In just over two weeks, the Paris-Roubaix runners will set off, but first honor to the girls who start the race one day before the men’s, on April 8. The bikes are specially prepared for this race nicknamed “The Hell of the North”.
Three weeks away from the queen of the classics, the Cofidis team is adjusting its final settings. Saddles, adapted handlebars, tire pressure… everything is new for female riders who are discovering their reinforced bikes, especially for cobblestones. “What’s important is to see if the position is exactly the same because since it’s two different codes, two different geometries, so you have to get used to finding the right position before the race day”testifies a runner.
29 km of cobblestones to swallow
For this third women’s edition, the Paris-Roubaix stretches with almost 150 km, including 29 km of cobblestones to swallow. Road comfort is becoming a crucial issue. “L’enfer du Nord” and its cobbled sections are a mythical course that the northern team already has in mind. By 2022, two of the girls on the team had made it into the top 20.
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