Paris-Roubaix is finally a real spring classic again this year. After three years, the famous race through the north of France returns to its original date in April. Because of the corona pandemic, the 2021 race was postponed to October and was completely canceled in 2020.
Last year’s race in particular should be well remembered by drivers and fans: “l’enfer du north“, the “Hell of the North”, its entire infernal repertoire after an autumn storm had swept across the country before the start. Rain, mud and puddle craters made the already dangerous runway over cobblestones and dirt roads a completely unpredictable slide.
Good weather prospects for Paris-Roubaix
“I really had a lot of fun“, said Mathieu van der Poel in retrospect, after he only managed third place due to a puncture. “That too is Paris-Roubaix. You need a lot of luck“, van der Poel told the Belgian newspaper “The standard“.
Before the start of the new edition on Easter Sunday (April 17th, 2022), the Dutchman was very confident, also with regard to the friendly weather forecast for the Easter weekend: “The cobblestones will be much drier“, exulted van der Poel. And probably also meant that luck shouldn’t play as big a role this time as it did during the hell ride last October.
Van der Poel favorite in “Hell of the North”
For the winner of the Tour of Flanders Paris-Roubaix an unfinished mission. Van der Poel, four-time cross-country world champion, is again the top favorite on Sunday. In the most spectacular of all cycling classics, over 257.2 kilometers and 30 pavésthe partly centuries-old cobblestone passages, the Dutchman feels on his terrain.
Most likely to be dangerous for him is probably the last very strong form Mads Petersenthe two stages at Circuit Cycliste Sarthe won and also finished in the top ten at the Tour of Flanders. Wout Van Aert will now start after surviving the corona infection, but is according to his team Jumbo Visma far from being in the condition again to compete for victory. Tadej Pogacarthis spring already at Tirreno-Adriatico and at Strade Bianchi victorious, got on a start at the debilitating Paris-Roubaix waived.
Politt: “Lucky Bag Roubaix”
After a difficult season so far, Nils Politt should not be among the candidates for victory. “I’m pretty much on the ropes after the many setbacks in the spring,” said the man from Cologne, for whom it was only enough for 47th place in the Tour of Flanders. he feel”not at the level I wanted to be at. I missed a lot because of the illness“, according to Politt. “But with Paris-Roubaix Of course I want to be fit. Roubaix is a piñata – anything can happen.“
In 2019, on a near-perfect April Sunday, Politt discovered his love for cobblestone ordeal when he competed in an epic duel at the famous velodrome of Roubaix just under Belgium’s ex-world champion Philip Gilbert lost During the mud fight last October, when it was the first time since 2002 Paris-Roubaix rained, Politt had got out.
“It’s a challenge in itself”, said the 28-year-old Bora-hansgrohe professional. You have to “ride like a motorbike” over the pavés, according to Politt: “And I can drive high, constant values for a relatively long time.” His sporting director Thorsten Schmidt thinks Politt is “made for Paris-Roubaix“, but – see above: “It really is a surprise bag. Everything has to be right.“
The highlights of Paris-Roubaix are summarized in the sports show on Sunday from 7.15 p.m. on the first.
Source: red/sid/dpa