PREVIEW Team SD Worx looks forward to Paris-Roubaix with confidence

PREVIEW Team SD Worx looks forward to Paris-Roubaix with confidence

"Every metre is a battle, one long battle that we would like to win".

14/04/2022

On Saturday the second edition of Paris-Roubaix will take place. In the Hell of the North, Team SD Worx once again has several cards to play. "Paris-Roubaix is very high on our wish list," say Christine Majerus and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak.

Linked race Parijs-Roubaix - Linked cyclists Lotte Kopecky Elena Cecchini Christine Majerus Lonneke Uneken Chantal Van Den Broek-Blaak

Christine Majerus: "This race represents everything I love about cycling".

For Christine Majerus, Paris-Roubaix was already red in her diary before the season. "This is my dream race. This race represents everything I love about cycling. It's a constant battle with the conditions, the weather elements, the cobbles and the opposition. Every meter is a battle. You have to feel confident on the cobbles and believe in your own skills, teammates and equipment."

Speaking to Specialized France, the Luxembourg champion explains that the mental aspect plays an important role. "You have to have no fear. Paris-Roubaix isn't called the 'Hell of the North' for nothing. Yes, you can lose the race by a fall of someone else. You have to be in a good position all the time. Ever since Boels-Dolmans and later Team SD Worx, the classics have been 'our races' so to speak. We would really like to add Paris-Roubaix to our palmares, but thanks to our victories in the Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders, we live without pressure towards this classic. Although there is positive pressure. Because last year we were very eager to win this race, but bad luck took us out of the race. In a dry Paris-Roubaix we have an advantage because we can play the team game."

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak: "I hope for a gruelling race"

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak proved in spring that she has good legs. The former world champion dreams of winning the Vélodrome in Roubaix. "If I could choose one race to win, I would choose Paris-Roubaix. I have peaked at this time. Whether the race suits me is still difficult to say. The previous edition was wet and then we were more concerned with staying on the bike. A dry and gruelling race is in my favour. I think I can win this race. The ideal scenario for me is when only the strongest remain and we can make it a tough final. If it turns out differently, we have other cards to play."

During the reconnaissance, Team SD Worx seemed to fly over the cobbles. "The tailwind did help," confesses Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. "The recon gave us a good feeling. It was nice that Lars Boom was there to give us some extra tips. Every time we ride over the cobblestones, you learn little things. I feel more and more confident on the stones. The more you see the sectors, the better you know where to steer off and where to get back on. It has become automatic. We go to Paris-Roubaix with confidence."

Discover our line up here

Relive our recon

Specialized France followed Team SD Worx during the reconnaissance of Paris-Roubaix and spoke afterwards with Christine Majerus and Roxane Fournier. Watch the video here (with Dutch and English subtitles).

Our recon in pictures

These photos are the property of Pauline Ballet and may not be reproduced without the consent of the photographer.

Lotte Kopecky for Paris-Roubaix: "I live without pressure towards this race"

Read here the interview with Lotte Kopecky, who has already hit the bull's eye in the Strade Bianche and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

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