Schlagwort-Archive: Paris-Roubaix

LAST-CHANCE SALOON FOR WVA AND VDP ON THE COBBLESTONES

Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:
 On Sunday, 9 April, the 120th edition of Paris–Roubaix will roll out from Compiègne and set the stage for the latest showdown between Wout van Aert and Mathieu Van der Poel, the King Kong and Godzilla of the elite classics scene, who are still on the hunt for their first cobblestone trophies in the André-Petrieux Velodrome.

 However, the start list is packed with outsiders eager to snatch the win from under their noses in the Queen of Classics, a race where anything can happen: Mads Pedersen, Filippo Ganna, Kasper Asgreen, Nils Politt, Matej Mohorič, Alexander Kristoff, Stefan Küng, Sep Vanmarcke, Gianni Moscon… and Arnaud De Lie in his debut in the Hell of the North.
X
The Northern classics campaign is winding down. After a week of bone-rattling recon rides, a day of reckoning awaits for cobble-gobblers on a quest to settle the score, confirm their new-found status or pull off the coup of the decade. Out of the 175 riders on the start line in Compiègne, the main attractions will be Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, two stars who seem cut out for the Queen of Classics but have yet to deliver on that promise. A combination of zealous rivals, untimely punctures and tactical blunders have left them with a bitter taste in the velodrome, even on the podium. Last year, the Belgian had to settle for a frustrating second place, while his Dutch frenemy was just as disappointed to finish third in his Roubaix debut in 2021. Going into this year’s edition, the momentum seems to be with Van der Poel, who came out on top in Milan–San Remo and was the best of the rest in Pogačar’s Tour of Flanders recital. Yet Van Aert’s comparatively smaller haul, including a prestigious triumph in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, has also showed the depth of Jumbo–Visma, with Dylan van Baarle winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Christophe Laporte taking Gent–Wevelgem in tandem with his leader and Dwars door Vnderen with a solo move. The Roubaix title holder and the French man of the hour will be Van Aert’s key allies in his bid for glory on Sunday afternoon.

A quick glance at the recent history of Paris–Roubaix reveals that the wildest race on the calendar is seldom kind to the odds-on favourites, with eleven different winners in the last eleven editions. It is therefore crucial to take a long, hard look at the list of dark horses ready to surprise or take the fight to the classics titans in any scenario. Even without Van Baarle, Ineos Grenadiers have a real shot at defending the title with Filippo Ganna, the runner-up in San Remo, where he was sandwiched between VDP and WVA. Mads Pedersen’s performances in La Primavera (sixth) and De Ronde (third) make him a marked man too. Soudal–Quick Step are banking on Kasper Asgreen (seventh in Oudenaarde yesterday) and Yves Lampaert to grab a win and salvage their Northern campaign. Another Belgian team, Lotto Dstny, is fielding Florian Vermeersch, the breakthrough performer of the 2021 edition (second), and giving Arnaud De Lie the chance to make a strong impression in his own debut. This is exactly what Biniam Girmay had in mind before he crashed in the Tour of Flanders, but the Intermarché leader and victor of the 2022 Gent–Wevelgem could be forced to postpone his first Roubaix outing.

Among the French teams, Groupama–FDJ is pinning its hopes on Stefan Küng (third in 2022) and Arnaud Démare. TotalEnergies will strive to slip the 2018 champion, Peter Sagan, and Anthony Turgis into the decisive moves, while AG2R Citroën is rolling up to the start with a three-pronged Belgian offensive in which another former winner, Greg Van Avermaet, will rely on the support of Stan Dewulf and Oliver Naesen.

25 teams, main contenders
Australia
Jayco AlUla: Durbridge (AUS) and Štybar (CZE)
Bahrain
Bahrain Victorious: Mohorič (SLO) and Wright (GBR)
Belgium
Soudal–Quick-Step: Merlier, Lampaert (BEL), Asgreen (DAN) and Sénéchal (FRA)
Lotto Dstny: De Lie, Vermeersch and Frison (BEL)
Alpecin–Deceuninck: Van der Poel (NED), Dillier (SUI) and Groves (AUS)
Intermarché–Circus–Wanty: Girmay (ERI) and Rex (BEL)
Bingoal–WB: Van Keirsbulck (BEL)
Team Flanders–Baloise: Van Poucke (BEL)
France
AG2R Citroën: Van Avermaet, O. Naesen and Dewulf (BEL)
Cofidis: Walscheid (GER) and Wallays (BEL)
Groupama–FDJ: Démare (FRA) and Küng (SUI)
TotalEnergies: Sagan (SVK), A. Turgis (FRA) and Bodnar (POL)
Arkéa–Samsic: Hofstetter, Louvel (FRA) and McLay (GBR)
Germany
BORA-hansgrohe: Politt (GER) and Archbold (NZL)
Israel
Israel–Premier Tech: Vanmarcke and Van Asbroeck (BEL)
Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan: Moscon (ITA) and Bol (NED)
Netherlands
Jumbo–Visma: Van Aert (BEL), Laporte (FRA) and Van Baarle (NED)
DSM: Degenkolb (GER) and Eekhoff (NED)
Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Kristoff and Tiller (NOR)
Spain
Movistar Team: García Cortina, Lazkano (ESP) and Norsgaard Jørgensen (DEN)
Switzerland
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: Devriendt (BEL)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Bjerg (DEN), Ackermann (GER) and Trentin (ITA)
United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Ganna (ITA) and Kwiatkowski (POL)
United States
EF Education–EasyPost: Bisseger (SUI), Keukeleire (BEL) and Bettiol (ITA)
Trek–Segafredo: Stuyven (BEL) and M. Pedersen (DEN)

@ASO

2023 PARIS–ROUBAIX: THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GRAND AMBITIONS

Eintagsrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points

 The 120th Paris–Roubaix will be held on Sunday, 9 April, on a 256.6 km course stretching from Compiègne to Roubaix Velodrome and featuring 54.5 km of cobblestones. One of the 29 sectors on the menu —Haspres— is returning to the race nearly two decades after its latest appearance.
 Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, whose third edition will be held one day earlier on Saturday, 8 April, has been lengthened to 145.4 km (versus 124.7 km in 2022). Following the extended roll-out from Denain, the women will merge onto the men’s course to tackle an identical succession of 17 cobbled sectors (for a total of 29.2 km).

No-one can tame the cobblestones of Paris–Roubaix. The riotous 2022 edition showed that, in our day and age, it is not unusual for a favourite to find himself on the wrong end of a split before the race even starts in earnest —as Mads Pedersen is painfully aware—, for fortune to favour the bold —as Dylan van Baarle can attest— or for a cruel twist of fate to dash the hopes of a rider who just a few seconds earlier seemed invincible —as happened to Matej Mohorič. The menu of the 120th running of the race will serve up another hearty ration of drama, starting with the traditional first contact with the cobblestones in Troisvilles, just under 100 kilometres after the start in Compiègne. A bit further down the road, the changes made to the course this year will make their appearance in the run-up to the Trouée d’Arenberg, with the return of the Haspres sector (km 139.6), unseen since spring 2004. In 2001, this 1,700-metre section, which Thierry Gouvenou freely admits is „not very well paved”, went hand in hand with the debut of the Haveluy sector, coming a dozen kilometres later. From there, it is a long, hard slog to the finish. The highlights are the „five-star“ sectors that will separate the wheat from the chaff, namely, the Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161.3), Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 239.5).

