Mid-race scare for Tadej Pogačar after puncture, neutral spare bike sees race favourite off the back at Paris-Roubaix

Tadej Pogačar's plans of winning Paris-Roubaix were cast into doubt after a mid-race puncture while racing across the 22nd pavé sector - Quérénaing à Maing - saw him off the back and chasing on a Shimano neutral support bike.

The World Champion punctured with 120km to go over the cobblestones, with video footage showing him pulling over to the side of the pavé with a spinning rear wheel.

Although he had UAE Team Emirates-XRG with him in the front split of the peloton, none appeared to realise that he had punctured and dropped off the group.

In the chaos, he rejected a neutral service wheel from the race-supplied motorbikes, seemingly hoping one of his team cars would soon approach.

But there were no team vehicles nearby due to the narrow roads and large separations in the peloton, and he was instead forced onto a Shimano neutral-service spare bike.

In the process, he dropped out of the front group, losing close to a minute on his rivals, and in turn was caught by the second group on the road.

Racing on a spare bike, Pogačar quickly started his chase, among the race's second group. His team vehicle subsequently reached him with 115km to go, where he stopped again, dismounting the neutral support bike and remounting a familiar machine; his own team-issued spare.

He remained alone at this point, sitting on the front of the chase group that also contained Josh Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), who crashed earlier on in the race.

Meanwhile, rival teams in the front group, Visma-Lease a Bike and Alpecin-Premier Tech, put pressure on the front of the race.

It wasn't until 113km to go that Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG realised he was no longer in the group.

Teammates António Morgado, Nils Politt and Mikkel Bjerg dropped back from the front group to wait for their leader, and once connected, they still remained roughly 20 seconds behind the leading group as the peloton hit the Haveluy à Wallers with 105km remaining, where Mathieu van der Poel drove the pace on the front.

Video footage then showed Pogačar move to the front of the second group in a desperate attempt to close the gap, just as his rival Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) launched an attack off the front of the race.

But the World Champion appeared to rescue his race with 98km to go, reconnecting with the front group just ahead of the Trouée d'Arenberg.

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