Full shownotes: https://ingamba.pro/feature/podcast-3-paris-roubaix/

In this episode:

• Wout van Aert, Franzi Koch, and the drama of Paris-Roubaix 2026
• Why the bicycle was a symbol of modernity for early 20th-century artists
• Metzinger’s Au Vélodrome and the layers of a Cubist painting
• Futurism and capturing movement in a still image
• The one-word answer that explains the link between cycling and art

Join us in 2027 at Paris Roubaix – spots are open now!

Adrie is one of inGamba's most beloved special trip leaders — and this episode is a preview of the kind of storytelling you get when you ride alongside him.

What We Cover in This Episode

Nearly 20 years as a top pro — the secret to longevity Adrie's answer is disarmingly simple: he just loved riding his bike. When the big classics became too hard in his mid-30s, he found new goals in smaller races and cyclocross rather than walking away. He draws a parallel to Greg Van Avermaet, who retired when he knew Flanders would never come again — a very different kind of story.

Mathieu van der Poel — the moment Adrie knew The story starts before Mathieu could even ride without training wheels. His school teacher called Adrie to ask why he still had them on — because Mathieu had been riding every other kid's bike in the schoolyard without them. "When he was five, I started doing some small races in the region and you saw a certain drive. How he got on the bike, got off the bike, changing gears — you only had to explain it once. He was just a total natural." But Adrie is clear: talent was only the beginning.

Why cyclocross produces great road riders: Asked about the pipeline from cross to road (ahem, Wout van Aert, Mathieu, Tom Pidcock) Adrie's take is characteristically direct: "They have a lot of talent. And later on they discovered they were very good on the road. But it all starts with talent. And then: try to enjoy your work. That's the only thing that matters."

Flanders vs. Roubaix — which is more special? Despite winning Flanders, Adrie's most cherished race is Paris–Roubaix. His reasoning mirrors what Tom Boonen told him: Flanders shares roads and climbs with a dozen other spring races, but the Roubaix cobbles are opened just once a year. "The cobbles at Roubaix — they didn't put them in the ground on their knees. They dropped them from an airplane. That's it."

Still a kid on new bike day: Even now, riding 10,000 kilometers a year, Adrie puts a new bike in the bedroom and stares at it. "I enjoy a new bike like I was 10 years old."

This season, Adrie van der Poel is part of our inGamba trips to Milan–San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix — and the stories you'll hear on the road make this podcast episode sound like a warm-up act. Sign up for one of our 2027 trips now so you don’t miss your chance! ingamba.pro

Cycling Conversations with inGamba is produced by inGamba. Hosted by Molly Hurford. Creative direction by James Startt. Visit ingamba.pro to join the next trip.

From white-knuckle descents at 80+ km/h and crashes into farm runoff, to broken cleats and moments of pure bewilderment, their stories bring the race to life in a way no broadcast ever could. This is the conversation you get when you're riding alongside former pros — and exactly the kind of access inGamba delivers on their Classics experiences.

Meet the Guests

• Sergio Paulinho is a former Portuguese professional cyclist who represented his country at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he claimed a silver medal in the road race — a result that earned him a spot on the classics squad at Liberty Seguros. A grand tour stage winner and all-around classics rouleur, Sergio raced the Tour of Flanders in 2005 and has the distinction of featuring in the Flanders Museum's permanent collection — albeit not for a winning photo.
• Manuel Cardoso is a former Portuguese professional road cyclist known as a prolific winner throughout his career, claiming around 10 victories a season at his peak and multiple national championship titles. A rider built for punchy, hilly classics, Manuel raced the Tour of Flanders multiple times — first as a wide-eyed neo-pro with RadioShack, and later as a seasoned domestique with a key tactical role.

inGamba offers curated cycling travel experiences at the world's greatest races and most beautiful roads. Their Spring Classics trips put you in the middle of the action at the Tour of Flanders — with VIP access, behind-the-scenes intel, and guides who have actually raced and won these events. That includes inGamba guide Adrie van der Poel, the 1986 Tour of Flanders champion, who features in this very conversation.

As Molly mentions in the episode: the best stories are the ones shared off-mic. The only way to hear them is to be on the trip.

Check out all of our upcoming tours at ingamba.pro

Key Timestamps

Time Topic 00:59 Welcome & intro — why Flanders matters 01:42 James Startt on Flanders as a monument

03:21 Introducing Sergio Paulinho & Manuel Cardoso

05:22 Manuel's first Flanders — the fans, the fight, the feeling

07:09 Manuel's sport directors: "You can do well here"

08:17 The descent into the Kwaremont — chaos at 80+ km/h

11:56 Paterberg in the rain: crashes, cleats, and catastrophe

13:08 Sergio's 2005 Flanders debut — the Olympic silver medalist arrives

15:30 Sergio crashes into a Flemish farm's finest

16:29 What it's really like in the middle of the peloton

17:23 Manuel: one month to recover from his first Flanders

18:20 Flanders vs. Roubaix — Kristoff, Sergio, and the debate

20:29 Adrie van der Poel and how racing has changed across generations

22:28 Team tactics from RadioShack to the Pogačar era

Connect with inGamba

• 🌐 Website: ingamba.pro
• 📸 Instagram: @ingamba

Cycling Conversations with inGamba is produced by inGamba. Hosted by Molly Hurford. Creative direction by James Startt.

This is the space for when sport meets elevated living: where a former pro racer dissects the brutality of racing a Classic, followed by a cycling-CEO sharing their favourite spot for a post-ride Negroni. Along the way is our creative director and award-winning cycling photographer James Startt who joins cycling journalist Molly Hurford to unpack the cultural currents shaping the sport and the destinations that make it so beautiful.

 To learn more about our award-winning bike tours and to join us, visit ingamba.pro or the link in our shownotes.