Paris-Roubaix is a race like no different, from a parcours perspective but in addition the best way it captures the general public creativeness. Outside of the Tour de France, no different race cuts via fairly prefer it, and whereas to ‘correct’ biking followers the Tour of Flanders could also be a much bigger race, Roubaix is commonly the gateway drug that will get individuals into one-day race viewership.
Because of the distinctive, and horrible, course, Paris-Roubaix has turn out to be the epicentre of springtime tech nerdery. It sits within the centre of a Venn diagram on the intersection of tyre chat, aero issues, event-specific bikes, and miscellaneous ‘hacks’.
Recently although, the bikes of Paris-Roubaix have turn out to be much more regular. Sure, there’ll undoubtedly be tales to be uncovered and traits to be teased out from the maelstrom, however the tools is increasingly converging on simply… a standard bike.
With that in thoughts, I’ve determined to make a rod for my very own again by itemizing my tech expectations so I can both be proved proper, or I will be torn to shreds within the feedback afterwards.
Disc brakes have killed the classics bike
Disc brakes had been as soon as hailed as the final word classics improve. Better braking within the moist and dust, and the flexibility to journey a warped rim with out it rubbing in opposition to your brake pads each rotation had been wonderful plus factors, however with the proliferation of disc brakes and the next evolution of high-end race bikes round them, the classics bike as we all know it has all however gone extinct.
In the times of rim brakes, riders had been successfully confined to 28c tyres, such was the clearance of the brake calipers. Direct mount choices upped this a bit, however not a lot, and never each staff might use them. Specialized-sponsored groups would rock up with the Roubaix, replete with Zertz inserts, and latterly the Future Shock suspension unit under the stem. Trek, too, had the Domane, which sprouted Isospeed decouplers on the entrance and the again so as to add additional compliance.
Now although, tyre clearances have grown to the purpose the place it’s easy sufficient for professionals to make use of their customary race bikes, simply fitted with wider rubber. The Tarmac SL8 can match 32c tyres, likewise the Trek Madone. The Cervelo S5 can match 34c rubber, which satirically could be unlawful if racing cyclocross.
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As in recent times, I think we are going to see subsequent to no one on ‘Classics-specific’ bikes exterior of the Specialized-sponsored groups, and even which will change this yr too.
More riders utilizing the Specialized Tarmac than ever earlier than
Though unofficial, it did appear in years passed by that Specialized sponsored groups had been duty-bound to make use of the Specialized Roubaix on the bike’s namesake race. The Roubaix has gotten sooner and has extra aero credentials than ever, however I feel you’d be mad to counsel that it’s a sooner bike. Some riders merely don’t just like the suspended entrance finish, whatever the added consolation, with Niki Terpstra famously swapping out the elastomer for an untested inflexible unit that ended up with him in a heap by the roadside after his handlebars indifferent, though issues have moved on since 2017.
Last yr we noticed Nils Pollit utilizing a Tarmac SL7, however he was nonetheless very a lot an outlier. It was the final yr of the outgoing Roubaix, so possibly there’ll be a more durable whipping operation from Specialized this yr, however with such a flat parcours, nearly all of which keep in mind isn’t raced on cobbles, I think we are going to see extra riders than ever go for the Tarmac. The riders will get all of the aero and weight advantages, not have to vary place, and run 32c tyres to take the sting out of the cobbles now that they’ve entry to the S-Works Mondo tyre launched final yr.
This is a prediction primarily confined to the boys’s race – SD-Worx final yr completely rode the Tarmac and I see no motive why that will not be the case this yr. The challenge with smaller bikes that the ladies’s peloton is extra prone to be utilizing is that the saddle-to-bar drop essential to create a really aero place isn’t practically as potential – the entrance wheel will get in the best way. The Roubaix has a better stack, coupled with successfully a squishy stack of spacers underneath the stem, which compounds this challenge, therefore the riders utilizing the Tarmac already.
No mad meme elements this yr
In the identical means no one likes to make use of a model new bike on the Tour de France and as a substitute checks them at races just like the Criterium du Dauphine first, any cobble-specific tech tends to get rolled out at smaller races first. In earlier years we’ve seen the Scope Atmoz variable tyre stress system trialled, the Gravaa KAPS system raced, and the Classified powershift hub in use earlier than the rollout in Compiègne, however this yr I do not count on to see any meme elements – I do hope I’m proved improper right here I need to say.
We’ve heard not a whisper of something really groundbreaking, past the same old click-harvesting April fools memes churned out by advertising departments all through the biking business. Sorry.
If ever there’s a race for 1x, that is it…
Paris-Roubaix is successfully pancake flat, that means it’s fast and riders don’t want as nice a diffusion of gears. I think SRAM-sponsored groups will, on the entire, go for a single chainring setup, with a series guard for additional safety.
As effectively as single chainrings being commonplace, I think the typical measurement of those will creep upwards. Aero advantages and weight penalties apart, it permits for a extra environment friendly drivetrain because the chain has to deflect much less across the rings themselves (in the identical means outsized pulley wheels additionally assist).
