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Tadej Pogačar's bid for victory at Paris-Roubaix takes a dramatic turn after a mid-race puncture. This incident could reshape the race dynamics as Pogačar faces unexpected challenges on the cobbles.
During the 22nd pavé sector, Quérénaing à Maing, Pogačar suffers a puncture with 120 kilometers left. Video shows him pulling to the side, struggling with a spinning rear wheel. Despite being with his UAE Team Emirates-XRG, his team fails to notice his predicament, leaving him to chase on a Shimano neutral support bike.
In the confusion, Pogačar declines a neutral service wheel, hoping for a team car that never arrives due to narrow roads and the peloton's spread. Consequently, he loses nearly a minute to his rivals, falling back to the second group.
As he resumes racing on the spare bike, Pogačar quickly begins to chase down the leaders. His team vehicle finally reaches him with 115 kilometers to go, allowing him to switch back to his familiar team-issued spare. He finds himself alone at the front of the chase group, including Josh Tarling from Ineos-Grenadiers, who also crashed earlier. The race situation becomes increasingly tense as Pogačar fights to regain contact with the leaders.
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