Roubaix (dpa) – The German professional cyclist Nils Politt would like to ride at the front again after his illness in the spring classic Paris-Roubaix on Easter Sunday.
“I have good hopes that I will be in a good mood,” he told the “Rheinische Post”. Due to the upcoming presidential elections in France, the one-day race was postponed by a week. “I’m feeling better from race to race and it suits me that Paris-Roubaix is a bit later,” said the 28-year-old. He has recently struggled with bronchitis several times.
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most famous one-day races in cycling and it is mainly due to the 30 cobblestone sections that it is so challenging. “This is a race in which you have to be mentally at your best,” said Politt, who had already finished second in 2019. “A lot of falls happen due to the cobblestone passages, many drivers have to deal with flat tires, the material is put under enormous stress, and great forces are exerted on the body and the bike.”
Politt himself had painful experiences in the race, also known as the “Hell of the North”. “On my first outing, I couldn’t keep my hands on the handlebars for the last two cobblestone sections because of the pain and the blisters started bleeding.”