Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished second in his debut at the Paris-Roubaix, edged only by Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who won one of the toughest one-day races in the world for the third straight time on 13 April.

Pogačar rode in the front from the flag and it was a series of attacks by him that broke the race open, having made his first signature acceleration more than 100 kilometres from the finish line an a remote and windy path.

Several more attempts later, he dropped the others, but was soon caught by Van der Poel and the Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek), who would eventually finish third.

Once the race was down to the two stars, Pogačar took a cobbled corner too fast, flying into fencing, falling off his bike and losing his chain, which meant he needed a replacement bike.

"I was following a motorbike and didn't see the corner until too late," said the 26-year-old Slovenian.

Van der Poel had his share of mishaps towards the end of the race too, but by then he had made enough time on Pogačar to cruise comfortably to victory, with a lead of a minute and twenty seconds.

Pogačar, currently the world's top ranked cyclist, is an all-rounder and can never be discounted in any race, but Paris-Roubaix at 259.2 kilometres and with several brutal cobbled sections, is a race suited more for specialists such as Van der Poel, who is ten kilos heavier than Pogačar.

Both now have eight wins in major one-day races known as the Monuments.

"Pogačar is an exceptional talent... I guess we'll see him back next year to take his revenge," Van der Poel said.