Bora-Argon 18 with special edition Gallium's for Paris-Roubaix

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This is the bike that Scott Thwaites will be racing at Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: BORA – ARGON 18/Stiehl)

German Pro-Continental team Bora-Argon 18 will line up Paris-Roubaix with special edition Gallium's ready for the 57.5km of pavé in this year's race. The "Classics Edition" of the Gallium features a reworked rear stays and lay-up of the fork to better the absorption of the vibrations and impacts that riders encounter during the 253km race. Argon 18 and the team have been testing the bike during the classics season with several top five finishes but without tasting victory.

"Paris-Roubaix is such a special race that it's simply required to have special bike setups," said team manager Ralph Denk. "One must find the right balance between handling and comfort on 50km of cobblestones as well as the rigidity you need on the other 200km. But then you can't experiment in the race itself. Once a rider lines-up in Compiègne he needs to trust completely in his material. We are more than happy that Argon 18 provided us already back in February with different classic set-ups that we tested in diverse races. The classics edition turns out to be very reliable and to go as smoothly as possible with the various components."

"We wanted to be proactive and get in front of the team's needs by providing bicycles adapted to the unique race conditions at Paris-Roubaix, and to the Northern Classics before that race," said president of Argon 18 Gervais Rioux. "It is important for us that athletes approach every event with absolute confidence in their equipment. By providing the most competitive bike possible, we ensure a favourable environment for them to perform and, therefore, to obtain results."