Paris-Roubaix could have been Mathieu van der Poel's race once again this year. The Dutchman looked to be flying and was riding comfortably at the front of the race over the early sectors of cobbles. Then disaster struck as he flatted towards the beginning of the Trouée d’Arenberg, one of the roughest and most infamous cobbled sectors of the race.
With no team car behind and the peloton spread out down the sector the three-time winner was stranded at the side of the road. Then Jasper Philipsen pulled over and handed his bike to Van der Poel. The Dutchman jumped on and tried to pedal. Clearly in too big a gear, he struggled to get going over the rough surface with too much pressure on the chain to change gear.
