Punctured both wheels and had open wounds in both hands – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

– I fell off on the last cobblestone section and couldn’t hold the handlebars, says Kristoff to TV 2 while showing his bloody palms. A large flesh wound appears. Naturally very impractical when you take part in perhaps the world’s toughest bike race. The race is 256.6 kilometers long, and is often referred to as “Hell in the North” because of the many cobblestone sections. Just after the finish line, Kristoff drinks from a soda can that he holds like tweezers; the pain in the palms is obviously great. – I have open wounds. It wasn’t “nice”. It really hurt, that stuff. Then I can bet that it will heal when I start training again, says Kristoff bravely after rolling over the finish line as the 15th man. BUTAL COBBLES: The professional cyclists speed over several kilometers of cobblestone sections during the race. Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP Punctured on both wheels He won the sprint in what was left of the main field. Up to the winner, Mathieu van der Poel, it was over five minutes. – I had to change my bike after puncturing both wheels. I was one of those who missed the hatch, and spent a lot of effort trying to get in. When the guns were rolling, I was a little lacking to keep up. I didn’t have the legs, says Kristoff to TV 2. Mathieu van der Poel from Alpecin-Deceuninck came alone to the Velodrome in Roubaix. Teammate Jasper Philipsen was second, while Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) was third. WON: Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix. Photo: PASCAL ROSSIGNOL / Reuters – It is not possible to do better, says van der Poel in an interview shown on TV 2. Puncture decided the victory The race was decided just over 15 kilometers before the finish line. First, John Degenkolb was pushed out of the way and collided with a spectator. Van Aert then picked up the pace before he punctured. Suddenly, van der Poel was alone at the front – a lead he maintained until the finish. – It’s a shame that he punctured, I think we would have reached the finish line together if that hadn’t happened. But to win this race you need luck and good legs. Today I had both, says a happy Mathieu van der Poel.



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