The alteration made to the third edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift comes before the first cobblestones, but it is likely to make itself felt at a later point in the race. Two distinct loops on windswept roads near the beginning of the course will add an extra 20 kilometres or so to the total distance. The multiple changes of direction in the preliminary phase could trigger a brawl among the favourites, who will merge onto the men’s course upon reaching the cobbled sector in Hornaing. The no-holds-barred contest will continue for another 82.4 kilometres (including 29.2 km of cobblestones) before the finish in Roubaix Velodrome. Another two decisive moments will come in Mons-en-Pévèle (km 96.9) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 128.3), where every time without fail —Lizzie Deignan in 2021 and Elisa Longo-Borghini in 2022— the future winner has been alone at the front. Can anyone buck the trend?

Paris-Roubaix Challenge

Saturday April 8th 2023 – Amateur cyclists will face the legendary “Hell of the North” and its mythical cobbles a few hours before the professional pelotons and compete in one of the three proposed distances: 70 km (8 cobbled sections), 145 km (19 cobbled sections) and 170 km (29 cobbled sections).
©A.S.O.

More information about Paris-Roubaix Femmes on paris-roubaix-femmes.fr
More information about Paris-Rouaix on paris-roubaix.fr

Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift – Teams selection

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

The organisers of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift have selected the teams for the 3rd edition, Saturday, April 8th.

In accordance with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regulations, the fifteen UCI Women’s WorldTeams automatically entered are:

Canyon / / SRAM Racing (GER)
EF Education – Tibco – SVB (USA)
FDJ – Suez (FRA)
Fenix – Deceuninck (BEL)
Human Powered Health (USA)
Israel Premier Tech Roland (SUI)
Liv Racing TeqFind (NED)
Movistar Team Women (ESP)
Team DSM (NEd)
Team Jayco Alula (AUS)
Team Jumbo – Visma (NED)
Team SD Worx (NED)
Trek – Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team ADQ (UAE)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

Furthermore, the two best 2022 UCI Women’s Continental teams will participate by right in Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift:

Ceratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team (GER)
Lifeplus Wahoo (GBR)

The organisers have invited the following teams:

AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step Team (BEL)
Arkéa Pro Cycling Team (FRA)
Cofidis Women Team (FRA)
Parkhotel Valkenburg (NED)
St Michel – Mavic – Auber 93 (FRA)
Stade Rochelais Charente Maritime (FRA)
ZAAF Cycling Team (ESP)

PARIS-ROUBAIX: TEAM SELECTION

The organisers of Paris-Roubaix have selected the teams for the 120th edition, Sunday, April 9th.
In accordance with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules, the eighteen UCI WorldTeams are invited:

AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
Alpecin Deceuninck (BEL)
Astana QazaQstan Team (KAZ)
Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
EF Education-Easypost (USA)
Groupama-FDJ (FRA)
Ineos Grenadiers (GBR)
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (BEL)
Jumbo-Visma (NED)
Movistar Team (ESP)
Soudal Quick-Step (BEl)
Team Arkea-Samsic (FRA)
Team Bahrain Victorious (BRN)
Team Cofidis (FRA)
Team DSM (NED)
Team Jayco AlUla (AUS)
Trek-Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)

Furthermore, the three highest ranked UCI ProTeams in 2022 will participate by right in Paris-Roubaix:

TotalEnergies (FRA)
Lotto Dstny (BEL)
Israel Premier Tech (ISR)

The organisers have invited the following teams:

Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB (BEL)
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (SUI)
Team Flanders-Baloise (BEL)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

Paris – Roubaix 257 Km

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Teamnews, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , , ,

1 VAN BAARLE Dylan NED INEOS GRENADIERS 05:37:00
2 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO – VISMA 01:47
3 KÜNG Stefan SUI GROUPAMA – FDJ 01:47
4 DEVRIENDT Tom BEL INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 01:47
5 MOHORIC Matej SLO BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 01:47
6 PETIT Adrien FRA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 02:27
7 STUYVEN Jasper BEL TREK – SEGAFREDO 02:27
8 PICHON Laurent FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 02:27
9 VAN DER POEL Mathieu NED ALPECIN – FENIX 02:34
10 LAMPAERT Yves BEL QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 02:59
11 TURNER Ben GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 04:30
12 KRISTOFF Alexander NOR INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 04:33
13 SENECHAL Florian FRA QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 04:36
14 MEEUS Jordi BEL BORA – HANSGROHE 04:47
15 LOUVEL Matis FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 04:47
16 VAN DER HOORN Taco NED INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 04:47
17 VAN AVERMAET Greg BEL AG2R CITROEN TEAM 04:47
18 DEGENKOLB John GER TEAM DSM 04:47
19 PASQUALON Andrea ITA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 04:47
20 TEUNISSEN Mike NED JUMBO – VISMA 04:47
21 BISSEGGER Stefan SUI EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 04:47
22 POLITT Nils GER BORA – HANSGROHE 04:47
23 PLANCKAERT Baptiste BEL INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 04:47
24 VAN GESTEL Dries BEL TOTALENERGIES 04:47
25 GARCIA CORTINA Ivan ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 04:47
26 VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume BEL ALPECIN – FENIX 04:47
27 SKAARSETH Anders NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 04:47
28 LE GAC Olivier FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 04:47
29 JØRGENSEN Mathias DEN MOVISTAR TEAM 04:47
30 GILBERT Philippe BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 04:47
31 SWIFT Connor GBR TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 04:47
32 ROBEET Ludovic BEL BINGOAL PAUWELS SAUCES WB 04:47
33 VANHOOF Ward BEL SPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE 04:47
34 MADOUAS Valentin FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 04:47
35 GANNA Filippo ITA INEOS GRENADIERS 04:47
36 BIERMANS Jenthe BEL ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 04:47
37 VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan BEL JUMBO – VISMA 06:58
38 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald NOR TOTALENERGIES 07:00
39 NIEUWENHUIS Joris NED TEAM DSM 07:00
40 MERLIER Tim BEL ALPECIN – FENIX 07:02

14. Rang für Jordi Meeus im Velodrom von Roubaix

Auch in diesem Jahr sorgte Paris-Roubaix bei seiner 119. Auflage für die erwartete Dramatik. Nachdem sich zu Beginn trotz vieler Angriffe keine Gruppe absetzen konnte, teilte sich das Feld nach etwa 50 Kilometer in zwei Teile, wobei Nils Politt, Marco Haller und Jordi Meeus den Sprung in die erste Gruppe schafften. Mit 1:20 Vorsprung ging es auf die ersten Pavé-Abschnitte, wo sich auch die ersten Stürze ereigneten. Als sich zuerst fünf Fahrer aus der Spitze etwa 120 km vor dem Ziel lösen konnten, setzte Nils Politt mit C. Swift noch vor dem Sektor Arenberg zur Verfolgung an. Während dahinter die Gruppen wieder zusammenliefen, wurde wenig später auch Nils wieder eingeholt. Nach einem weiteren Split im Feld waren Nils und Jordi zunächst noch bei den Favoriten dabei, eine Tempoverschärfung später fielen aber beide zurück. Während vorne D. Van Baarle die entscheidende Attacke setzte, konnten Jordi und Nils gegen Ende des Rennes noch einige Fahrer einholen. Am Ende holte Jordi den Sieg im Sprint seiner Gruppe und landete damit auf Rang 14.
Von der Ziellinie
„Es war eigentlich immer Vollgas und gab kaum Zeit nachzudenken. Es war gut in der Gruppe vorne zu sein, aber ich muss ehrlich sein, als Van Aert und Van der Poel wieder zu uns aufschlossen und danach attackiert haben, hatte ich einfach nicht die Beine zu folgen. Nach den ganzen Krankheiten bin ich mit dem Rennen aber zufrieden, es war solide. Natürlich wollten wir als Team mehr, aber am Ende haben wir noch das Beste rausgeholt. Der Sprint war sehr speziell hier im Velodrom. Ich war zwar etwas eingebaut, aber dann trotzdem noch vorne. Mit dem 14. Rang bin ich zufrieden.“ – Jordi Meeus

