 Boonen tries out odd-looking Specialized on Arenberg cobbles |
 Ballan looks at ease on the pave |
 Arenberg Trench looks nice in the sunshine |
 Motors banned for their own safety |
 Recently repaired pave… |
Wallers-Arenberg, recently improved to make it safer, is one of the most feared sections of pave in Paris-Roubaix and is barriered against motor vehicles for most of the year, making it the ideal place for the pros to try out their riding technique and machinery.
Pictures by Fotoreporter Sirotti
What will happen?
One of the most exciting weeks in the racing calendar is about to come to a close on Sunday with the Queen of the classics. Both the winners of Flanders (Ballan) and Gent-Wevelgem (Burghardt) were big surprises,leaving us all with bated breath as we wait to find out who will become the next King of the Cobbles. Expect the action to be fast and furious. Team tactics will come into play as the long range forecast looks to be warm and sunny, not the wet and damp weather that some riders excel in.
Who will win? this is probably very hard to predict this year but here are my top 5 people to watch.
Go on, surprise us – ed.
All of these riders have strong teams which will probably be as decisive to the outcome as the race parcours. Could Ballan be the first Italian ever to do the double? Could Boonen finally get a result in one of the races he should excel in, or will Cancellara manage back to back wins? The winning break is likely to come in the last 30-40km from the finish. Who knows after Hammond’s impressive podium at Gent Wevelgem? He might move up one step on the podium.
Coverage is patchy on Eurosport due to other sports this weekend. Shame they do not use Eurosport 2 to show the whole race! If you have subscribed to the Premium version of Cycling.tv you will be able to watch it on your computer.
Grab a couple of beers and sit back and enjoy the ride.
