Paris-Roubaix 2025: The all-rounders Van der Poel and Ferrand-Prévot take the win
Marc Strucken
· 14.04.2025
The winners of Paris-Roubaix 2025 impressively emphasised their versatility in cycling. Both Mathieu van der Poel and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who came out on top in the men's and women's races respectively, are not only among the absolute best in the world on the road, but also in mountain biking.
Ferrand-Prévot triumphs in the women's race
In the women's category Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) came through in similarly impressive style. The Frenchwoman, who is a multiple world champion in various mountain bike disciplines, attacked 20 kilometres before the finish and gave her rivals no chance. She reached the finish line as a soloist with a lead of just under a minute ahead of the Italian Letizia Borghesi and the Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes. Ferrand-Prévot once again proved her versatility with her victory. The 33-year-old has caused a sensation in recent years, particularly in the mountain bike sector, where she won the historic triple of cross-country, marathon and short-track world titles in 2019 and 2020. Her success at Paris-Roubaix now also underlines her class on the road.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
- Team: Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Age: 33 years
- Disciplines: Road, mountain bike (cross-country, marathon, short track)
- Mountain bike world championship titles: cross-country (2015, 2019, 2020), marathon (2019, 2020), short track (2019, 2020)
Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2025
- Distance: 148.5 km
- Winner: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
- Winning time: 3:40:07
- Lead: 58 seconds
Van der Poel with historic hat-trick
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck) made history in the men's race by becoming the first rider since Francesco Moser from 1978 to 1980 to win three consecutive Paris-Roubaix victories. The Dutchman came out on top after a 38-kilometre solo ride after taking advantage of a riding error by his rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG). Van der Poel crossed the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome more than a minute ahead of Pogačar and the Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek). Van der Poel, who in addition to his success on the road is also a multiple world champion in cyclocross and won the gold medal in mountain bike cross-country at the 2021 Olympic Games, was overjoyed after the race: "The hat-trick means a lot to him," explained the 30-year-old. The race was really tough. When Pogačar made the mistake in the bend, he simply had to keep going, even though there was still a long way to go.
Mathieu van der Poel
- Team: Alpecin - Deceuninck
- Age: 30 years
- Disciplines: road, cyclocross, mountain bike
- Paris-Roubaix victories: 2023, 2024, 2025
Paris-Roubaix 2025 Men
- Distance: 259.2 km
- Winner: Mathieu van der Poel
- Winning time: 5:31:27
- Lead: 1:18 minutes
Crossover successes are not uncommon
The victories of van der Poel and Ferrand-Prévot at Paris-Roubaix 2025 are part of a series of successes by athletes who are among the world's best both on the road and off-road. In recent years, riders such as Tom Pidcock, who won both a Tour de France stage and Olympic mountain bike gold in 2022, or Wout van Aert, who is a multiple cyclocross world champion in addition to road victories, have repeatedly caused a stir. This development shows that the boundaries between the various cycling disciplines are becoming increasingly blurred. Many top athletes utilise the different requirements of the disciplines to develop their skills holistically and be successful in different areas. The technical skills and explosive power required in mountain biking can also prove valuable on the road - especially in a technically demanding race like Paris-Roubaix.
The future of cycling
The trend towards versatile all-rounders could have a significant impact on the future of cycling. While in the past there was often a strong specialisation in one discipline, today the athletes with the broadest range of skills seem to have an advantage. This could also have an impact on the training methods and season planning of the teams, which may increasingly rely on crossover assignments for their riders. For the fans, this development means one thing above all: even more exciting duels between the top stars in different disciplines and throughout the year. The victories of van der Poel and Ferrand-Prévot at Paris-Roubaix 2025 are impressive proof that the kings and queens of cycling are now more than ever the ones who feel at home on any terrain.
Marc Strucken
Editor
