[UCI World Tour] Paris-Roubaix

Paris-Roubaix

Yes, another prediction event. :) It's my favorite race of the year. Hopefully I should be home just in time to watch it. (Also running: Chinese Grand Prix event.)

How it works

Predict who is going to win the race; that's all. :)

Entries close when the race starts. Since it's a one day race just enter your predictions below.

Once all the classics have finished I will create a special winner's event for everyone who correctly predicted a race giving them a shot at some nice games.

Race Preview

Keeping this short as I am leaving tomorrow and have stuff to do.

Still, the biggest race of the year as far as I am concerned! And one where luck plays a big role as the cobbled sectors always cause a lot of crashes and equipment failures. The best riders still win here often but sometimes you get some unexpected winners. Ask Dirk Demol; his historic 222 km escape is the longest breakaway victory in Roubaix history.

It does take a special skill to ride the cobbles well and some great riders have never even competed here just cause they couldn't handle those dusty, bumpy, and sometimes wet, sectors.

From Wikipedia:

Theo de Rooij, a Dutchman, had been in a promising position to win the 1985 race but had then crashed, losing his chance of winning. Covered in mud, he offered his thoughts on the race to CBS' John Tesh after the race:

    “It's a bollocks, this race!” said de Rooij. “You're working like an animal, you don't have time to piss, you wet your pants. You're riding in mud like this, you're slipping ... it’s a pile of shit.”

When then asked if he would start the race again, de Rooij replied:

    “Sure, it's the most beautiful race in the world!”

Sites
Official Site
Wikipedia

Favorites

• After his win on Sunday Philippe Gilbert repeated that he wants to win all five monuments before retiring but did also say that it takes special skill to win Roubaix. He's not competing this year though.
• Greg Van Avermaet best result here has been third.
• Which is better than Peter Sagan who never got further than sixth. Will the crazy crash impact his and Van Avermaet's performance?
• Last year's winner Mathew Hayman will want to repeat his success and what will teammate Luke Durbrigde do?
• Then there's Tom Boonen again; it's his last season and thus this is his final chance to become the first ever rider to win this classic five times. He has stated publically that this is his favorite race; quite something to say for a Flandrien.
• Quick-Step Floors are also brining former winner Niki Terpstra and Zdeněk Štybar who got to second place in 2015.
• John Degenkolb and Jasper Stuyven will be the aces for Trek-Segafredo.
• Do we even mention Team Sky?
• Hopefully the weather will be terrible cause then Lars Boom can repeat what he did in the Tour de France in 2014; winning what was basically a mini Paris-Roubaix.

I'll leave it up to you to mention more favorites. Here's to a great race on Sunday!

Giveaway

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