a third time would “feel like a victory”.

The Belgian, who won Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne earlier this spring, said he enjoys the style of racing at Roubaix. He contrasted the flat cobbles with the short, sharp hills of Flanders and said Alpecin-Deceuninck “feel at home” at Paris-Roubaix.

“It’s not like the Tour of Flanders, where the hills keep coming. It’s more about positioning and surviving the cobbles; that’s the kind of racing I love. I really enjoy the rattle and rhythm of the pavé,” said Philipsen.

“As a team, we feel at home in the Hell of the North. We’re lining up with a strong group: all guys who know their way across the cobbles, with the experience and toughness it takes. If we can avoid bad luck and ride our race, there’s no reason we can’t aim for another strong result.”

Van der Poel noted that the rest of the team – Silvan Dillier, Edward Planckaert, Jonas Rickaert, Oscar Riesebeek, and Gianni Vermeersch – all head into this year’s race already boasting experience of being part of a winning team at Roubaix.

The seven-man lineup has 26 starts among them, with 2018 runner-up Dillier the most experienced Roubaix racer with seven starts.

“We’ve got really a strong lineup. Five of the six teammates from Sunday were also part of our success last year. The sixth, Jonas Rickaert, was part of the squad in 2023. That shared experience really counts in a race like this,” Van der Poel said before going on to rate his major opponents for success on Sunday.

“It’s maybe harder to predict than usual. Pogačar is always a major contender. But in Flanders, we also saw Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Jasper Stuyven performing at a very high level. And then there’s Filippo Ganna. Paris-Roubaix might just be the perfect race for him.”