IDL Retro | Van der Poel and Pogacar invincible in the monuments? Underdogs always have a chance, as Matthew Hayman proved

Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. They evenly split the five Monuments among themselves in the 2023 cycling season. Van der Poel claimed Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, Pogacar won the Tour of Flanders and his third Tour of Lombardy in a majestic manner. Evenepoel succeeded himself at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The most important one-day races in cycling became prey for the well-known gluttons of the peloton. As 2024 looms on the horizon, we might witness a replay of this grand spectacle. This IDL Retro segment is a trip down memory lane, celebrating the underdogs and unexpected winners of the Monuments, with a special nod to the 2016 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

As we move into the upcoming months, the focus shifts to the intensive preparations for the new season's major objectives. In 2024, stars like Van der Poel, Pogacar, and Evenepoel aim to reaffirm their prowess in the spring and autumn classics. Meanwhile, other stars of the cycling world, such as Wout van Aert —who clinched his last Monument victory three years ago— are eager to outpace rivals like MVDP in iconic races like Flanders or Roubaix. These four cyclists are likely to be top contenders for all the Monuments. In 2023, they shared the spoils of victory among themselves, enough to make any almost-top rider feel disheartened.

Outstanding outsiders: From Stuyven and Colbrelli to Bettiol and Mollema

Picture this: the acclaimed frontrunners, those deemed favorites on paper, have failed to solve the puzzle. Caught in the whirlwind of race dynamics, burdened with leading the chase, or simply off their game, they falter. These circumstances occasionally pave the way for an unexpected hero, a dark horse emerging from the shadows. 'Outsider' is a relative term here, open to various interpretations. The contrast, though, is stark between the predicted stars and those who just made or missed the pre-race spotlight. Major victories by this latter group of riders are becoming increasingly rare. Rarer because of the insatiable hunger and the quality and power surges of the aforementioned super racers.

2019 was a year that broke this mold. That spring, big names seized the Monuments: Julian Alaphilippe, perhaps at his best that year, clinched Milan-San Remo, while Jakob Fuglsang, consistently brilliant all spring long, claimed victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But what about Alberto Bettiol and Bauke Mollema in the Tour of Flanders and the Tour of Lombardy, respectively? Far from being the clear-cut favorites, they orchestrated perfectly timed breakaways, catapulting themselves to the most significant victories of their careers, outpacing the frontrunners. Other notable unexpected victors? Sonny Colbrelli in Paris-Roubaix and Jasper Stuyven in Milan-San Remo in 2021, both fitting the outsider mold. Yet, a decade's worth of Monument winners reveals an even more astonishing underdog story.

Underdog of underdogs: Hayman was supposed to be just a backdrop in the show of Sagan, Terpstra, Boonen and Cancellara

On Sunday, April 10, 2016, the nearly 38-year-old Matthew Hayman, reluctantly, joined the early breakaway group in Paris-Roubaix. This group was expected to be caught eventually. Hayman thought he might be of some use to his Orica-Greenedge teammates later in the race. Initially, Hayman wasn't even supposed to ride in Paris-Roubaix. He fell and broke his elbow six weeks before starting in the Hell of the North during the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. His spring classics season seemed over, but the Australian fought back with a rapid recovery and solid training to regain his form. He started in Compiègne nonetheless. On that day, as a loyal domestique, he couldn't assist his teammates, as the race behind the early breakaway descended into total chaos.

Even before the real finale, numerous favorites found themselves in disarray. The Sky team, working for Luke Rowe, almost entirely wiped out. Former winners Fabian Cancellara and Niki Terpstra fell far behind, and top contender Peter Sagan was chasing in vain. This significantly whittled down the list of favorites. By then, the early breakaway had been caught by a small peloton, with just two top favorites remaining on paper: Tom Boonen, aiming for a unique fifth victory in the cobblestone classic, and Sep Vanmarcke, in top form all spring. Hayman was the only rider from the early breakaway still at the front of the race. He nearly dropped off several times but barely clung on through the last cobblestone section in the wheels of Boonen, Vanmarcke, the British Ian Stannard, and the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen.

As part of the final quintet, Hayman literally had nothing to lose. He had finished Paris-Roubaix many times before, but almost always entered the famed velodrome towards the back of the pack. Eighth place was his best result. Hayman had rarely won a race and had only a few podium finishes in major spring races over a fifteen-year career. Now, with just a few kilometers left, he was leading in the most heroic of the five Monuments. So, he decided to give it a try. First on his own, and later with Boonen. Together with the Belgian legend, he opened a gap. The great Boonen, who only had to defeat the modest Hayman for his unique, fifth cobblestone trophy. It seemed like a walk in the park, and a scenario Hayman had already resigned himself to at that point in the race, as he later said: "I thought: second is good and Boonen is a great rider to win this."

Courageous Hayman puts top favorites Boonen and Vanmarcke to shame with strong sprint

But then, the final kilometer. The entry onto the velodrome. Vanmarcke, Stannard, and Boasson Hagen catch up again. The unassuming Hayman doesn't back down. He takes the lead and pushes hard. He moves higher up on the track and picks up speed, going faster and stronger. His pace is formidable, and his strokes become suddenly more powerful. The last turn is behind him. The others are struggling to keep up, and the Australian looks stoically ahead, pounding and powering through. The superior sprinter Boonen closes in, but it's too late. The nearly 38-year-old Hayman, previously overlooked by everyone, wins Paris-Roubaix. He immediately looks back to see if it's really true. For dozens of seconds afterward, he wanders around the velodrome in disbelief. He simply can't believe it. These are golden moments from one of the most unexpected Monument winners ever.

The greatest cyclists win the biggest races. At least, that's usually the case. But sometimes, the favorites get trapped in the dynamics of the race, have to do all the work themselves, drop out, or simply aren't having their day. And then, a gap opens. A gap for the underdogs in the peloton who are waiting for a unique opportunity. Even Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pogacar, and Evenepoel won't always be unbeatable, just as the expected five-time Paris-Roubaix winner Tom Boonen wasn't unbeatable on April 10, 2016. There's always a chance for a unique display of cycling genius. Just ask Matthew Hayman.

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