Everybody seems to be talking about the new measures at Paris-Roubaix, including a couple of Matts: Mathieu van der Poel, and Matteo Jorgenson. Allow this Matt to dive right in.
It’s not really a chicane, it’s a U-turn
Amaury Sports Organization (ASO) officially announced on Wednesday the implementation of chicanes before the notorious Arenberg forest section. Except it’s not really a chicane, it’s more like a U-Turn. As well as a few corners before the 2.3-km section of unyielding cobblestone, renowned for its treacherous conditions. Riders often reach speeds of up to 60 km/h, prompting teams to organize leadout trains to position their leaders at the forefront. The intense competition in this segment frequently leads to numerous crashes.
Mathieu van der Poel weighs in
Not everyone loved it, notably the world champion. He posted, “Is this a joke?”
Is this a joke? 🤔 https://t.co/WkkUe2YC5U
— Mathieu Van der Poel (@mathieuvdpoel) April 3, 2024
Adam Hansen was then put on the defensive. Hansen (btw is everyone named Matt, or Hansen now? Just want to say I was on this trend first) stated that every team listed for Paris-Roubaix was directly contacted for consultation, and the overwhelming majority endorsed the proposed changes.
Jonas Vingegaard is now a Hansen and I for one, very much approve
“It’s been a topic since last year and there are a whole bunch of riders who say the Arenberg is way too dangerous and should not be part of the race. I’ve had team directors say to me that the section should be taken out and we have been talking about possible ways of slowing down dangerous sections because high-speed crashes aren’t good,” Hansen said in an interview with GCN. “A couple of weeks ago, as the race came up and was back in riders’ minds, they came back saying that it was crazy and were asking if we could create some type of diversion. So first I reached out to ASO and they jumped on it straight away. I gave them three options. They couldn’t go with A because there was a massive hole in the road, and option B was too narrow, but there was option C, which is a slightly shorter version of what ASO have gone with. They said it was possible but that I needed to make sure the riders were on board.
Hansen said he had support from the pro peloton
Hansen said he contacted either one rider or a team director from each team. Some riders took a few days to consider, but ultimately, all teams were satisfied with one of the…
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