All is right in the world now! WVA winning Paris-Roubaix is a fantastic example of how you should never give up, never lose hope, and most of all, respect that your timeline is your timeline. In other words, if you keep working, you will eventually get to where you want.
But let's get into how he won the race, because I think there were some interesting things he did that led to the win.
1. Vision and Purpose Are The Winning Foundation
First off, WVA had a vision and a purpose which has kept him on track through the highs and lows that are required to achieve a massive goal. His teammate and friend passed away in 2018, and he committed to winning this race for him. He visualized the effort required and the finish line salute he would give in his honor for 8 years. This is one of the most powerful things an athlete can do.
2. Failure Is The Key Ingredient For Success
WVA used his experience from failure to guide him. One of the benefits of trying and failing so many times is that you learn EXACTLY how to win. All day, WVA was in the right place at the right time. He made the right selections and came back from his flat tires with the calmness of a veteran, preserving key energy for the final.
3. Tadej’s kryptonite? Go On The Offense!
Easy to say, harder to do, but one strategy that we have seen work in the past is to actually attack Tadej. WVA repeatedly took his own shots at Tadej, just as he saw MVDP do in 2025, which seemed to take the wind out of Tadej's sails. I think Tadej is so used to racing on his terms that he seems to lose a bit of his needed confidence when other riders follow and then attack on their own.
WVA attacked in smart places like one-lined sections which had a strong, open crosswind. These put Tadej in a difficult position, having to do the same if not more power as WVA and match his cyclocross bike handling skills. Well played, WVA.
4. Strategic Cooperation and Non-Cooperation
WVA stopped working with Tadej when Tadej attacked him and worked with him when Tadej stopped. Cycling is so much mental, and I think WVA played the game well. His counterattacks definitely added doubt in Tadej's mind, while stopping helping Tadej after his attacks further disrupted Tadej's confidence. This strategy appeared to soften the confidence of Tadej and "tamed the beast," so to speak.
5. Choosing Discomfort & Risk Taking
WVA fought discomfort to ride in his drops as often as he could to be more aero and save energy, and took risks to ride extremely close to Tadej's wheel to save key energy. While WVA won in a sprint in the end and you could predict that would have happened, WVA clearly had fresher legs in the final, gapping Tadej on the jump by more than a bike length. WVA was simply stronger in the end due to these two small but significant things.
The Bottom Line
WVA won Paris-Roubaix because:
- 8 years of vision and purpose kept him focused through everything
- Experience from failure taught him exactly how to position and preserve energy
- Attacking Tadej disrupted his rhythm and confidence
- Strategic cooperation played mental games that softened Tadej's belief
- Marginal gains (aero position + wheel surfing) saved critical watts for the final
Never give up. Never lose hope. Your timeline is your timeline.
WVA's win is proof: keep working, keep believing, and eventually you'll get there.
