Paris-Roubaix is a race for specialists, perhaps the most untameable of the classics and certainly the one that requires the most severe physical and technical requirements. Its cruelty and harshness frighten some, but inspire many others, who make it the highlight of their season. And there are those who love Roubaix and have never surrendered to it: John Degenkolb, Jasper Stuyven and Oliver Naesen have never withdrawn from the Queen of Classics, and the same applies to Margaux Vigié and Chiara Consonni, who have ridden and completed the first four editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. We met them to understand the details of their preparation, the technique that allows them to pedal on pavé, their little tricks and also the mental aspect of this challenge, which they have mastered better than others.
Oliver Naesen does not hide that, although being a true Flahute - a term indicating cyclists from the northern provinces of Flanders, Flemish-speaking riders who were born and raised on pavé in cold and rainy conditions - he has a "love-hate relationship with Roubaix! It has never gone as I wanted. I think I have had more punctures in my nine participations here than in the rest of my career combined! I have never had peace in this race: crashes, punctures, mechanical problems... I have seen everything... except a top 10 placement!"
But the thirty-four-year-old Belgian has not lost hope of finally entering the top 10, to which he has come close fiercely on three occasions (twelfth once, thirteenth twice). "This is perhaps the classic where I have the best chances of getting a great result because luck is a really big factor". This year he can count on good condition, judging by recent results at E3 Saxo Bank Classic (twelfth) and Gent-Wevelgem (twenty-first).
THE PREP: "FINDING THE SWEET SPOT""I've lost count of how many times I've recced Paris–Roubaix", guffaws Oliver Naesen. He waited until he was a "late neo-pro" at 24 years old before receiving his baptism of fire in the Hell of the North. Since then, he has been unable to resist the temptation to go back, heading out multiple times each winter, giving in to the knowledge that the nearest cobbled sectors are just over an hour's drive from his home near Ghent. "I go in November, December, January, February… Every time, we use it as an opportunity to test equipment. The most important things are the wheels, tyres and figuring out the ideal pressure." In training, he explains, "the lower the pressure, the faster you go over the cobblestones. But there's a limit you can't go beyond. If you drop it too much, when you hit a hole, the air can start leaking through the bead between the tyre and the rim. It gets worse every time you hit another hole, until you end up flat! The key is finding the sweet spot, the right balance between performance and risk. A puncture always costs more than saving five or ten watts on a sector. That's why testing is crucial, even though, with experience, you show up already having a pretty good idea of what will work." In the days leading up to the race, Oliver Naesen usually spends three hours on the cobblestones on Thursday, two hours on Friday, and then does an easy café ride on Saturday. However, "in a perfect world", he would avoid the sectors entirely during race week "because they take so much out of you". Instead, he would head straight to Spain on Sunday night or Monday after the Tour of Flanders, get in four or five days of training in the sun and only return on Friday. "That would also allow for some proper endurance work because, once the racing block starts with Paris–Nice, you never really get the chance to do quality training any more. Then again, I've never actually tried this approach, so I have no idea if it would work!"
THE GEAR: "IT'S NOTHING LIKE IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO"
A decade after his first start, Oliver Naesen has seen just how much the equipment has evolved in the Hell of the North. "Back in the day, we had a specific bike for Roubaix. Nowadays, we use the same bike, it's just the gearing that changes from time to time. This year, we talked about running a 58-46 [chainring setup] if there's a tailwind. That's seriously big! In races, I generally use a 56-44. I don't think the 58 is necessary, especially because in Roubaix, you've got that sprint on the track and, for me, that's where there are the most places to be gained. When you hit the sprint absolutely cooked, a 58 could kill your speed! Apart from that, I've also used a gravel derailleur at Roubaix. I still have to make up my mind whether to use it this time round. It's sturdier. The cage is aluminium instead of carbon, and I've actually had a derailleur cage snap just from the vibrations from the cobblestones." From his point of view, the biggest change has to do with tyre pressure. "It's nothing like it was ten years ago! We used to run 8 bar on flat races on tarmac. Now, I never go above 4.6!" That shift is largely down to the rise of tubeless tyres and the ever-increasing tyre widths. "Back then, we used a tubular tyre made specifically for Roubaix. A green one, the same Thor Hushovd [second in 2010] used. It was a 25 or 26 [thickness in millimetres]. This year, I think we'll be on 32s, both front and rear. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we're on 40s before long! I see no downside." To minimise blisters on his hands, he adjusts depending on the fit of his gloves: "If they're too big, it's better not to wear any, because it's the friction that causes blisters. But if they fit perfectly, that's all you need. This year, I might wear my time trial gloves. Then again, I do like wrapping double bar tape on the drops!"