„Am Anfang haben wir alles richtig gemacht und waren zu dritt in der großen Gruppe. Ich hatte eigentlich auch ganz gute Beine. Vor Arenberg bin ich losgefahren, um dem Stress aus dem Weg zu gehen. Danach war ich bei den Favoriten. Leider hat vor mir Van Avermaet ein Loch gelassen, als Van Aert losfährt. Dann haben wir kurz gezögert und die Lücke war da. Das ist ärgerlich, denn es wäre schon etwas mehr drin gewesen.“ – Nils Politt

„Wenn man sieht, wie wir die Klassiker begonnen haben, dann war das heute ordentlich. Wir haben zu Beginn alles richtig gemacht und waren mit den richtigen Leuten vorne dabei. Leider waren wir dann schnell mal nach einem Sturz hinten dran und mussten ein Loch zufahren, das hat schon mal ein paar Körner gekostet. Die Gruppe mit Mohoric haben wir leider verpasst, allerdings ist Nils danach losgefahren. Als die Favoriten dann Ernst gemacht haben, waren wir nicht aufmerksam genug. Zum Ende hin haben wir noch gut gekämpft und der 14. Rang von Jordi ist ok. Er ist ein junger Fahrer und kann bei diesem Rennen in Zukunft viel erreichen. Unser Rennen heute war sicher nicht perfekt, aber die Leistung der Jungs geht in Ordnung.“ – Torsten Schmidt, sportlicher Leiter

Van Baarle seals first Roubaix victory for Ineos Grenadiers

Ineos Grenadiers triumphed today at Paris-Roubaix after completing an excellent team race that was sealed by its Classics leader Dylan van Baarle with an impressive solo effort.
The Dutchman launched his winning move with 19 kilometres to go, at the Camphin-en-Pévèle cobbled sector, overpowering his breakaway companions Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). Second and third into the finish line came Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), who rode the whole day on the back foot after Ineos had split the race before the cobbles were even in sight.

The frantic racing favored an incredible average speed of 45,8 km/h in what turned out to be the fastest-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix – and the maiden victory for Ineos Grenadiers (and its previous incarnation, Team Sky) at the Hell of the North.

169 riders took the start on the 119th edition of Paris-Roubaix at 11:15, off to ride 257,2 kilometres between Compiègne and the Vélodrome André Pétrieux in Roubaix. It was a hectic start, with no less than 48,8 kilometres covered in the first hour of racing, during which many riders tried (and failed) to establish a breakaway. It was at kilometre 47 that the bunch got split in two groups. Ineos Grenadiers led the charge at the front, along with EF Education-EasyPost, Bora-Hansgrohe, Bahrain Victorious and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, while many favourites were caught off guard and forced to chase. Amongst them, two out of the three podium finishers from 2021, Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), along with marquee riders like Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and Jumbo-Visma duo Christophe Laporte and Wout van Aert.

Enter the cobbles
The gap between the two groups reached 1’15” after 60 kilometres of racing, and was held around that mark until the first cobbled sector, 36 kilometres later. With cobbles came chaos: Pedersen and Asgreen crashed behind right before sector 30 (Troisvilles to Inchy, km 96,3), while at the front it was Ineos Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna who punctured at sector 29 (Viesly to Quiévy, km 102,8), hampering his team’s efforts to dominate the race. The real carnage, though, came at sector 27 (Saint-Python, km 110,1), when a huge crash took down most of the front group, leaving Niki Terpstra (TotalEnergies) alone in the lead. The Dutchman was brought back at sector 25 (Haussy, km 123,7) by most of his former breakaway companions. The gap between the two main groups was still around one minute.

La fuga de la fuga
A courageous solo attack by Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen) at sector 24 (Saulzoir to Verchain-Maugré, km 130,6) was shut down by a puncture. Soon after, at kilometer 146, five riders broke away from the breakaway: Davide Ballerini (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Casper Pedersen (Team DSM), Tom Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic). This led to disagreements that spelt the end for the initial skirmish. After a breathless 105-kilometer long chase, the first bunch was brought back by the second one at kilometer 152, just ahead of sector 20 (Haveluy to Wallers, km 153,7).

A favorites group is established
The Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161,9 – 2,3 km), cobbled sector number 19, took its toll on Ballerini and Pedersen, who got dropped from the front group as the gap for Mohoric, Devriendt and Pichon increased beyond the two minutes. Only 50 riders survived in the main bunch at sector 14 (Beuvry-la-Forêt to Orchies, km 192). Into sector 13 (Orchies, km 197), Jumbo-Visma’s Nathan Van Hooydonck sped things up with his leader Wout van Aert on his wheel. Out of this move came the 12-strong favorites group that would play out for victory along with the three cyclists who were up the road. The favorites group contained: Mathieu van der Poel, Guillaume van Keirsbulck (Alpecin-Fenix), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Ben Turner, Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), Yves Lampaert, Florian Sénéchal (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Adrien Petit, Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates).

Impressive display of resilience by Matej Mohoric
At sector 12 (Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée, km 203,1), an acceleration by Van Baarle took Trentin, Van der Hoorn and Van Keirsbulck out of contention. Into sector 11 (Mons-en-Pévèle, km 208,6), Pichon got dropped from the break due to a puncture and Sénéchal lost contact to the favorites group. Right out of sector 9 (Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin, km 218), Mohoric suffered a puncture and left Devriendt alone in the lead. After many attacks, Mohoric broke clear from the favorites again, along with Lampaert, with 29 kilometers to go. Behind, Van Baarle gradually brought himself back to their wheel. The three, along with Devriendt, conformed a 4-strong group at the head of the race, while Van Aert and Küng undertook a duo chase behind.

The moment the race was won
Van Baarle waited until sector 5 (Camphin-en-Pévèle, km 237,3) to launch what would become his winning move. Mohoric and Lampaert initially tried to counter, but failed to regain his wheel. Furthermore, the Belgian crashed at sector 2 (Willems to Hem, km 249) after touching a spectator and losing his balance. Meanwhile, Mohoric was caught by Van Aert, Küng and Devriendt, who had managed to keep up with the pace of both powerhouses. On the velodrome, they sprinted for the remaining places of the podium. The main one was Van Baarle’s, and Ineos Grenadiers’, by his and their own right.

PARIS-ROUBAIX 2022: INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:
 170 riders will start the 119th edition of Paris-Roubaix tomorrow, right in front of the Château de Compiègne, three years after the race’s last Spring edition. The sun is expected to greet the riders as they head for a 257,2-kilometer ride that includes 54,8 km worth of cobblestones.

 The much-anticipated duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert might catch some eyes tomorrow, even though the Belgian rider’s build-up for the Hell of the North has been hindered by Covid-19.
 Ineos Grenadiers have arguably been the most powerful team of the Classics season and is lining up quite a packed squad, with ITT world champion Filippo Ganna as the leader on paper … and many cards to play like Dylan van Baarle, Michal Kwiatkowski and American young gun Magnus Sheffield, who comes to Roubaix fresh off winning De Brabantse Pijl.
 Many outsiders will try to upset the favorites by making it into the break, as several underdogs did indeed manage to do over the last few editions. Amongst them we find Groupama-FDJ’s Stefan Küng and Valentin Madouas, and also Trek-Segafredo’s Mads Pedersen, who will try to emulate what his female teammate Elisa Longo Borghini did at Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift on the eve of the men’s race.

