Peter Sagan takes a corner at speed as he test his Roubaix race bike(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan seems to be feeling better(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan leads his teammates during the pave recon ride (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sagan noted that the pave was dry and dusty (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan talks with teammate Maciej Bodnar(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan with Maciej Bodnar in the Forest of Arenberg(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sagan stayed on a wheel during some of the ride(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sagan had the confidence to keep one hand on the tops during a corner(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan dials in his new rim-brake Specialized Roubaix bike(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan: All ready for Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The cobbles were dry and dusty making for a fast ride(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sagan rides on the tops to soften the blow of the pave(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Here comes Bora-hansgrohe(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter and Juraj Sagan ride together(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan takes time to pop a wheelie(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) poses for photos(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan and his Bora-Hansgrohe teammates did their final recon ride on the pavé of Paris-Roubaix on Thursday, testing their bikes and legs before Sunday's final Classic on the cobbles. On Friday morning the team rode 50km on normal roads, heading south into France and towards Compiègne for the start of Paris-Roubaix from their base in Belgium. Race day is less than 48 hours away.
The world champion is still in pain from his crash at the Tour of Flanders, with his hip and ribs the biggest concern. The rough French pavé caused him some pain during Thursday's recon ride but his entourage told Cyclingnews that he is feeling better and is ready to fight for victory in the last major race of his spring campaign.
Sagan has a new Specialized Roubaix bike for Sunday and spent time dialling it in with the Bora-Hansgrohe mechanics, tweaking the brakes and testing the tyres to decide the best pressure for the pavé. Like Tom Boonen, Sagan has opted not to use disc brakes due to the risks of a slow wheel or bike change and so Specialized have made their two star riders a special version of the US brand's new Roubaix bike. The stock model only comes with disc brakes but to satisfy UCI rules on race bikes, Specialized plan to produce a limited edition of a dual-mount rim brake model that has clearance for 28mm tyres.
During their recon ride of the pavé on Thursday, Sagan and his teammates set off from Denain and rode from just before the Forest of Arenberg sector (number 19 of the 29 sectors) until the Carrefour d'Arbe (sector 4), which is just 17km from the finish in the Roubaix velodrome. Sagan often powered along at near race speed to get a feel for the cobblestones and the dry dusty conditions that are expected for Sunday. Of course, he also found time to pull a wheelie for photographers and fans, who stopped in awe to seem him ride past.
Sagan has shown some superb form in recent weeks but has so far failed to win a major Classic, his and Bora-Hansgrohe's goal for the first part of the 2017 season.
He was beaten by Michal Kwiatkowski in a close sprint at Milan-San Remo and then crashed hard at the Tour of Flanders after tangling with a spectator's jacket. Rival teams have used their combined strength to attack and isolate Sagan from his Bora-Hansgrohe teammates, with races exploding earlier than is usually the case. Similar tactics are expected on Sunday but after his recon ride, Sagan is ready to race.
Bora-Hansgrohe named its full team for Paris-Roubaix on Friday morning, confirming that Sagan will have support from his brother Juraj, Maciej Bodnar, German veteran Marcus Burghardt, Michael Kolar, Aleksejs Saramotins, Andreas Schillinger and Rudiger Selig.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
