Paris-Roubaix: Dust and pavés for IAM Cycling

In preparation for Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, the 8 riders set to race the last of the cobbled classics of the season, spent their day scoping out more than 120 kilometers of the course, including 21 sections of pavés.

Sunny skies and cool temperatures greeted the Swiss Pro Continental team as they worked to memorize all the strategic locations along the route, keeping in mind how important positioning will be throughout the race.

Reviewing the Aveluy and Hem sectors, passing through the Arenberg trench and the Carrefour de l’Arbre, Eddy Seigneur and Marcello Albasini’s protégés swallowed a lot of dust and suffered two punctures (Martin Elmiger and Kristof Goddaert).

Sébastien Hinault will be racing the 13th Hell of the North of his career, but will not be using any special padding to make the day more comfortable.

“I don’t use gels under the tape or double wrap the handlebars because my hands are too small.  I would not be able to close them around the bars.”

Sébastien is perhaps unique in his toughness since many other riders do use all sorts of tricks to help protect their wrists, elbows, knees and hands; some of them go so far as to have plasters or false-skins on their thighs to protect their legs in case of the inevitable crashes.

The line-up

Marco Bandiera 

Martin Elmiger

Kristof Goddaert

Heinrich Haussler

Sébastien Hinault

Dominic Klemme

Gustav Larsson

Aleksejs Saramotins

Directeurs Sportifs: Eddy Seigneur & Marcello Albasini