Ronde to Roubaix: Degenkolb's love for the holy week

The inconspicuous hotel on the motorway between Ghent and Kortrijk has become something of a second home.

Since 2011, John Degenkolb (Team DSM) here in the heart of Flanders, knows every bend, every cobblestone and probably every postman. Degenkolb still looks forward to returning every year for around two weeks to the often windswept and wet region at this time of year. The time is crowned with the so-called holy week of cycling, the brute cobblestone classics Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Degenkolb still enthusiastic

"I'm glad that the enthusiasm within myself hasn't waned. It's always nice to be here," says Degenkolb in an interview with dpa. When the weather is really bad, the veteran feels at home. It simply suits him. And when Degenkolb sees photos of completely dirty and exhausted racers after the exertions, it's like a kind of second reward. "You can't believe yourself that you've fought your way through it."

On Sunday, Degenkolb will no doubt be back on the market square in Bruges with a smile on his face and be cheered on by the two-wheel-crazy Flemish before the start of the Tour of Flanders. They have long since taken the pithy classics specialist to their hearts here in the land of "De Ronde". In sporting terms, it was never enough for the Belgian national treasure, but Degenkolb left his mark with the victories at Gent-Wevelgem 2014 and the historic success at Paris-Roubaix 2015.

Van der Poel, van Aert and Pogacar battle for victory in the Tour of Flanders

Victories are no longer the 34-year-old's priority. If a rider from his DSM team makes it into the top 20, he is happy. "Everything else is too far away. The difference in performance to the very front is simply too big, you have to be that realistic," emphasises Degenkolb. All the experts agree that victory will be decided between the big three, namely Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

The trio is largely responsible for the fact that the character of the races has changed. Not so much the final, in which everyone is at the limit. Rather the way there. "There are always earlier attacks," says Degenkolb. The finale is now opened up 80 or 100 kilometres before the finish. And not by the helpers stepping up the pace, but by the captains themselves. If you're riding in a bad position, you can almost get into the team car. "That's impressive," admits Degenkolb. There are simply riders who can withstand this strain.

Degenkolb jumps in

The increasingly tough races have an impact on the time in between. Eight or ten years ago, longer training sessions were the norm, but now the focus is on regeneration. "You're still so exhausted from the weekend that you don't need a long session," says Degenkolb. Especially as the races on the way to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take place in a Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday rhythm.

Degenkolb is one of the captains in his team this year. This was not necessarily the plan; he was supposed to help the young Nils Eekhoff to improve his performance. But the Dutchman is struggling with poor form and illness, so Degenkolb is stepping in. Last Sunday, he rode to victory in a race characterised by apocalyptic weather. Ghent-Wevelgem in twelfth place.

"Let's see what's possible"

His actual task is to wear out the team to the best of his ability, if you will. "I have to divide up the team so that we can tackle the final with two or three riders," explains Degenkolb. Everyone should fulfil their task in such a way "that they can't say at the end that I could have done it". The Tour of Flanders is something of a dress rehearsal for his favourite race a week later: Paris-Roubaix. "Let's see what we can do there. I'm in good shape and hopefully it stays that way," says Degenkolb.

The headlines in Flanders should belong to van Aert anyway, according to the locals. The all-rounder has yet to win either the Ronde or Roubaix. That should change this year - and the chances are good. The 28-year-old won the E3 prizethen patronisingly handed victory in Wevelgem to his French team-mate Christophe Laporte. The latter enraged the great Eddy Merckx. "It's his decision, but I wouldn't have done it. He could have gone down in history," said the 77-year-old. And three-time Flanders winner Tom Boonen also grumbled: "He'll regret that." However, if van Aert wins the Ronde, all the mockery will soon be forgotten.

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