WARM WEATHER … AND SOME WIND
Over at the team presentation held on Saturday, the weather forecast for tomorrow’s race was by far the most widely discussed topic. After last year’s cold, rainy edition, sunshine is expected to cast over the peloton all the way from Compiègne to Roubaix. The temperatures, however, will remain around the 20ºC and won’t reach those 27ºC we experienced back in 2007, when Stuart O’Grady triumphed on Summer-like conditions. Most riders are happy with the promise of a blue sky, but some aren’t. Par example, Bahrain Victorious’ Matej Mohoric. “I would have preferred some rain in order for the race to be more demanding skills-wise,” he asserts, while Greg van Avermaet echoes the peloton’s general feeling that it will be “nice” to race on warm weather: “It’s the one there was when I won in 2017 so yeah, I love this weather.” Another factor that will come into play is the wind, which will blow from the east. According to race director Thierry Gouvenou, this will favor the attackers. “There will be tailwind at the exit of the hardest cobbled sectors. Therefore, it will be harder for the groups to come back together. Riders shall not miss the cuts.”

WVA vs MVDP: an anticipated duel
The rivalry between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel has long become a fixture to some of the most exciting races of the cycling season, both on the road and on the fields – but it is yet to be staged to its bigger extend on Northern France’s cobblestones. It’s only last year that we first saw both riders starting Paris-Roubaix. The Dutchman managed to sprint for the win and cross the finish line on 3rd place, while the Belgian fell out of contention due to some bad luck with 70 kilometers to go and had to settle with 7th. As for this year, Van Aert is on the back foot after catching Covid-19 as recently as two weeks ago. “I’m here with a big question mark over my shoulders,” says the Jumbo-Visma rider. “I feel good right now, but it’s hard to say what my current level is. I’m just happy to be on the start line, as I didn’t want to miss this beautiful race. But this year it will be more difficult than ever for me.” On the other side, Van der Poel shows a remarkable confidence on his possibilities. “I’ve felt in good shape these last few weeks,” asserts Alpecin-Fenix’s leader. “My goal is to win, as it always is.” Will this much-anticipated duel on the Hell of the North take place tomorrow?

Strength in numbers for Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos Grenadiers has long been deemed as a stage-race team, yet this season it has proven its prowess on one-day races time and again. Last Sunday, Poland’s Michael Kwiatkowski won his second Amstel Gold Race, while on Wednesday it was USA’s Magnus Sheffield who raised his arms in victory at De Brabantse Pijl. Both of them will take the start tomorrow along with Netherland’s Dylan van Baarle, who stood second at the podium of the Tour de Flanders two weekends ago. “I love all the Classics, but Roubaix is the most special one for me,” says the Dutchman. “We are in a good place, as we have shown these last few weeks that we are able to play a major role on these races.” Italy’s Filippo Ganna is touted as the team’s leader, yet the promising Magnus Sheffield does also catch some eyes too. And not only because the American is just 19 years old and thus the youngest rider of this year’s race – also because of his power and his recent victory in Belgium. “I am still on shock after that,” he admits. “It’s crazy to think I’m already racing the professional Paris-Roubaix, only three years after participating on the junior version. Sometimes I have to remember myself where I am in order to enjoy the moment I’m living. This race is not a playground, though. It separates men from boys. My role will be to remain in contention for as long as possible, supporting our leaders. We want to have strength in numbers on the final kilometres.”

Stefan Küng: “I dream of victory”
Groupama-FDJ has long relied on Arnaud Démare as its leader for Paris-Roubaix. This year, though, there is a new kid on the block to carry the French hopes on his shoulders: Valentin Madouas, who scored an excellent 3rd place on the Tour of Flanders and will debut tomorrow in the Hell of the North. “I feel very good, duly recovered from Amstel Gold Race,” says Madouas. “I asked to line up in Roubaix right after my podium in Flanders because I felt my legs were relatively fresh. I’ve been granted a free role by my team, which has some other cards to play.” Amongst those, Switzerland’s Stefan Küng, who has also delivered some remarkable results this year (5th at Tour of Flanders, 8th at Amstel Gold Race) and approaches tomorrow’s appointment with optimism. “This is the climax of the Classics season,” he affirms. “I dream of victory. I hope for my legs to be up to the task while my eyes follow the moves of the two biggest favorites, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.”

Secrets and successes of the Roubaix break
“Paris-Roubaix is the most beautiful race to go on the breakaway,” said Silvan Dillier on an interview with L’Équipe. Alpecin-Fenix’s Swiss national champion did indeed feature on the break of the 2018 edition and that enabled him to cross the finish line second… as Bora-Hansgrohe’s Nils Politt did on the following edition, and as Lotto-Soudal’s Florian Vermeersch did last year. Furthermore, in 2016, Australia’s Matthew Hayman set the foundations for his win by making it into the day’s breakaway. “This might sound too obvious, but Paris-Roubaix does not start on the cobbled sectors,” asserts Sebastian Langeveld, road captain for EF Education-EasyPost, who has taken part on 13 editions of the race. “Depending on the wind, the breakaway group that might go away on the tarmac has a great chance of getting pretty far into the race. As for tomorrow, I expect the first two hours of racing to be very fast and for a relatively big group to get up the road, as there will be tailwinds that sometimes will blow from the sides.” Another rider with some expertise to share on this domain is Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s Tim Declercq, a powerhouse that has featured in the breakaways of four out of the last six editions of the event. “My role at the races is usually to be at the front of the bunch, trying to let go a break that is easy to control,” explains ‘El Tractor’. “This task is way more difficult at Paris-Roubaix, because the roads we ride at the start are very wide and there are attacks right and left – and also from the back of the bunch. I try to follow as many guys possible, as that way it is easier to make it into the front group… But usually, by the time the break is established, I have spent so much energy that I devote myself to working for a teammate that is up there too and has better legs than me.”

Double act for Trek-Segafredo ?
Trek-Segafredo women’s team put on an excellent show on Saturday at Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, with Elisa Longo Borghini taking the win from a solo break while her teammates Ellen Van Dijk and Lucinda Brand frustrated every attempt from their rivals to counter the Italian national champion’s long-range attack. Brand even landed a podium placing to buckle up the act. Now it’s time for their male counterparts to try and emulate their feats. “This is not just ‘one of the objectives’ of my season – it is ‘the’ key objective of my season,” says Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, spearhead of Trek-Segafredo’s bid. “My shape has been very good these past few weeks, so I hope to be on the mix and racing for the win tomorrow. I don’t think I’m the biggest favorite at the start line – just one of the them. I want to do my own race while watching out for the strong guys, but I am aware that this is a tough, open race, where surprise contenders usually come along.”

HIGH NOON IN ROUBAIX

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:
 One of the scenarios that could unfold in the 119th edition of Paris–Roubaix is a duel between the two cobble-gobblers who look set to dominate the northern classics in the 2020s: Mathieu van der Poel, who claimed his second Tour of Flanders last weekend, and Wout van Aert, still on the hunt for his first Monument on the cobblestones.
 The Belgian champion is not the only rider from his country eager to replicate Tom Boonen’s exploits a decade after their illustrious predecessor’s last triumph. The 2021 runner-up, young Florian Vermeersch, will be looking to fish in troubled waters, as will seasoned veterans such as Zdeněk Štybar, Kasper Asgreen, Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff and Greg Van Avermaet.