THE COBBLESTONES: "MY RECORD IS FIVE PUNCTURES"
In his nine appearances so far, Oliver Naesen has never made it through without puncturing. "I've always flatted at Roubaix! My record is five punctures in a single race, which has happened to me two or three times. When it goes that way, you spend the whole day around the cars, chasing groups! I don't know what it feels like to finish the race without a puncture. Hopefully, this is the year." The Trouée d'Arenberg is his personal nightmare. "I've only made it through once without puncturing! I've tried every position: top 5, top 10, top 20… No matter where I put my wheels, I flat! I've cracked rims, snapped handlebars and even broken frames. It's like bad luck had it out for me! Maybe I race too aggressively. Why do I puncture so much? I have no idea!" He knows the cobblestones like the back of his hand, every trick for every sector. "In general, if it's a dry edition, you ride on the edges because the gaps between the cobblestones are filled with sand, which makes for smoother rolling. But that's also where the tractors pass, so that's where the biggest holes are. You have to resist the temptation to ride where it feels the fastest, on the edges, because that's exactly where the real puncture risks lie. There's no choice: you have to ride down the middle, even if it's a slog!" His favourite sector is the "Carrefour de l'Arbre because it's the last place where you can really make a difference. The year Greg won [2017], I was coming back strong with Boonen in his group. But coming out of the Carrefour, I blew up my derailleur and, if I remember right, finished the race on a yellow Mavic bike!". These days, he no longer sees winning as a "realistic" prospect. "But a top 10 is absolutely doable. I just need to stay with the favourites as long as possible… I've never been dropped by any rider on any cobbled sector! But I'd say physical strength only counts for about 70% here. Apart from that, there's a huge element of luck and the mental game matters too!"
ABANDON: "THE THOUGHT HAS NEVER CROSSED MY MIND"
Despite all the punctures and crashes —three or four at Roubaix alone, even though he only crashes "about once a year on average"—, "the thought of withdrawing has never crossed my mind because I've never been that far behind". His worst performance was 66th. To survive the Hell of the North, he sticks to "a clear plan": "I break this race down into multiple red zones, just like I do for every classic. At Roubaix, there are usually four. Each one is a sequence of cobbled sectors. When you see there are thirty sectors, for fifty-five kilometres of cobblestones, you think, ‘woah, that's a lot’! But when you bundle them into four blocks and focus on hitting each one in the best position possible, it's much easier mentally, at least for me."
THE EXTRA: "A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN MY EQUIPMENT"
While the former Belgian champion is, in his own words, approaching his tenth start in the same state of mind, he does point out that "I have a lot of confidence in my equipment, which hasn't always been the case. Last year, when we got our new [Van Rysel] bikes, was already better. But this year we've got a tyre partner that's the best brand, something I've never had throughout my entire career. Also, we'll be using our aero bike for the first time at Roubaix, as it only came out in July. Stuff like that can really move the needle over 260 kilometres. I'm going into Roubaix with optimism and ambition. I know it's a day when anything, or at least a lot, can happen. Despite my lack of results in this race, I know it suits me really well!"
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