After his recent good form, Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) is ready for the season finale of the cobbled classics at Paris-Roubaix on Easter Sunday. "The legs are good. And thank God there are no mountains in the way," said the professional cyclist from Cologne ahead of the "Hell of the North".
20th place for Nils Politt in the Tour of Flanders
Last Sunday, Politt finished 20th in the Tour of Flanders, where he had no chance against the eventual winner Tadej Pogacar and Co. on the final climbs. There are no climbs on the 256.6 kilometres from Compiègne to the Vélodrome in Roubaix. Instead, there are 29 sectors with a total of 54.5 kilometres of cobblestones.
Not only because Politt was already second in Roubaix in 2019, his sports director Rolf Aldag sees a good chance of a top result. "Roubaix suits him better than Flanders," the 54-year-old told the German Press Agency. "When Nils rolls on the flat, he really rolls. That's why he can ride with us." It is not yet completely clear how good the support from his Bora-hansgrohe team-mates will be. At the Tour of Flanders, three important helpers were involved in a mass crash.
New system for regulating tyre pressure
Among the favourites for overall victory are eternal rivals Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). The lack of climbs suits the Belgian Van Aert more than his rival from the Netherlands. His team is also experimenting with the material. Jumbo-Visma uses a system for three riders that allows the tyre pressure to be raised and lowered while riding. One advantage of this is that the riders can ride with lower tyre pressure on the cobbles, making them faster and more comfortable. Defending champion Dylan van Baarle, Gent-Wevelgem winner Christophe Laporte and Edoardo Affini will be equipped with the technical innovation.
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