Andrew “AJ” August (Ineos Grenadiers) did make it to the velodrome to conclude his inaugural trip at Paris-Roubaix, and he made the file books, but it surely was not a quantity he had on the radar. The now-youngest rider of Paris-Roubaix got here up wanting an official time by only one minute and 31 seconds after 260km of racing. A tricky day at his new workplace.
At the age of 18 years and 178 days, August did notch a point out of notoriety because the youngest competitor within the males’s elite area. Last yr his teammate Josh Tarling broke the file because the youngest man to trip the crushing cobbles which had stood for 86 years, with Paul Botquint setting the mark in 1937 at 19 years and 53 days. Tarling, now 20, was simply 16 days youthful than Botquint, however August lowered the bar by one other 224 days.
August completed the race, but in addition like Tarling a yr in the past, he was exterior the time restrict and didn’t file an official end. August accomplished his effort 27 minutes, 35 seconds off the profitable tempo of solo winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceninck), which was 1:31 exterior the 8% margin set to fulfill the time restrict.
“First of all, I’m actually proud to make it to the Velodrome. Yeah, I assume within the first portion of the race, I attempted to assist the blokes out as a lot as I might. And then simply from there, the aim was simply make it to the tip,” August informed a number of members of the media after the race.
“Setting a aim for myself, I simply did not wish to promote myself quick. So I simply pushed on, yeah. Can’t get a lot more durable than Roubaix, I believe.”
He has been on huge phases earlier than from profitable outings in cyclocross, profitable the US males’s junior nationwide title and profitable a cobbled trophy at Koppenbergcross. From his perspective within the peloton, August confirmed that Paris-Roubaix was each magnificence and beast for a one-day highway race.
“I imply, with all of the spectators, and that manner it is most lovely for me up to now. But additionally, getting your palms battered for 260k? I do not suppose you’d say is gorgeous,” August stated about his first trip at Hell of the North.
This yr Tarling didn’t discover a lot magnificence on the dry, dusty day as he was disqualified with 130km to go for taking a tow from the staff automobile to rejoin a lead group of 30 riders after stopping for a motorcycle change. The staff was informed by race commissaires for the younger rider to drop again as a motorcycle official had seen a ‘sticky bottle’ pull and acceleration to launch Tarling again into the race motion.
Teammate Tom Pidcock was a late addition to the squad and he bunny-hopped his manner over treacherous cobbles to complete 6:20 off the profitable tempo of in seventeenth place, the most effective end for an Ineos rider. He had been slated to trip Itzulia Basque Country, which concluded April 6, however missed the race on account of a recon crash earlier than the opening stage, which allowed him to relaxation and regroup for Paris-Roubaix.
“In the recon, to be sincere, I used to be actually struggling on them [cobbles]. But I believe within the race, you are driving them a bit sooner, properly quite a bit sooner really, and it makes it fairly a bit simpler.”
August moved to the WorldTour this yr as a young person on a three-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers, the place he joins fellow upstate New Yorker Magnus Sheffield. After August received Kopperbergcross in December 2022, turning into the primary US male cyclocross athlete to win on the iconic cyclocross occasion, he continued his success on the highway for the Hot Tubes growth staff for 2023. He had a stage win and general podium on the Redlands Bicycle Classic in addition to two summit stage wins and a GC title at Ain Bugey Valromey Tour in France.
“Of course, it has been a giant change, like residing alone. And I have not seen my household because the new yr. So it was good to see them,” he stated about having kinfolk make the journey from the US to see him race Paris-Roubaix.
When requested if he regarded ahead to a return to the well-known cobbled Classic, the place he might file an official time and maybe play a serious function for his staff. It was a brief reply: “I’ll wait to consider that for a while”.
With a Monument accomplished and dusted, August has no time take into consideration a return to Paris-Roubaix or to relaxation. He will likely be a part of the Ineos squad for a lot totally different terrain subsequent week for Tour of the Alps. It will likely be his second stage race of the yr, having accomplished UAE Tour in assist of a top-10 end for Brandon Rivera.