 Flying the flag for the host nation, Christophe Laporte and Anthony Turgis will be looking to translate their sparkling form into concrete results.

Overlapping trajectories, different yet complementary pedigrees, career highlights filled with flashes of brilliance and epic showdowns are what defines the long-running duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, one of the most gripping rivalries on the current cycling scene. After the debate on their talent in cyclo-cross, the conversation has now moved on to which of the two cobble-gobblers has the most voracious appetite. The Dutchman leads so far thanks to two victories in the Tour of Flanders (2020 and 2022) and third place in his Paris–Roubaix debut in 2021. Van Aert clearly has some catching up to do, but a large share of the blame for his mediocre results to date can be pinned on his bad luck in the cobbled races. Just last Sunday, he was forced to sit out De Ronde due to a bout of COVID-19. Even if he manages to recover in time for Easter Sunday, will the Belgian champion have what it takes to withstand Van der Poel’s onslaughts, which buried his chances in 2021 after he got caught up in another rider’s crash in the Trouée d’Arenberg? Fans of squabbles and wobbles on the cobbles will be licking their chops at the prospect of a two-way fight, but there are a bunch of riders determined to tear up the script and snatch the win from under the Jumbo–Visma and Alpecin–Fenix team leaders‘ noses.

The pundits‘ first instinct is to turn towards Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team, which is banking on a four-pronged offensive with previous podium finishers Zdeněk Štybar and Yves Lampaert as well as Kasper Asgreen and Florian Sénéchal. A quick flashback to last October also reveals another serious contender in the shape of Florian Vermeersch, the leader of the other big Belgian team, Lotto Soudal, who stole the show at the tender age of 22 with second place in the velodrome in his first participation, a performance that brought back memories of Tom Boonen bursting onto the stage with third place in 2002. The youngsters may be ready to seize power, but old rockers never die. It would be foolish to write off former winners Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet or other tough cookies such as Alexander Kristoff and Jasper Stuyven. There is also an opening for Ineos Grenadiers to reach the pinnacle of the cobbled races. Filippo Ganna and Dylan van Baarle, second in the Tour of Flanders last Sunday, will spell double trouble for the competition. The French are pinning their hopes on Christophe Laporte, now racing as Jumbo–Visma’s back-up leader following his sixth place in 2021, and Anthony Turgis, swelling with ambition after finishing second in Milan–San Remo a few weeks ago.

25 teams, main contenders

Australia
Team BikeExchange–Jayco: Durbridge, Matthews (AUS) and Mezgec (SLO)

Bahrain
Bahrain Victorious: Mohorič (SLO), Haussler (AUS) and Wright (GBR)

Belgium
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team: Lampaert (BEL), Štybar (CZE), Asgreen (DEN) and Sénéchal (FRA)
Lotto Soudal: Vermeersch, Campenaerts and Van Moer (BEL)
Alpecin–Fenix: Van der Poel (NED), Philipsen, Merlier (BEL) and Dillier (SUI)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux: Kristoff (NOR) and Petit (FRA)
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB: Dupont, Menten (BEL) and Aniołkowski (POL)
Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise: Herregodts and Marit (BEL)

France
AG2R Citroën Team: Van Avermaet, O. Naessen and Dewulf (BEL)
Cofidis: Walscheid (GER) and Vanbilsen (BEL)
Groupama–FDJ: Le Gac (FRA) and Küng (SUI)
TotalEnergies: Sagan (SVK), A. Turgis (FRA) and Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Team Arkea-Samsic: Capiot (BEL), Hofstetter (FRA) and McLay (GBR)
B&B Hotels – KTM: Debusschere (BEL), Gougeard and Jauregui (FRA)

Germany
Bora–Hansgrohe: Politt (GER) and Archbold (NZL)

Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Vanmarcke (BEL) and Schmidt (DEN)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Felline (ITA) and Gruzdev (KAZ)

Netherlands
Jumbo–Visma: Van Aert (BEL), Laporte (FRA) and Teunissen (NED)
Team DSM: Degenkolb (GER) and Eekhoff (NED)

Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Tiller (NOR)

Spain
Movistar Team: García Cortina and Erviti (ESP)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Bjerg (DEN) and Ackermann (GER)

United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Van Baarle (NED), Ganna and Viviani (ITA)

United States
EF Education–EasyPost: Bisseger (SUI), Keukeleire (BEL) and Langeveld (GER)
Trek–Segafredo: Stuyven (BEL), M. Pedersen (DEN) and Theuns (BEL)

@A.S.O.

Paris-Roubaix 2022

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

THE RETURN OF SPRING
Key points:
 In 2022, Paris-Roubaix returns to its traditional springtime date, with the start of the 119th edition on Sunday 17 April in Compiègne. The riders will battle on an essentially unchanged course of 257.2 km, including 54.8 km of cobbles. Of the 30 sectors, three will be of particular interest to the future riders of the Tour de France, who will take them on, once again, on stage 5.
 After their maiden race on the cobbles in October 2021, the women’s peloton will kick off the action with edition two of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift on Saturday, 16 April. The 124.7 km course between Denain and Roubaix will include 29.2km of cobbles

Three years after Philippe Gilbert’s victory, the Paris-Roubaix peloton will return to the cobbles in April, on a slightly unusual date with the Amstel Gold Race having been requested to switch calendar slots due to the impossibility of disrupting road traffic on the day of the first round of the presidential election. Nevertheless, in a return to tradition, the Queen of the Classics will, once again, take place on Easter Sunday. It is also on a course in keeping with the spirit of the event where cycling’s best acrobats will battle, with the first cobbled sector immediately after the village of Troisvilles. The slight changes from the October 2021 route concern the Cambrésis cobbled sectors, but they shouldn’t change their impact on the race. After the peloton thins, the first battle of the contenders for victory begins with the Trouée d’Arenberg, which is a monster, whatever the weather conditions. This year, the immediate aftermath of Arenberg will also serve as a preview of stage 5 of the Tour de France, when it will encounter the sectors of Hornaing-Wandignies (#17), Warlaing-Brillon (#16) and Tilloy-Sars-et-Rosières (#15). From there, nearly 70 kilometres to the Roubaix velodrome, with some cruel portions like the passages through Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l’Arbre. There will be no shortage of moments of truth!

After a slippery and muddy version of Paris-Roubaix last October, the women’s peloton will become familiar with its traditional springtime atmosphere on Saturday, 16 April. While the total distance of the cobbled sectors will not change, this year’s race is 8 kilometres longer. This will be felt in the legs during the final push for victory. The 29.2 kilometres of cobbles, over 17 sectors, proved to be very selective in the first-ever women’s race. It will be more of the same for 2022, with the last 85 kilometres of the course being modelled on the men’s race, starting in the town of Hornaing. And the riders must not forget that a breakaway is a bonafide possibility. Geat Britain’s Liz Deignan won the inaugural race with a solo ride of more than 80 kilometres. The element of surprise is no longer.

Paris-Roubaix Challenge

Saturday 16th of April – After Paris-Nice Challenge, it is on the “Hell of the North” and its mythical cobbles that the competitors will offer themselves a new challenge. Amateur cyclists will face this legendary race a few hours before the professional pelotons and compete in one of the three proposed distances (70 km, 145 km and 170 km).
©A.S.O.

