 | ||
| April 1, 2012: Matt Richardson as Roger de Vlaeminck |
Now that Tom Boonen has ridden away to a historic 4th victory, which puts him on the level with Vlaeminck (recreated by my new cycling acquaintance Matt Richardson, pictured left, following his own conquest of the cobbles last Sunday), I feel (almost) ready to put Paris-Roubaix away again for another year and cast my sights forward to other rides and races.
But what a passionate, emotional event this is, and how it seemed to get to us all this year, the first year that organisers ASO got the formula right and allowed the 1300 or so riders to turn right into the Roubaix Velodrome - perhaps the most famous right turn in cycling. Granted, we did not ride the full course from just outside Paris. It was 148 kms from St Quentin, beginning at 7.30am. This is different from getting on the 5am bus up to Bruges and completing the 255kms Flanders - and different from the June event when you can ride the full Paris-Roubaix (although being in June, it can't possibly be Paris-Roubaix can it?). But for these failings, the ASO Challenge includes all nineteen pave sections and immaculately marshalled road closures involving hundreds of gendarmes. It was an unbelievable effort for the comparatively small field of 1300 riders, and one wonders whether ASO have the vision and pockets to keep it up for the next few years. Are there enough people who want to ride dastardly cobbles in dastardly weather?
Like last year, the conditions were hardly atrocious. Instead of rain and filth, we had cold, dry and ultimately sunny conditions. But there was a stiff northerly breeze sweeping a course that tracks due north, and on the start line it was hovering just off zero, which made it difficult to know how to dress. It was certainly no relation to the mini-heat wave of the week before. It was a case of full winter kit and over shoes, and until the blood was truly pulsing I had completely numb hands despite three pairs of gloves.
There's no point rehearsing this event bit by bit. It follows a well-rehearsed formula. You hammer the initial 38kms in a peleton; then you hit the first of 19 sections of pave and the whole thing splinters to pieces. You try and stay in groups and you decide how to ride each cobbled section, sticking to the puncture-ridden gutters or slogging it out down the crown. Most people do not suffer massive, ride-ending mechanicals and even the lightest carbon fibre bikes seem to be strong beyond belief when you consider the terrain. Someone reportedly hung up a Di2 rear mech. I saw a saddle, seatpost and seatback bag all connected, lying in the road, which was a bit stunning. The rider continued without them, though for how long I don't know. As usual, the first section of pave was bountiful for spectators, since anything remotely loose flies off and is ripe for taking. Minipumps, sunglasses, spare tubular tyres incorrectly attached with toe-clip straps; lots of water bottles and some articles of clothing. Cross racers have an advantage in the handling department. Some of the elite riders were on cross bikes, which led them to wear camelbaks for water (since top cross bikes typically lack any bottle bosses -). I followed this formula and even if I had not taken my Ridley X-Night, I would recommend a Camelbak. I took 1.5 litres in a 2 litre Camelbak, and it meant that I could avoid all the feed stations.
The biggest debate is around tyres, tyre pressures and punctures. Roughly 50% of riders puncture whether from pinch flats or from sharp stuff in the gutters. Nice to see yesterday that the Pros aren't much different. There's a lottery element to Paris-Roubaix. I punctured 25kms from the end, despite a brand new set of Vittoria Open Pave 700x24c tyres (clinchers - there is also a tubular version of the same tyre). In terms of pressure, there is a trade-off between comfort and handling, and resistance to pinch flats. Too hard, and you bounce so much that the bike is uncontrollable. I nearly lost it once from uncontrollable bouncing, and my tyres were at just over 80 psi. This, I came to realise later, is too low and partly reflected reliance on a hand pump, having forgotten to bring a track pump. An unforced error. 100 psi is probably about right, but I'd opt for 90 psi if wet. Tubulars are the choice of the pros but you'd better carry some cans of Pitstop and a fully stretched spare, and be able to de-mount and re-mount a tub in the field. Quite alot of riders, mostly French given the club strips I saw, rode with tubs. It's the higher religion and something I'd love to try next year.
If anyone else has views on this subject of tyre choice and pressure, I'd like to hear. It might be a good idea to get larger volume 700x25, x28 or even x32 tyres, although there's a point at which weight and rolling resistance weigh on your overall time. The folding Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons comes as a 700x28, and is one contender, but the Vittoria Open Paves have a 320tpi carcass and a supple but solid thunky feeling when you hit the rough stuff. The Four Seasons are a bit tinny in comparison, despite no real weight difference. In my case, without a CO2 canister (poor experiences in the past have put me off, like blowing the valve nipple off) I lost seven or eight minutes and in particular lost the group I was in. So it was a lonely ride into the headwind for the last 20kms and it robbed me of a sub-five hour time - I finished in 5 hours 13minutes, which ranked 211th overall and 88th in my age group.
What's the point and what's the magic? The local paper asked the same, very philosophically and French-like. The journalist ended by saying: "Dimanche prochain, quand led pros s'elanceront sur le parcours qu'ils ont emprunte, ils pourront dire: 'J'y etais.'" We do it to say 'I was there'. Maybe. For me, this race dating back to 1896 is steeped in so much history that it is one ride that you have to tick off the list, and a way of touching the hem of the greats. If you ever thought pro-cycling was easy, then try this. It is hardcore. But with ASO at the helm, the Challenge has real panache. You don't just finish in the Velodrome: you get a superbly healthy meal afterwards, even with fresh beetroots (!); the chance to sluice a Jupiler beer; the chance to shower in the fabled Roubaix shower block and even a free-to-use Karcher pressure wash for the bike. All these elements overcame the logistics of having to get across the English Channel to the start, and then from Roubaix back to St Quentin to retrieve the car, only to retrace steps again to Roubaix. Yes, an effort, but one I'd make again for a ride I'll never forget.
