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The decision to adjust the entrance into the Arenberg at Paris-Roubaix, has been praised by Soudal Quick-Step’s Kasper Asgreen, who said the speed into the five star sector has become ‘faster and faster’ in recent years.
Speaking to the media at the team’s pre-Roubaix press conference on Thursday, Asgreen said that he felt the peloton would have no issue in navigating the chicane after some questioned the decision.
Last year’s winner, Mathieu van der Poel, questioned the decision on X and other social media users suggested that it could lead to more crashes.
“I think it’s nice that they took the initiative to do something,” Asgreen told the gathered reporters. “Over the last couple of years, the entrance to the Arenberg has become faster and faster and we’ve seen crashes in the first 200 metres.
“Clearly something needed to be done. If it’s the perfect solution? I don’t know but at least it’s a step to do something. We will see on Sunday how it all works out.”
“I hope there’s not going to be a crash,” he added. “In the end, we do a lot more important corners where people want to be in the front than we do entrances to the Arenberg during the season. So it’s something the bunch are well used to.”
After yet another display of dominance from Van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, the Dutchman is widely considered to be the firm favourite for victory once more, but Asgreen said that taking the fight to him was key.
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“Sunday last week, I think everyone had the idea, almost every team had the idea to try to anticipate his attack,” he said. “In the end we saw an incredibly strong Alpecin team that managed to keep it almost all together until the second ascent of the Kwaremont and from there, Mathieu could do the race he wanted to.
“If they manage to do the same on Sunday, he’s very very difficult to beat. Difficult is not impossible, but I think the key is to open up the race early and try and isolate him. I don’t think we will be the only ones that want to do that.
“I think there are some strong collectives in other teams as well that have an interest to do the same. I think it’s going to be a tough race, a great race.”
While recon rides have shown the cobbles in a bad state, Asgreen hoped that drier weather would lead to better conditions on the pavé by the time the peloton hit them on Sunday.
“The last time I did the cobbles was in early February,” he said. “We will do a recon tomorrow, I’ve seen some pictures of other teams out there. It looks quite muddy but the next two days look dry, it should dry up pretty quickly on the cobbles and Sunday we could have a very dry race.”
The Soudal Quick-Step riders will be on their regular aero bikes, despite Specialized having a bike, the Roubaix, seemingly designed for the cobbles.
“We’ll be using our normal Tarmacs,” he explained. “Some of us are swapping out handlebars, or adding extra bar tape, depending on personal preference. We will then be swapping to 32 millimetre tires.”