Starke Quote für epische Roubaix-Schlammschlacht bei Eurosport

Eintagsrennen, Firmenpromo, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , ,

• Fast eine halbe Million Radsport-Fans in der Spitze sehen Klassiker-Finale
• 0,21 Mio. Zuschauer im Schnitt und 1,6 Marktanteil (Z3+)

4. Oktober 2021 – Der aus dem Frühjahr in den Oktober verschobene Radklassiker Paris-Roubaix hat Eurosport am Sonntag starke Quoten beschert. Die von Schlamm und Stürzen geprägte 118. Austragung des legendären Rennens durch die “Hölle des Nordens” sahen im Schnitt 210.000 Menschen (Z3+). Für die siebenstündige Liveübertragung lag der Marktanteil mit starken 1,6 Prozent über dem der 2019er-Ausgabe.
Für die letzten zweieinhalb Rennstunden verbuchte das Rennen über 257,7 Kilometer dauerhaft Marktanteile über zwei Prozent. Die Zieleinfahrt des siegreichen Italieners Sonny Colbrelli erlebten bei Eurosport 490.000 Zuschauer:innen (Z3+) bei einem Marktanteil von 3,0 Prozent.
In der Eurosport-Zielgruppe (M20-59) schalteten in der Spitze 120.000 Radsport-Fans ein und sorgten damit für einen Marktanteil von 2,9 Prozent.
Eurosport setzt seine Radsport-Übertragungen im Oktober fort. Den traditionellen Schlusspunkt der prestigeträchtigen Rennen bildet die Lombardei-Rundfahrt am 9. Oktober. Das “Rennen der fallenden Blätter” ist das einzige der fünf Monumente des Radsports, welches noch nie ein deutscher Fahrer gewinnen konnte. Am dichtesten an einem Erfolg war Fabian Wegmann, der im Jahr 2006 als Dritter zumindest auf dem Podium stand. Max Schachmann ist der erste deutsche Sieg am ehesten zuzutrauen. Er bekommt es dabei aber mit hochklassigen Gegnern wie Toursieger Tadej Pogacar (Slowenien), Weltmeister Julian Alaphilippe (Frankreich), Remco Evenepoel (Belgien), Primoz Roglic (Slowenien), Marc Hirschi (Schweiz), Thibaut Pinot (Frankreich), Nairo Quintana (Kolumbien) und Altmeister Alejandro Valverde zu tun.
Radsport-Fans müssen auch nach dem Ende der Straßen-Saison nicht auf Live-Radsport bei Eurosport verzichten. Bereits vom 5. bis 9. Oktober steht im schweizerischen Grenchen die Bahnrad-EM auf dem Programm. Zwischen dem 20. und 24. Oktober werden in Roubaix dann die neuen Weltmeister:innen gesucht. Und ab dem 6. November schlägt der Bahnradsport im Velòdrom Illes Balears auf Mallorca mit der UCI Track Champions League ein neues Kapitel auf.
Die insgesamt sechs adrenalingeladenen Events mit kurzformatigen Rennen sind auf ein Prime-Time-TV-Publikum zugeschnitten und bieten in einem einzigartigen, komprimierten Rennkalender, eine geschlechterparitätische Teilnehmerzahl und das gleiche Preisgeld bei Frauen und Männern. Das große Finale der ersten Saison der UCI Track Champions League steigt am 11. Dezember in Tel Aviv.

Quelle: AGF Videoforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit GfK; videoSCOPE 1.4, 03.10.2021, Marktstandard: TV, vorläufig gewichtete Daten
Discovery Deutschland

Paris-Roubaix 2021

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Teamnews, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , , ,


Photo by Plomi

1 COLBRELLI Sonny ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 06:01:57
2 VERMEERSCH Florian BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 00:00
3 VAN DER POEL Mathieu NED ALPECIN – FENIX 00:00
4 MOSCON Gianni ITA INEOS GRENADIERS 00:44
5 LAMPAERT Yves BEL DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP 01:16
6 LAPORTE Christophe FRA COFIDIS 01:16
7 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO – VISMA 01:16
8 VAN ASBROECK Tom BEL ISRAEL START-UP NATION 01:16
9 BOIVIN Guillaume CAN ISRAEL START-UP NATION 01:16
10 HAUSSLER Heinrich AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 01:16
11 RUTSCH Jonas GER EF EDUCATION – NIPPO 01:16
12 WALSCHEID Maximilian Richard GER TEAM QHUBEKA NEXTHASH 03:17
13 TURGIS Anthony FRA TEAM TOTALENERGIES 03:17
14 KRISTOFF Alexander NOR UAE TEAM EMIRATES 04:40
15 VERMEERSCH Gianni BEL ALPECIN – FENIX 04:40
16 LANGEVELD Sebastian NED EF EDUCATION – NIPPO 04:45
17 HALLER Marco AUT BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 06:21
18 CAPIOT Amaury BEL TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 06:21
19 PLANCKAERT Baptiste BEL INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 06:21
20 MOZZATO Luca ITA B&B HOTELS P/B KTM 06:21

Sonny Colbrelli to Paradise

Riding his first Paris-Roubaix at the age of 31, European champion Sonny Colbrelli of Bahrain Victorious rode to glory on the André-Pétrieux velodrome as he outsprinted his two breakaway companions, Florian Vermeersch and Mathieu van der Poel, two other debutants in the Hell of the North. The race was marked by wet and muddy conditions and the solo breakaway of another Italian, Gianni Moscon, who looked like having his grip on the race but was victim of a puncture and a crash in the money time.

31 riders at the front
174 riders took the start of the 118th Paris-Roubaix at 11.14. Riding his last race ever, Australia’s Mitch Docker (EF Education-Nippo) was involved in the first crash in the first kilometre along with Jonas Van Genechten (B&B-KTM). Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) and Max Kanter (DSM) managed to form a leading trio after 10km of racing but Trentin sat up while the peloton was very active. It was all together again at km 29. A group of 31 riders was formed at km 47: Florian Vermeersch, Harry Sweeny, Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Soudal), Daniel Oss (Bora-Hansgrohe), Davide Ballerini, Tim De Clercq (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Edoardo Affini, Timo Roosen, Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Tom van Asbroek (Israel-Start Up-Nation), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), Tom Skujins (Trek-Segafredo), Marco Haller, Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R-Citroën), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Stefan Bisseger (EF Education-Nippo), André Carvalho (Cofidis), Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates), Owain Doull, Gianni Moscon, Luke Rowe (Ineos Grenadiers), Florian Maître (Totalenergies), Luke Durbridge, Robert Stannard (BikeExchange), Edvaldas Siskevicius (Delko), Nils Eekhoff (DSM), Max Walscheid (Qhubeka-NextHash), Imanol Erviti, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) and Luca Mozzato (B&B Hotels-KTM). Successively, Doull and Küng were swallowed by the pack after a flat tyre and a crash respectively.

Vermeersch and Eekhoff at the front in Arenberg
After Haller sustained a flat tyre, 28 leaders entered the first cobbled sector with an advantage of 1’50’’ over the peloton. At the exit of the sector 27, Walscheid, Rowe, Vermeersch and Eekhoff took the lead with 143km to go. After Rowe got dropped and Walscheid crashed on the sector 24, Vermeersch and Eekhoff formed a leading duo with 127km to go. The Belgian and the Dutchman entered the Trouée d’Arenberg with an advantage of 40’’ over their former breakaway companions 1’40’’ over the favourites’ group. At the exit, van der Poel was accompanied by Guillaume Boivin, Sonny Colbrelli and Jorgenson while van Aert was timed 20’’ behind them. The Belgian national champion came across before the Pont Gibus. 83km before the end, Vermeersch and Eekhoff were reeled in by the 11 first chasers.

