Tour of Flanders vs Paris-Roubaix
Tour of Flanders vs Paris-Roubaix
Separated by just seven days on the WorldTour calendar, the two cobbled Monument races are among the most keenly-anticipated events of the season.
The Hellingen of the Tour of Flanders and the pavé of Paris-Roubaix are iconic in the cycling world but the two are very different races.
The flat, fast cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are a different beast to the short, narrow cobbled climbs of Flanders – which is why some riders struggle to conquer both.
Hammond, whose best Ronde result was seventh in 2010, says: “If you just took it from a cardiovascular point of view, Paris-Roubaix is probably no different to the Tour of Flanders. The acceleration on the climbs at Flanders is probably no different to the secteurs of pavé at Paris-Roubaix.
“That’s why you get a very similar type of rider doing well at both races. The demands on the cardiovascular system are very similar.
“But actually riding the cobbles at Flanders is completely different. You’re riding them in a completely different way.
“At 6km/h or 9km/h for a 25 per cent climb it doesn’t take a lot of bravery whereas riding 65km/h on cobbles where you can’t see more than two inches in front of you and the bike is bouncing around all over the place – it takes a different type of skill and a certain amount of either bravery or confidence.
“There’s a big difference for your mentality but physically there’s not a great deal of difference.”