For the second consecutive year, team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty managed to achieve a top ten in Paris-Roubaix. Despite the many setbacks during the classics campaign, the Walloon World Team played a nice role in the third Monument of the season.
The team of Jean-François was attentive at all key moments in the race and represented by Madis Mihkels in a counterattack just before the four starred sector of Haveluy. Mihkels was then the only rider able to follow a group of favorites with Wout Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel or Christophe Laporte who escaped on this sector 20.
The 19 year old Estonian rider, who made his debut in a Monument, unfortunately lost contact with this strong rider group in the Trouée d’Arenberg because of a puncture. But immediately after the five starred sector, Laurenz Rex managed to make the junction and lead the race with twelve others.
The 23 year old rode in the lead of the race until the sector of Mons-en-Pévèle with 45 kilometer to go. He then rode the last hour alongside Maximilian Walscheid. At the end of the fastest edition in history, Rex crossed the finish line on the velodrome in ninth position.
Despite a crash in Trouée d’Arenberg, Mike Teunissen finished the race in seventeenth position. The four debutants of the team all finished their first Paris-Roubaix: Dries De Pooter (38th), Gerben Thijssen (70th), Julius Johansen (71st) and Madis Mihkels (105th).
« This top ten is a fantastic reward for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. Despite all bad luck, the crashes and illness decimating our team, we never gave up. We showed once more that we are a team of warriors. All week long my feeling was good. I felt that I was able to do a result in Paris-Roubaix. When I was with the favorites after Arenberg, I told myself that I had to keep up as long as possible to achieve a top ten. The rhythm of Mathieu van der Poel in the sector of Mons-en-Pévèle killed me, after which I chased with Walscheid. We never doubted and rode together to Roubaix. I’m very proud about my top ten in this race, my preferred race, and so happy for my team. »
Paris-Roubaix :
1.Mathieu van der Poel 5:28:41
2.Jasper Philipsen +0:46
3.Wout Van Aert
9.Laurenz Rex
17.Mike Teunissen +5:36
38.Dries De Pooter
70.Gerben Thijssen +11:58
71.Julius Johansen +12:49
114.Madis Mihkels +20:28
DNF Baptiste Planckaert