Moscon goes solo with 52km to go
Vermeersch, Sweeny, Van der Sande, Roosen, Van Hooydonck, Van Asbroek, Philipsen, Van Avermaet, Bisseger, Moscon, Siskevicius, Eekhoff, and Walscheid formed a front group that split with 75km to go. Van der Poel attacked on the cobbled sector 15 with 70km yet to be covered. Vermeersch, Van Asbroek and Moscon rode away 63km before the end. Moscon went solo on the sector 12 with 52km to go. He had 1’ lead over van der Poel, Boivin and Colbrelli at the 50km to go mark. Moscon was flying on the 5-stars iconic sector of Mons-en-Pévèle despite the mud remaining after the weather conditions became sunny. He had 1’20’’ lead over van der Poel, Vermeersch, Boivin, Van Asbroek and Colbrelli when he sustained a flat tyre with 29km to go. The Italian crashed on the cobbled sector 7. His advantage got reduced to 9’’ but went up again. Moscon got reeled in on the Carrefour de l’Arbre by a trio of neophytes: van der Poel, Colbrelli and Vermeersch who kept going without him. Moscon got caught by the van Aert group within 5km to go while the leading trio was out of reach. Van der Poel entered the velodrome in first position. Vermeersch launched the sprint after the first passage on the line. Colbrelli sprinted in the middle of the road to beat his two companions by a very little margin.

BORA – hansgrohe glücklos bei epischem Paris-Roubaix

Bei strömenden Regen wurde heute zum 118. Mal Paris-Roubaix im Norden Frankreichs ausgetragen. Es dauerte lange, bevor sich auf dem ersten Teil der Strecke ohne Kopfsteinpflasterpassagen eine 31-Mann-Gruppe vom Feld lösen konnte. Mit Daniel Oss hatte BORA – hansgrohe einen Fahrer in der Spitzengruppe, allerdings musste Daniel leider relativ früh abreißen lassen. Dahinter im Feld arbeitete der Rest des Teams für Peter Sagan. Schon auf den ersten Pavé Sektoren flog das Feld völlig auseinander und es ereigneten sich auf feuchtem Untergrund unzählige Stürze. In dieser Phase musste Nils Politt insgesamt drei Mal das Rad wechseln und verlor damit früh im Rennen alle Chancen. Nachdem Peter Sagan leider in einen Sturz verwickelt war und ebenfalls weit zurückfiel, blieb Max Schachmann der einzige Vertreter von BORA – hansgrohe in der Gruppe der Favoriten. Doch auch Max ging vor dem Wald von Arenberg zu Boden und musste leider auch alle Chance begraben. Am Ende holte sich S. Colbrelli den Sieg aus einer 3-Mann-Spitzengruppe. Für BORA – hansgrohe blieb am Ende nur der Eindruck eines der härtesten Rennen der letzten 20 Jahre.

Von der Ziellinie
„Ich hatte heute eigentlich gute Beine, aber die Verhältnisse waren extrem schwierig. Ich musste früh im Rennen insgesamt drei Mal das Rad wechseln, da war ich einfach zu weit zurück. Das ist sehr bitter, aber ich werde im nächsten Jahr wieder heiß am Start stehen, und vielleicht habe ich dann mehr Glück.“ – Nils Politt

„Paris-Roubaix ist immer ein hartes Rennen, aber heute, unter diesen Bedingungen war es wirklich extrem. Man musste irgendwie heil in Roubaix ankommen und immer versuchen, ganz vorne im Feld zu sein, um Stürzen aus dem Weg zu gehen. Wir haben das auch versucht, aber leider wurden wir immer wieder durch Stürze aufgehalten. Auch ich ging heute einmal hart zu Boden. Ich wollte dennoch das Rennen unbedingt beenden und habe mich durchgekämpft. Das war mein letztes Rennen für BORA – hansgrohe und ich wollte unbedingt ein gutes Ergebnis einfahren, aber heute war nicht unser Tag.“ – Peter Sagan

„Das war ein schwerer Tag für uns. Wir hatten heute einfach kein Glück, waren in vielen Stürzen verwickelt und hatten viele Defekte. Schon bevor das Rennen so richtig losging, waren wir eigentlich in einer aussichtslosen Position. Peter, Max und Juraj haben noch gekämpft, aber heute war für uns nichts mehr zu holen. Das ist hart, aber eigentlich können wir uns nichts vorwerfen.“ – Enrico Poitschke, sportlicher Leiter

Paris-Roubaix Femmes 116km

Eintagsrennen, Frauenradsport, Frühjahrskassiker, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , ,

1 DEIGNAN Lizzie GBR TREK – SEGAFREDO 02:56:07
2 VOS Marianne NED JUMBO – VISMA WOMEN 01:17
3 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 01:47
4 BRENNAUER Lisa GER CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING 01:51
5 BASTIANELLI Marta ITA ALÉ BTC LJUBLJANA 02:10
6 NORSGAARD Emma DEN MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 02:10
7 KOCH Franziska GER TEAM DSM 02:10
8 CORDON Audrey FRA TREK – SEGAFREDO 02:10
9 CAVALLI Marta ITA FDJ NOUVELLE AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 02:10
10 BLAAK Chantal NED TEAM SD WORX 02:10
11 MAJERUS Christine LUX TEAM SD WORX 03:03
12 THOMAS Leah USA MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 03:03
13 GELOOF Marjolein van.. NED DROPS – LE COL S/B TEMPUR. 03:03
14 PIETERS Amy NED TEAM SD WORX 04:26
15 KOPECKY Lotte BEL LIV RACING 04:33
16 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ NOUVELLE AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 04:33
17 BEEKHUIS Teuntje NED JUMBO – VISMA WOMEN 04:36
18 KASPER Romy GER JUMBO – VISMA WOMEN 04:41
19 MARTINS Maria POR DROPS – LE COL SUPPORTED 05:55

October 2 nd 2021

Deignan writes history with a one-woman-show

Elizabeth Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) delivered a supreme performance on a historic day, soloing to a maiden triumph in the André Pétrieux velodrome in the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes. The British star went for the very early move and covered the 29.2km of cobbles of the day on her own, alone at the front! Already a winner of Monuments like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Ronde van Vlaanderen, world champion in 2015, also a winner of major one-day-races like La Course by Le Tour, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Strade Bianche Donne, Deignan survived all the traps of a muddy Hell of the North to take victory ahead of the Dutch icon Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and her Italian teammate Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo).
A star-studded field with 129 participants take to the course in the early afternoon, with the recent world champions Elisa Balsamo (Valcar-Travel & Service) and many other contenders for the first ever edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes. It’s not raining at the moment, but a strong wind blows from the South. It will push the riders on the first three sectors before the race turns west around km 50.

Reusser and Niewiadoma go down, Deignan goes early
After a few breakaway attempts on the local circuit in Denain, the early attackers are caught ahead of the first cobbles of the day. An early crash leads to the withdrawal of Marlen Reusser (Ale’ BTC Ljubljana) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram Racing), two of the heroes of the recent world championships in Flanders.
As the field reaches the first cobbles, from Hornaing to Wandignies (km 33.9), Elizabeth Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) goes for the very early move, and nobody follows her. The Brit star, a world champion in 2015 and a winner of most of the greatest races in the women’s calendar, said she came to the Hell of the North “as a fan”, and she makes the most of this maiden participation at the front of the race, opening a gap of 2 minutes on the first sectors of the day.

