The grueling battle on the cobbles saw double rainbows this Saturday and Sunday as World Champions dominated the infamous Spring Classic.

Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck crossed the line unchallenged following a 59-kilometre attack the day after Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx-Protime won Paris-Roubaix Femmes from a six-up sprint.

This is the second time Van der Poel claims victory in the prestigious Roubaix Velodrome on a day filled with intense action and drama. Second place was Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was third.

This is the third Spring Classics race won by Alpecin-Deceuninck this season. It was the fastest-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix with Van der Poel averaging 47.85 kilometers per hour for 260 km—1 kilometer per hour faster than his previous record, which was set last year.

“It is hard to believe. The team was stronger than last year. I’m super proud of the boys and happy to finish it off,” said Van der Poel in the post-race interview.

When asked if his 59-kilometer attack was planned, he said. “No, not really. I wanted to make the race hard from there on because I knew that was my strength, and I felt super good today. I knew it was a tailwind to the finish line for the most part. I had a really good day.”

“I never could have dreamt of this as a child. I was super motivated for this year. I wanted to show the jersey in a nice way. It goes beyond expectations. I’m a bit loss for words,” the World Champion added.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in second place, race winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in third place pose on the podium ceremony after the 121st Paris-Roubaix 2024.

Saturday’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes was an entirely different race from the 2023 edition, with a lead group featuring multiple World Champions and six racers who all could handily win a race like Paris-Roubaix. But it was reigning World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) who played the race flawlessly from the early moments, including an on-bike handlebar adjustment to a picture-perfect sprint finish. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) finished second, and Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) third.

“This was the goal of the season,” said Kopecky in the post-race interview. “The confidence the team has given me the whole season, but especially this week—they made me laugh as much as possible, and they made me feel like I could win this race.”

“It’s always nervous. You are here with two very fast sprinters, Vos and Balsamo, so you’re never sure. One moment, I thought, ‘Now I’m boxed in,’ and I had to start the sprint pretty early, but I could keep sprinting,” the Belgian added.

Kopecky is the first woman to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes in the World Champion colors.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) in second place, race winner Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), and Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) in third place pose on the podium ceremony after the 4th Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2024

2024 Paris-Roubaix Top 10

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 5:25.58
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3:00
3. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) “
4. Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) “
5. Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) +3:15
6. Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3:47
7. Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) +3:48
8. Tim Van Dijke (Visma-Lease a Bike) +4:45
9. Jordi Meeus (Bora-H=hansgrohe) +4:47
10. Soren Waersenskjold (Uno X-Mobility) “

2024 Paris-Roubaix Femmes Top 10

1. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) 03:47:1302
2. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) + 0003″
3. Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) + 0004″
4. Marianne Vos(Visma-Lease a Bike) + 0005″
5. Amber Kraak (FDJ-SUEZ) + 0006″
6. Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) + 0607″
7. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) + 2808″
8. Victoire Berteau (Cofidis Women Team) + 2809″
9. Marie le Net FDJ-SUEZ + 2810
10. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) + 28″

READ MORE ON: Paris Roubaix pro racing