THE RIDERS - MEN
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin-Fenix
Age 26
Best Roubaix result: n/a
A debutant hasn’t won Paris-Roubaix since Felice Gimondi in 1966. But then Dutch wonder boy Mathieu van der Poel isn’t much one for sticking to the script.
Of all the major Classics this is arguably the one that suits him best. He has the power both in a sprint and over a sustained period and his cyclocross skills will be of maximum use on the uneven and fast-raced cobbles of northern France.
However, his recent back injury, exacerbated by his