The race explodes in Mons-en-Pévèle
Movistar, SD Worx and Jumbo-Visma are among the teams most involved in the chase. Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) attacks on the cobbles leading to Bersée (55km to go), and the bunch explodes in Mons-en-Pévèle, the first 5-star sector of the day.
With the wet and muddy conditions, Elisa Balsamo is among the riders who go down. 13 riders remain in contention behind Deignan, with Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) taking long turns at the front.

Deignan resists Vos
The gap is down to 2’15’’ when Deignan hits one of the most demanding sequences of the day: Camphin-en-Pévèle (4 stars) and then Carrefour de l’Arbre (5 stars). The British champ survives a near-miss on the cobbles. Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo), Christine Majerus (SD Worx), Aude Biannic (Movistar) and Sarah Roy (Team BikeExchange) are not so lucky, going down as they try to follow an acceleration by Marianne Vos.

The Dutch icon had a gap of 1’55’’ to bridge in 17km. As she exited the Carrefour de l’Arbre, with 15km to go, she had already cut Deignan’’s lead to 1’15’’. But the Brit had enough energy left in the tank to ride to Roubaix on her own and triumph with a gap of 1’17’’ on Vos. Elisa Longo Borghini put another Trek-Segafredo rider on the podium (1’47’’) as she narrowly fended off Lisa Brennauer (+1’51’’).

Paris – Roubaix 2021 mit Wettervorhersage

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Wettervorhersage von Plomi:

Am Wochenende herrscht unbeständiges Wetter in Roubaix mit Temperaturen um 15°, Niederschläge werden vor allem Samstag Nachmittag und Sonntag Vormittag erwartet, die Strecke wird aufgeweicht und anspruchsvoll sein.
Sonntag Nachmittag besteht die Aussicht auf trockenes Wetter.
Rennentscheidend kann der starke Wind werden, der SA und So mit Windstärke 4 bis 5 (ca. 50km/h) aus Südwest wehen wird.
Bis zum Wald von Arenberg wird das Fahrerfeld den Rückenwind genießen können, mit der Ausfahrt aus dem Wald beginnt eine Gegenwind bzw. anschließend Seitenwindpassage bis zum Abschnitt 17.
Zwischen den Abschnitten 17 und 15 herrscht dann wieder Schiebewind.
Zwischen den Abschnitten 15 und 11 und 5 und 3 kann der böige Seitenwind rennentscheidend werden.

Key points:
 The world’s best cobble-gobblers are returning to Paris–Roubaix, which will start in front of the Château de Compiègne on Sunday 3 October.
 The majority of them already clashed in the World Championships, held in Belgium one week earlier. It will be a chance for Wout van Aert to make amends after finding himself off the pace in his first two experiences in the Queen of Classics (13th in 2018 and 22nd in 2019). He will also be facing his nemesis, Mathieu van der Poel.

When the winner lifts the cobble trophy on the lawn in Roubaix Velodrome next Sunday, will it feel heavier than its predecessors, as if it had been fattened by the 903-day wait since the 2019 edition? One thing is for sure: after seeing their hopes dashed twice, the cobble-gobblers are raring to go and tackle the event that will wrap up the season for many among them. The unusual 2021 calendar makes Paris–Roubaix the ideal race to exact revenge after the World Championships, where several movers and shakers of the peloton came up empty-handed last Sunday. One of them, Wout van Aert, will be wearing the favourite’s tag again, both at the start in Compiègne and, especially, when the peloton hits the Trouée d’Arenberg, where things started to go south for him in the previous edition. The rainy weather forecast for the weekend will make the cobblestones even more slippery. Will this play into the hands of the three-time world cyclo-cross champion or will it inject even more uncertainty into the challenge of an amazing power rider who sometimes seems short on good luck? His opponents, particularly those who already flexed their muscles in Leuven, will be ready to pounce if he runs into trouble or has to throw in the towel. The finale of the fight for the rainbow jersey revealed Dylan van Baarle’s form, which could promote him to top dog in Ineos Grenadiers, as well as an impressive Jasper Stuyven, who already knows what it feels like to finish in the top 5 in Roubaix (fourth in 2017 and fifth in 2018) and is eager to move up the ladder.
Zdeněk Štybar, who also shone on the other side of the border on Sunday, only needs to go one better after finishing second in 2015 and 2017, while his teammate Florian Sénéchal appears to be in the shape of his life… as does Sonny Colbrelli, who followed up his win in the European Championships with victory in the Memorial Marco Pantani. While Mathieu van der Poel faded a bit on the Belgian roads (eighth), his debut on the cobblestones of Paris–Roubaix could turn out to be the performance of the late season. However, it would be unwise to rule out podium regulars such as Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff, who are used to pulling rabbits out of their hats. Finally, the memory of their Roubaix glory days could turbocharge the ambitions of riders such as Philippe Gilbert, Greg van Avermaet, John Degenkolb and Niki Terpstra.
25 teams, main contenders

Australia
Team BikeExchange: Durbridge and Stannard (AUS)

Bahrain
Bahrain–Merida: Colbrelli (ITA), Bauhaus (GER) and Haussler (AUS)

Belgium
Deceuninck–Quick-Step: Lampaert (BEL), Štybar (CZE), Asgreen (DEN) and Sénéchal (FRA)
Lotto–Soudal: Gilbert (BEL) and Degenkolb (GER)
Alpecin–Fenix: Van der Poel (NED), Philipsen, Merlier (BEL) and Dillier (SUI)
Intermarché–Wanty Gobert: Planckaert (Bel) and Van der Hoorn (NED)
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB: Dupont (BEL) and Aniołkowski (POL)

France
AG2R Citroën Team: Van Avermaet, O. Naessen (BEL) and Schär (SUI)
Cofidis: Laporte (Fra) and Drucker (BEL)
Team TotalEnergies: Petit, A. Turgis (FRA), Boasson Hagen (NOR) and Terpstra (NED)
Groupama–FDJ: Démare, Le Gac (FRA) and Küng (SUI)
Delko: Šiškevičius (LTU) and Barbier (FRA)
Arkéa–Samsic: C. Swift, McLay (GBR) and Russo (FRA)
B&B Hotels p/b KTM: De Backer and Debusschere (BEL)

Germany
Bora–Hansgrohe: P. Sagan (SVK), Politt (GER) and Oss (ITA)
Team DSM: Kragh Andersen (DEN), Bol and Eekhoff (NED)

Israel
Israel Start-Up Nation: Vanmarcke (BEL) and Schmidt (DEN)

Kazakhstan
Astana–Premier Tech: Houle (CAN) and Gruzdev (KAZ)

Netherlands
Jumbo–Visma: Van Aert (BEL), Groenewegen and Teunissen (NED)

South Africa
Qhubeka NextHash: Campenaerts (BEL), Nizzolo (ITA) and Walscheid (GER)

Spain
Movistar Team: García Cortina and Erviti (ESP)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Kristoff (NOR), Gaviria (COL), Bjerg (DEN) and Trentin (ITA)

United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Van Baarle (NED), Kwiatkowski (POL) and Moscon (ITA)

United States
EF Education First: Bisseger (SUI), Keukeleire (BEL), Langeveld (NED) and Docker (AUS)
Trek–Segafredo: Stuyven (BEL), M. Pedersen (DEN) and Theuns (BEL)