SD Worx ProTime could have been the dominant power of latest seasons within the ladies’s peloton however flip to the Paris-Roubaix Femmes and that domination melts away. Of the 9 podium spots by means of the races three yr historical past, the Dutch crew has solely taken one, a second with Lotte Kopecky in 2022.
Lidl-Trek, however, have taken 4, with two of these being wins. The riders who netted these victories for the crew, LIzzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini, might not be lining up on the race however that hasn’t made SD Worx any much less cautious.
“Lidl-Trek, as a crew, shall be our huge challenger. They’re heading to Paris-Roubaix with plenty of confidence,” mentioned Christine Majerus in a crew assertion. “Marianne Vos may even be firstly as a high favourite. I hope that as a crew we will pull the race our method. And that we nonetheless go into the final three or 4 cobbled sections with three or 4 riders, so we will play the sport.
“The important thing shall be to be sharp. Among the cobbled sections shall be slippery so we’ve got to watch out, but in addition not be too preoccupied with it. As a result of in case you ‘overthink’ it, you will hit your brakes too quickly after which the possibilities of a crash are excessive.”
The important thing contender for SD Worx-Protime is anticipated to be world champion Kopecky, who has at worst completed fifteenth and at finest second. Final yr Kopecky received the dash from the favourites group, however that was solely sufficient for seventh because the break dominated the day. In 2022, Kopecky additionally claimed the dash from the chase group, however that point it was behind solo escapee Longo Borghini.
Within the first version of Paris-Roubaix in 2021, Kopecky had but to affix SD Worx, however the Dutch crew had then seemed fairly nicely positioned heading into the ultimate levels of the moist and slippery version. Two riders, Ellen van Dijk and Majerus, had been within the small chase group in pursuit of eventual winner Deignan however then Van Dijk crashed and in addition introduced down Majerus along with her. The very best finisher for the crew that yr was Chantal van den Broek Blaak in tenth whereas Majerus, who had remounted after her crash, got here eleventh.
“The final three years we weren’t so fortunate in Paris-Roubaix, nevertheless it’s not that I just like the race any much less due to that,” mentioned Majerus. “I hope the puzzle items all fall collectively for as soon as. Hopefully 2024 would be the yr after we do not make a single mistake and have the required dose of luck.”
Alongside Kopecky and Majerus, the crew shall be lining up in Denain with Lorena Wiebes, Barbara Guarischi, Femke Markus and Elena Cecchini. Saturday’s race is 148.5km lengthy with 17 cobblestone sectors.
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