This Sunday, Intermarché-Wanty returns to Paris-Roubaix with the ambition of securing a new benchmark result, following four top 10 finishes in the last three editions of the Hell of the North. That's why the Walloon World team of Jean-François Bourlart will line up with an experienced selection and two debutants.
The third Monument of the season features a 259 kilometer course, including 55 kilometers of cobblestones. From the start in Compiègne around 11:00 AM, riders must cover nearly 100 kilometers before encountering the first cobblestones. Several new sectors have been added this year, making the approach to the five-star rated Trouée d’Arenberg particularly challenging. The second and third highest ranked cobblestone sectors, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre, are located 50 kilometers and 17 kilometers from the finish, respectively. After the latter, there are still three sectors left until the iconic finish at the Roubaix velodrome.
The seven-man selection did the recon of the thirty sectors this Thursday and Friday, under the direction of Aike Visbeek, Bart Wellens, and Franky Van Haesebroucke, and in the company of the young riders of Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz who are preparing for the U23 event. On this occasion, all Cube Litening C:68X Aero bikes and reserve bikes were equipped with Hutchinson Racing Lab Blackbird All-Season 32 mm tubeless tires and new Prologo Onetouch 3D handlebar tape.
Local rider Adrien Petit, who achieved his best result under the Intermarché-Wanty colors with a sixth place in 2022, is participating in the Hell of the North for the thirteenth time in his career. Laurenz Rex (9th in 2023) and Jonas Rutsch (11th in 2021) will be competing in their third Monument of the season, as will Biniam Girmay, who is discovering Paris-Roubaix along with Roel van Sintmaartensdijk. With four and seven participations respectively, Taco van der Hoorn and Gijs Van Hoecke also bring their experience to the selection.
"Paris-Roubaix is the race I've been preparing for since winter. Of all the classics, it's probably the one that suits me best. It's also a mythical event, I feel the tension rising, but also the desire. The atmosphere of this Monument is incomparable, with the fans, the very special feeling on the cobbles, the distance. I remember my top 10 in 2023. For my second participation, it was a surprise to be already so competitive even though I knew I worked hard to achieve it. Last year, I crashed twice and wasn't able to compete in the final. My goal will therefore be to avoid that and to reach the top 10 again. I know my form is good and I feel capable of it, in my last races I finished in company of contenders for Sunday. It's always a good idea to anticipate in Paris-Roubaix, especially against the top riders in the peloton who currently take all the victories. But to win the Hell of the North, you need luck and it's probably the race where it's the most difficult to predict the winner."
"It's the first time since the U23 race in 2019 and my recon in 2020 that I'm back on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix and feeling its unique sensations. The recon rides went well, we have excellent equipment and I was able to comfortably ride on the sectors. Of course, I expect it to be a different story on Sunday in a packed peloton in which we'll have to fight for positions. I'm looking forward to it, I've been wanting to participate in the Hell of the North for a long time and this Sunday the right moment has arrived. Many factors can influence the result, I hope above all to have as much luck as possible, to avoid crashes and mechanical incidents. I know my condition is good. I'm also looking forward to experiencing the fervor of Paris-Roubaix with the many supporters along the sectors, who will be there in large numbers as at every race to support me and my team."
"I'm looking forward to returning to Paris-Roubaix, the Monument that suits me best, where I can aim for a good result without necessarily having to anticipate. My sixteenth place in 2022, the year of my last participation, is proof of that. Usually, it takes a lot of energy to get into the morning breakaway in Paris-Roubaix, but in the past riders like Matthew Hayman or Johan Vansummeren have shown that it can lead to victory. Whatever our strategy is this Sunday, I've done everything in my preparation to be ready in the best possible condition. With our Head of Equipment Mikey Van Kruiningen and the experts of Hutchinson, we tested the new Racing Lab Blackbird All-Season 32mm tires in the Forest of Wallers. I rode the sector nine times, each time with a different tire pressure, and then continued to the Roubaix velodrome. In addition to that, I did the recon of the first sectors on my own and participated in the team recon rides this Thursday and Friday. Together with my teammates, we enjoyed the ideal conditions, with a playful and serious approach, challenging each other on the cobbles. We're ready to make the Intermarché-Wanty jersey shine in the dust of Roubaix this Sunday."
