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Road

In the pits: Paris-Roubaix

Scenes from the start of Paris-Roubaix, the "Queen of the Classics"

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Don't miss a moment from Paris-Roubaix and Unbound Gravel, to the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and everything in between when you join Outside+.

In
Tinkoff’s bus was the first to arrive on a foggy Compiégne morning. Fans lined up early to catch a glimpse of World Champion Peter Sagan, and the crowds did not abate until after the peloton left the starting line. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Inside the subdued Tinkoff bus, helmets await the riders. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Peter isn’t the only Sagan on Tinkoff. His older brother, Juraj, also rides for the team, helping the world champ fight for a spot on the Paris-Roubaix podium. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Plenty of nutrition options are on hand for the riders pre-race. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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The back of the bus is a changing room. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Dad-level: pro. A father and son wait outside the gates to catch a glimpse of Sagan. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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The Pinarello K8-S finally made an appearance underneath Sky riders. Earlier in the cobbles week, riders chose the yet-unreleased and un-suspended K8 for its added stiffness. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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A Team Sky mechanic makes a last-minute change to Ian Stannard’s K8-S. Pinarello’s cobble bike has 10 millimeters of travel to help quiet Roubaix’s brutal cobbles. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Several Sky riders chose the K8-S, but some stuck with the un-suspended K8. Paris-Roubaix is perhaps the ideal course for the K8-S. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Another common sight in the pits: textured tape on the inside of water bottle cages. Cobbles can rattle just about anything out of place, so riders avoid jettisoned bottles any way they can. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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A few chains and cassettes in the Sky pits were waxed. This helps keep dirt and grit at bay and offers lubrication for watt savings. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Some Katusha riders stuck with mechanical shifting. Paris-Roubaix can wreak havoc on components, so it’s likely some riders wanted to stick with the components they know. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Other riders, like Alexander Kristoff, chose SRAM’s new wireless group, eTap. Should the day get muddy or wet, eTap provides the cleanest, lowest maintenance option since it has no cables and housing. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Kristoff starts up his Garmin and gives his bike a check-over before heading off to rider check-in. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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A now-ubiquitous sight in the team paddocks is the UCI official checking bicycles for internal motors. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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The official scans each bike with an iPad; both the frame and wheels are scanned. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Yep, spare bikes are scanned for motors, too. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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American Phil Gaimon got the late call from Team Cannondale to get to Paris-Roubaix on the double. Sick and injured riders cleared a spot for Gaimon, who has never raced Paris-Roubaix before. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Gaimon’s Cannondale Synapse is designed to help keep some of the pavé chatter at bay, not with a suspension unit but instead with flattened chain stays and seat stays that flex for compliance. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Gaimon runs a 53/39 chainring combo with an 11-25 cassette in the rear. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Of course, Gaimon runs his stem with negative rise for a more aggressive riding position. Note the missing headset cover. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Flattened chainstays help provide some vertical flex without sacrificing too much torsional stiffness. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Tall head tubes are the order of the day. While taller head tubes can lead to some flex, they also get the rider in a more upright riding position that’s more stable and comfortable over the cobbles. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Team Cannondale’s Jack Bauer wisely taped up his hands for additional padding. Battling blisters only adds to the often insurmountable discomfort of the Hell of the North. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Koen de Kort shows off his fine tape job. More battle armor against the punishing cobbles. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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It appears André Greipel has the cinematic bug. A GoPro Hero 4 Session hangs from a K-Edge handlebar mount on Greipel’s Roubaix race bike. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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A young fan gets up close and personal with a Canyon Aeroad in the Movistar team paddock. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Lampre-Merida has gone all-in on disc brakes this cobble season. The chain stay beneath the rear disc brake now has fins to further dissipate heat, probably in an effort to encourage more consistent, reliable braking. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Creative packing in the Cannondale support car. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Think you’ve seen these wheels before? Think again. These prototype Enve wheels are optimized for larger tires like the 28mm Continental tires on Mark Cavendish’s Roubaix race bike. The wheels are similar to Enve’s SES 4.5 wheels, but they likely have a wider inner rim width. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Minimalist pedals adorn Cavendish’s sprint-ready ride. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Sep Vanmarcke takes a cue from the cyclocross world. The lever mounted on the bar flats allows Vanmarcke to stay in control over cobbled sectors without having to ride in the drops or on the hoods. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Perhaps Peter Sagan’s greatest threat to the top step of the podium, Fabian Cancellara rolls toward rider check-in to chase glory in his final Paris-Roubaix. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews
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Cancellara shares a smile with a Trek team mechanic after checking in for the 2016 edition of Paris-Roubaix. Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews

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