INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

April 6 ^th 2024 - 19:12

· The 121st Paris-Roubaix was introduced on Saturday with a team presentation held in Compiègne right before female world champion Lotte Kopecky raised her arms in victory after winning the 4th Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Like in the women’s race, most eyes were set on the rainbow jersey as Mathieu Van der Poel is the defending champion and rider to beat in the men’s version.

· Alpecin-Deceuninck is lining up Jasper Philipsen alongside Van der Poel. Visma | Lease a Bike places its hopes on former winner Dylan van Baarle, while Lidl-Trek backs Mads Pedersen and UAE Team Emirates supports Nils Politt’s bid. Movistar Team hopes Oier Lazkano and Iván García Cortina will deliver a landmark result, while Kasper Asgreen carries the flag for Soudal-Quick Step.

Rains expected tonight
There are few races in the world that make fans check the weather forecast as emphatically as Paris-Roubaix does. The nature of the race can change drastically depending on the rain and the wind, as race director Thierry Gouvenou knows. “In the last recon, we saw that the first five cobbled sectors of tomorrow’s race were flooded, as were Haveluy to Wallers and Sars-et-Rosières. It’s been sunny and windy today, and this should help improve their state even though they will remain moist. In addition to that, rain is expected tonight. We will likely get a scenario mixing dry and wet sectors, and that’s tricky as the riders need to adapt their pace to the conditions of each sector.” Another topic on the eve of this Paris-Roubaix has been the new chicane that has been set up right before the Arenberg Forest. Thierry Gouvenou explained this decision: “Adam Hansen, the president of the CPA rider association, asked us one week ago whether we could find a solution for the riders to hit the Arenberg Forest at a lower speed. I am aware that this section can be the scariest ordeal of the season for many riders. We went over many options and chose this one, which might not be ideal yet will help reduce the speed from 70 kph down to 25 or 30 kph. Next year we will find a more natural way to accomplish this.”

Mathieu Van der Poel: “My only plan is to stay out of trouble”
Alpecin-Deceuninck is on a roll. The Belgian outfit comes to the Hell of the North fresh off from winning the first two Monuments of the season with blazing sprinter Jasper Philipsen (Milano-Sanremo) and current world champion Mathieu Van der Poel (Tour of Flanders). These are the same two riders who were second and first last year at the Vélodrome André Petrieux in Roubaix – the men to beat for the rest of contenders, even though Van der Poel tries to somehow downplay their status. “Roubaix is a super difficult race to win,” warns the Dutchman. “It’s not the easiest course to make a difference, and that makes it a very tactical race. My only plan is to stay out of trouble… and, from then on, everything is to play.” Having Philipsen by his side can well be an asset. “Let’s hope we get both into the final and we can play our cards like last year,” says the Belgian fast-man. “It’s a long way to Roubaix and many things can happen, yet I’m hungry for the win.” Following his victory last Sunday in Flanders, Van der Poel has a good shot of pulling off the cobbled Monuments double – an achievement only nine riders in history have accomplished.

Mads Pedersen, “100% ready” for a race he loves
“I love this race,” says Mads Pedersen with a bright smile when we ask him what his relationship with Paris-Roubaix is like. “Ok, maybe it is a mix between love and hate, because I’ve only done really good in this race once… but it definitely is an event that speaks to me.” The Dane has indeed started the Hell of the North six times and only finished once inside the top50 by being 4th in 2023, yet his mood was very optimistic during the team presentation in Compiègne. “My body has healed from the crash I suffered last week in Dwars Door Vlaanderen and I feel 100% ready to race.” Supporting his chances will be his Lidl-Trek teammates, a squad on the rise in this Classics campaign. “We were on a high until last week, when that crash knocked us out for a bit,” explains road captain Tim Declercq. “Now Mads is very hungry to deliver, and the rest of the team too. We have everything to become a great Classic team, with strength in depth and an incredible leader in Mads. It's difficult to foresee how we can beat Van der Poel, as the list of possible scenarios is endless. Alpecin are even better-suited to Roubaix than they were to Flanders. We are the underdog compared to them, and it’s a role that suits us great. We will try to play the team card… but, in the final, it normally comes down to a one-to-one fight.”

