Dylan van Baarle wins Paris Roubaix 2022

Paris Roubaix never disappoints and in this edition we have experienced a very different race than expected. Dutchman Dylan van Baarle took the victory after two attacks that left him alone with almost 18 km to go.

Van Baarle wins Paris Roubaix 2022

The race started to move very early this year, perhaps too early, when the Ineos team took advantage of the wind at 200km from the finish line and marked the beginning of a very divided race.

From there on, the race was shaken up, with the big favourites, such as Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, in a third group that was never more than 1:30 minutes behind the lead with 90 km to go.

Wout van Aert had to change bikes with 88 km to go, but even so, the Belgian was having good luck with the mechanics so far and certainly hadn't said his last word in the race yet.

The kilometres and cobbled sections were doing their job and by the time the race reached the Mons-en-Pevele, one of the three 5-star sections, the chasing group was already very reduced with only 50 riders. Ahead Mohoric, Devriendt and Pichon were still in the lead, but their advantage seemed to be slipping away despite Mohoric's attempts to try and save the breakaway.

Van Aert gradually began to take more and more prominence and led a couple of attacks that even saw van der Poel suffer. The Belgian continued to do so even after he had to change bikes for the second time with 39 km to go.

With 20km to go, Mohoric, Devriendy, Asgreen and Van Baarle, the last to arrive, were at the head of the race with almost half a minute advantage over Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Stefan Küng, Laurent Pichon, Ben Turner, Yves Lampaert, Jasper Stuyven and Adrien Petit.

It was hard to tell whether van der Poel had learned his lesson from last year and wasn't willing to waste a single watt in the final kilometres or whether he really wasn't having his day. But what is certain is that at the front they were ready to reach the finish line alone and the chasing group was finding it increasingly difficult to make contact with them.

Dutchman Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadier) jumped out of the leading group with a hard attack that with 18 km to go could well be worth a victory.

One of the worst crashes of the day, due to its sporting consequences, was suffered by Lampaert when, 5 kilometres from the finish line, a supporter touched him and he went to the ground when the Belgian was fighting for the podium.

With the "favourites" more than 2 minutes behind and his immediate pursuers almost 1:30 minutes away, Dutchman Dylan van Baaerle already knew he was the winner of Paris Roubaix 2022 with 3 km to go.

At the age of 29, Dylan van Baaerle finished first at Paris Roubaix 2022, achieving the best victory of his sporting career.

The rest of the podium was decided in a tight sprint between Kung and Van Aert that had to be decided by a photo finish. In the end Wout van Aert was second and Switzerland's Stefan Küng third.

París Roubaix 2022 Results

1. Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadier) 05:37:00
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) +00:01:47
3. Stefan Kung (Groupama) +00:01:47
4. Tom Devriendt (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux) +00:01:47
5. Matej Mohoric (Bahrain - Victorious) +00:01:47
6. Adrien Petit (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux)+00:02:27
7. Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo) +00:02:27
8. Laurent Pichon (Team Arkea Samsic) +00:02:27
9. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix) +00:02:34
10. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step) +00:02:59