PARIS - ROUBAIX 2022 CONTENDERS

Only the toughest need apply - here's CW's favourites for the Hell of the North

- James Shrubsall

MEN

It was on, then it was off, then it was on again, and we’re hoping it’s still on. Wout van Aert vs Mathieu van der Poel has been shaping up to be the most iconic Classics rivalry since Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen. The back issues caused by van der Poel’s crash at the Tokyo Games in August appeared to have resolved themselves towards the end of the road season, with third place at Paris-Roubaix and a solid eighth place at the Worlds in Leuven. But a patchy cross season in mid-February saw the Dutchman’s Alpecin team talking about how he was still testing out his back and undergoing rehabilitation. Would he ever be the same again?

Thankfully for Classics fans, and VDP himself of course, the answer appears to be yes. His recent win at the Tour of Flanders puts that beyond doubt.

It wasn’t his first win of the season either – five days previously he had scooped stage four of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali at Montecatini. Even more ominous perhaps for his rivals was VDP’s third place at Milan-San Remo – his first race of the season – two seconds behind winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) and at the same time as eighth place van Aert. The Belgian will be almost as happy with his season so far as VDP, except for the small point of having tested positive for Covid-19 going into Flanders and forgoing that race. His appearance at Roubaix remains dependent on his recovery but assuming he’s able to come back he’ll be considered one of the favourites as even a below-par van Aert is not to be underestimated.