Tom Pidcock: “This race suits me”
Ineos Grenadiers’ main men for tomorrow’s Paris-Roubaix are quite opposite types, with 1,94m and 78kg for Josh Tarling and 1,70m and 58kg for Tom Pidcock. Both can add their name to the British team’s record book in the Hell of the North, where it has won once (Dylan van Baarle, 2022) and stood on the podium twice more (with Ian Stannard in 2016 and Juan Antonio Flecha in 2010). Tarling already entered this event last year, finishing outside the time limit, whereas Pidcock is racing tomorrow for the first time as a pro after winning both the Junior and the U23 version back on its day. His debut has been a last-minute call: “I was supposed to be in the Tour of Basque Country this week, yet I crashed just before starting of the opening ITT and therefore I missed it. I have recovered pretty quickly and, together with the team, we have decided to give Roubaix a crack. I only flew in last night, then had a small recon ride today. It’s difficult to say how competitive I will be tomorrow. I believe that, despite what people might say about my weight, this race suits me. I have fond memories from racing in the lower categories and I’m for sure going to enjoy the experience.”

Luca Mozzato: “I hope to be in the mix”
It’s been 27 years since a French team last won Paris-Roubaix, with Frédéric Guesdon claiming the 1997 ‘pavé’ trophy for La Française des Jeux, a squad still alive to this day under the name Groupama-FDJ. The outfit directed by Marc Madiot, a two-times Roubaix winner himself, will be spearheaded tomorrow by Switzerland’s Stefan Küng (3rd in 2022, 5th in 2023) and New Zealand’s Laurence Pithie, who has caught more than an eye with his revelation in this Classics campaign. “I’d been lying if I didn’t say I am very excited,” admits Pithie, “yet tomorrow it will be all in for Stefan.” Groupama-FDJ will also line up a former Junior Paris-Roubaix winner in Great Britain’s Lewis Askey. Arkéa-Samsic reaches Compiègne in good spirits following Luca Mozzato’s 2nd place in the Tour of Flanders. “Roubaix will be a different story, but I hope to be in the mix again,” says the Italian rider. As for TotalEnergies, they aim for a breakaway dreaming of putting a man on the podium as happened when Sébastien Turgot finished 2nd in 2012. “We are battle-ready,” states team leader Anthony Turgis. “Launching my attack before Arenberg would be ideal to avoid any skirmishes.” Last but not least, Decathlon-Ag2r put its faith on Oliver Naesen, who was 7th in Flanders. “I am at my 100% both physically and mentally,” says the Belgian, who is yet to score a top10 result in Roubaix (12th in 2018). “Anything can happen. I might stand on the podium… or I might not finish!”

Upbeat Movistar Team aims to improve its best-ever result
“Competing in the Classics like we are doing this year is unprecedented in the history of this team.” Iván García Cortina is well aware that Movistar Team is far from used to racing on the cobbles with such prowess as they are showing this season, with both the Asturian rider and the Spanish national champion Oier Lazkano at the front line deep into the races. The Basque rider is as enthusiastic as his teammate: “If you like cycling, you like Paris-Roubaix. It’s always an honor to participate, and it will be a bigger honor if we get to contend.” While Movistar Team has a remarkable heritage in stage racing, with no less than 15 grand tour victories to its name in a trajectory that dates back to 1980, it has not met such success in Paris-Roubaix, with Imanol Erviti’s 9th place in 2016 as its best-ever result. “With the shape that Iván and Oier have showed in this Classics campaign, I think they can beat that record if luck is on our side,” says DS Jurgen Roelandts. “I’ll put it down in the goals on tonight’s pre-race meeting!”

The 121st Paris-Roubaix was introduced on Saturday with a team presentation held in Compiègne right before female world champion Lotte Kopecky raised her arms in victory after winning the 4th Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Like in the women’s race, most eyes were set on the rainbow jersey as Mathieu Van der Poel is the defending champion and rider to beat in the men’s version.

Alpecin-Deceuninck is lining up Jasper Philipsen alongside Van der Poel. Visma | Lease a Bike places its hopes on former winner Dylan van Baarle, while Lidl-Trek backs Mads Pedersen and UAE Team Emirates supports Nils Politt’s bid. Movistar Team hopes Oier Lazkano and Iván García Cortina will deliver a landmark result, while Kasper Asgreen carries the flag for Soudal-Quick Step.