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BOULDER, Colo (VN) — Back home after Roubaix, it’s time to look through photos from the weekend. With all the special equipment and fantastic racing, it was hard to wade through them all. Here’s a gallery from the day, start to finish with both a technical and racing perspective.
Knowing what's ahead is important at Roubaix. So too is the advice above the pave sectors: Fun, Focus, Fighting.
Ag2r’s Martin Elmiger spent a lot of time in the day’s breakaway. Here’s his Kuota KOM before the start. The only special touches for the Swiss national champion’s bike are the Swiss flag sticker and the red SRAM brake hoods.
Ag2r rode carbon Reynolds MVT wheels with fairly narrow (25mm or so) Michelin Service Course tubulars.
Katusha’s Pozzato rode deep section carbon wheels with Continental Competition 22mm tubulars, at least for the start.
Europcar riders used Colnago cyclocross bikes for the day’s trials. The longer wheelbase may have made the Bora’s a possibility (most riders avoided deep section wheels).
Sticking with the ‘cross theme, top mount brake levers were installed.
Bretagne-Schuller rides KTM bicycles (apparently not directly related to the motorcycle maker). Other than standard aluminum wheels, they made few concessions for the pave.
Some cheatsheets were more elegant than others. Props for matching the bike’s paint though!
Several FDJ spare bikes, and at least one race bike, had prototype Hutchinson Intensive’s in a fat 28mm width.
FDJ’s Dominique Rollin tapes a sector cheatsheet to his top tube before the start. The Canadian rode his Lapierre Sensium with C35 wheels and accessory sprint shifters to finish 95th in the Roubaix velodrome.
Knowing what’s ahead is important at Roubaix. So too is the advice above the pave sectors: Fun, Focus, Fighting.
Rabobank was running green Kool-Stop brake pads on several bikes despite the popularity of Shimano’s blue pad for carbon wheels.
When the race started Cancellara’s race bike (signified by his race number) was on top of the team car. He swapped bikes at the first feed zone for this bike, equipped for the tougher sectors later in the race.
This Belgian boy had a clear favorite.
The sunny warm condtions brought the crowds out in droves. Some with a better sense of humor than others.
Stijn Devolder tries to chase back to the leading bunch after a mechanical. It wasn’t meant to be for the Belgian champion.
Bernard Eisel looks for the showers after the race.
A Movistar mechanic suds up a bike post-race. They took no special precaution washing the Campagnolo electric group.
From the look of his bike, Kurt-Asle Arvesen had some adventures at Roubaix this year.
BMC mechanics cleaned up bikes while a soigneur washed several riders’ shoes.
Garmin Cervelo’s truck after the race. Another clean, orderly setup that makes the perfectionist in most mechanics happy. Head mechanic Geoff Brown can just be seen behind the wash bucket. A punctured front Mavic M40 is in the foreground.
Quick Step’s mechanics and staff was hard at work at the end of the day. Nothing is put away dirty. Their parking spot at the velodrome is well respected by other teams and they get it every year.
Boom’s bike had a special head tube graphic. The Rabobank-branded brakes are nothing if not bright!
Rabobank’s Lars Boom rode this bike with cantilever brakes.
Aussies Luke Roberts (Saxo Bank) and former Roubaix winner Stuart O’Grady (Leopard-Trek) roll into the Roubaix velodrome, unfortunately outside the time cut.