While we see some Shimano-sponsored groups dabbling with 1x in a time trial I don’t count on to see any 1x setups on Shimano drivetrains.
Aero aero aero and extra aero
Again, it’s a flat race and it’s going to be raced quick. The common pace for final yr’s winner, Mathieu van der Poel, was 46.84km/h.
The contenders will all be on quick bikes and squeezed into skinsuits as per traditional. The latest era of aero helmets from POC and Kask with ears partially obscured will seemingly be on present, and I wouldn’t be stunned to see some visors too; Alberto Bettiol has been trialling it in some races lately and Nina Kessler used one at Flanders so maintain eyes on them. The Uno-X staff may even seemingly be utilizing the outdated Sweet Protection time trial helmet that’s road-legal slightly than something vented.
I’ve additionally seen extra riders choosing cut-down variations of aero overshoes from the likes of Velotoze. I guess we’ll see extra of this; the intention is to cowl the shoe with a clean cowl to assist with the troublesome dials, however above the ankle a devoted aero sock works finest, with textured materials designed to assist the airflow. Mathieu van der Poel successfully makes use of a pre-made model of this from Spatz, the model’s ‘Windsock 2’.
We’ve not seen a lot from the UCI when it comes to enforcement of the banned turned-in lever place, so riders who’ve had the propensity to show their levers in (I’m you, Tim Wellens) may spot a possibility to return to their outdated tips. We’ll actually be protecting our eyes out for this.
Normal tyres, simply greater
I used to get all misty-eyed about Roubaix as a result of groups would swap from the same old Continental Pro Ltd tubulars to handmade, Roubaix-specific FMB tubs. Teams would typically have a sponsorship exemption so they might run these over the cobbles. In the identical means as cyclocross tyres, the cotton (or silk for those who’re professional) casing deforms extra simply over tough floor, main to raised grip.
The downside is, these FMB tyres are solely out there in a 27c max width. For Vittoria sponsored groups particularly they will use a big quantity, 320tpi cased tyre at a decrease stress and get higher efficiency.
The Vittoria-sponsored groups, very similar to at Opening Weekend, will seemingly run 30c or 32c Corsa Pros. Very few groups opted for the Pro Control, which gives barely higher puncture resistance – EF had been the one staff to take action in nice numbers they usually appeared to change this again to the traditional Pro for Flanders.
Continental groups might be on massive GP5000 S TR, however the attention-grabbing groups will seemingly be Cofidis – nonetheless on tubs – and Soudal-Quick Step/Bora-Hansgrohe, who’ve nonetheless been utilizing inside tubes. At Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne I noticed Bob Jungels utilizing the cobble-oriented Turbo Cotton Hell of The North tyres. These are non-tubeless, so it’ll be latex tube time, and solely out there in a 28c width, and no house for any tyre inserts. Though these have been a function of the race for a superb few years, final yr we noticed riders utilizing a brand new S-Works Mondo tyre, which is available in 28c, 32c, and 35c. I think no one will go for the 35c, however the 32c will virtually actually be in use, arrange tubeless.
Cofidis might be an attention-grabbing one as a result of the staff nonetheless makes use of tubular tyres. Its deeply French Corima wheels at Omloop had been shod with extraordinarily French, no-longer-produced Michelin Power Competition tubs. Given the staff’s dedication to French branding (Look, Corima, Michelin) I had a forlorn hope that they might be the final outpost for the silk tub, however trying again to final yr the staff appeared to change from tubs to clinchers, and had been working Michelin Power Cup tyres, which will be run tubeless, although max out at a 28c width.
Hookless gained’t be an enormous challenge
This is one thing I do hope I’m proper about as, a lot because it makes headlines, seeing riders scattered throughout the Troueé d’Arenberg like skittles with snapped rims isn’t a superb factor. The Zipp-sponsored groups (the wheel model on the centre of the hookless rim debate) will all, from what I’ve seen up to now, be working broad sufficient tyres to fall inside the accepted security customary. This doesn’t say hookless itself is secure sufficient to be used, or that it isn’t, simply that the setups will at the least be compliant with producer suggestions for measurement and stress.
The reality is that we’ve seen cracked rims for years, lengthy earlier than hookless. Tubeless was additionally frowned upon for a number of seasons after some high-profile tyre losses on the cobbles, however liners or not, for those who slam a rim right into a right-angled stone at over 60km/h, there’s a superb probability of a catastrophic failure. If it occurs to a tubeless rim then questions might be requested, but when and when that does occur, it is value recalling that in 2022 each Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte suffered catastrophic rim failures whereas utilizing tubular Shimano Dura-Ace wheels.
Everyone might be working liners
Chatting with the Lotto-Dstny mechanics at Opening Weekend, they advised me that including a tyre liner to their tubeless setups ends in a penalty of a few watt. Given the massively elevated threat of smashing a rim up at Roubaix, you’d be mad to not take that penalty.
Some groups might be cagey and never say, and whereas we might not have the ability to converse to all of the groups, it’s my suspicion that each staff that’s working tubeless may even be working tyre inserts on the weekend.