Mathieu van der Poel hopes for 'bonus' win at 'Russian roulette' of Paris-Roubaix

World champion plays down significance of adding further Monument victories in 2024

Mathieu van der Poel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A second victory at Paris-Roubaix would just be a "bonus", according to pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel, who said the race is like "Russian roulette".

The Dutchman will return to Paris-Roubaix on Sunday as the hot tip for victory, a week after he won the Tour of Flanders for a third time, and in the absence of his big rival, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).

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Tom Thewlis
News and Features Writer

After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.