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Paris-Roubaix wildcards announced

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Bora-Argon 18 and Direct Energie get invitations as Southeast miss out

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John Degenkolb gets his cobble for winning Paris-Roubaix

John Degenkolb gets his cobble for winning Paris-Roubaix (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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There were a few riders who didn't need worry about the train incident at Paris-Roubaix due to being at the front of the race

There were a few riders who didn't need worry about the train incident at Paris-Roubaix due to being at the front of the race (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The Katusha team recons the Paris-Roubaix course

The Katusha team recons the Paris-Roubaix course (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The peloton on the Pont Gibus sector of cobbles

The peloton on the Pont Gibus sector of cobbles (Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
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In the infield of the Roubaix velodrome, race organizers created a bike podium next to the riders' podium. Zdenek Stybar's Specialized S-Works Roubaix is at left and Greg Van Avermaet's BMC GranFondo RBX is at right

In the infield of the Roubaix velodrome, race organizers created a bike podium next to the riders' podium. Zdenek Stybar's Specialized S-Works Roubaix is at left and Greg Van Avermaet's BMC GranFondo RBX is at right (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)

Race organiser ASO have announced the teams that will race this year’s Paris-Roubaix, including the seven wildcards. Bora-Argon 18, Direct Energie and Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise are among those that have been invited to the cobbled Classic.

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Delko Marseille Provence KTM, Cofidis, Fortuneo-Vital Concept and Wanty-Groupe Gobert have also received wildcards for the race, which is due to take place on April 10. Southeast-Venezuela, the team of former podium finisher Filippo Pozzato, missed out on an invitation.

The 2016 Paris-Roubaix will be a touch longer than the previous one, at 257.5km, and will feature some 25 sectors of cobbles. The extended route will allow the Hameau du Buat sector to be brought back after a three-year absence.

John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) won last year’s race ahead of Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep). The German won’t be back to defend his title after being injured in a training crash in Spain last month, when a driver collided with Degenkolb and several of his teammates.

WorldTour teams for Paris-Roubaix: AG2R La Mondiale, Astana Pro Team, BMC Racing Team, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, Dimension Data, Etixx-Quick Step, FDJ, IAM Cycling, Lampre-Merida, Lotto Soudal, Movistar Team, Orica GreenEdge, Team Giant – Alpecin, Team Katusha, Team Lotto NL-Jumbo, Team Sky, Tinkoff, Trek-Segafredo.

Wildcards for Paris-Roubaix: Bora-Argon 18, Cofidis, Solutions Crédit, Delko Marseille Provence KTM, Direct Energie, Fortuneo – Vital Concept, Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise, Wanty–Groupe Gobert.