Paris-Roubaix 2013: Ride the Crown

Stijn Devolder on the crown. photo: Team Sky

Was Paris-Roubaix the best of the Spring Classics in 2013? Milan-Sanremo was amazingly photogenic, Ronde van Vlaanderen was inevitable but Roubaix was just about perfect. We all prefer the wet and gray “This weather is good for us” Roubaix yet this race’s drama transcended the fine spring day in the North of France. There is no better way to understand why they are pros and we are not as when one watches the leaders burn secteur after secteur in the 53 x 17. Humbling is not a strong enough word.

With fifty kilometers left to race it was obvious Cancellara was not in his usual soul crushing form. He was riding a few groups back and not even dominating his own little pack. It was not going to be the Double. He was just another mortal, with no teammates and a lot of young bucks looking to leave him in the dust…and yet.

After a massive match burning rage he was in the lead group of four along with Stybar, Vanmarke, Vandenbergh. Two of the four were Quick-Step teammates. They hammered away toward the end of the Carrefour secteur. Vanmarke and Vandenbergh both looked strong as hell. Had Fabian not bridged up with Stybar spinning for his life right behind, those two big lads were riding away.

When they exited Carrefour it was just Cancellara and Vanmarke.

The evil lady luck was there, not to be ignored. First tempting Vandenbergh to the right gutter, inches from the spectators. He wobbled and his front wheel clipped a civilian. He was on the stones. Zdenek Stybar, moments later spooked to the left gutter and spectators, maybe clipped out of his left pedal for a second. He stayed up but the elastic had snapped. Zednek needed a good draft to stay with those men and he had lost it.

I have many beautiful memories of this race. I know how to adapt to this race, and I like the challenges it poses from a technical point of view but you need the luck. Sometimes it’s like an individual time trial though and along with luck you need to be smart. -F. Cancellara

Evil lady luck was in the gutters on Sunday. Always ride the crown.

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

PeakInTwoYears says:

Apr 12 2013 at 12:34 pm

Re shoe condoms: has anyone explained why one wouldn't instead wear a pair of DeFeet Slipstreams on a day that felt cool to the piggies but didn't warrant full booties? And look a lot more fantastic?
strathlubnaig says:

Apr 12 2013 at 12:55 pm

@wiscot Faboo wears Gaerne's https://twitter.com/f_cancellara/status/322007964636557312/photo/1

And maybe we should just declare a general amnesty now, for all who confess up front to wearing toe condoms then no sanctions now, but god help you if we find out later on
Ron says:

Apr 12 2013 at 1:28 pm

@Nate

@Ron

Hang 'em up, lads. The Golden Tickets are pronounced dead.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/04/bikes-and-tech/the-torqued-wrench-ambrosio-nemesis-wheels-expire-in-the-pro-peloton_281545

(sorry if that was already posted on pg. 1, I've just gotten to this one)

Horseshit. If the pros aren't riding them, all the more reason we should continue to carry the torch.

@minion

@Ron Yep. That article made me decide conclusively that Caley Freitz is a fucking idiot. Sure, pros can smash wheels that cost more than two grand a pair over cobbles because they don't pay for the things. The equation most riders make in terms of what equipment to buy for what situation quite often isn't going to accommodate being such a fucking prat. If you read the article, the Nemesis wheels in the service course are seasons old. I wouldn't trade a jar of piss for a pair of carbon wheels that had been used by a pro for a season, but I'd happily buy a pair of nemeiss wheels that are a few seasons old.

Additionally, many of the riders would have been on endurance frames, with a considerable amount of comfort built in. So you can get a super smooth riding bike with a bucket of clearance for fat tyres, and put your hyper stiff aero carbon wheels on there and still get a reasonable ride. Fretz overestimated how much of the difference was caused by the wheels to make his point, whereas the wheels are still as unsuitable for the purpose as they ever were - unless you have a Roubaix, or Synapse, or whatever the fuck they were riding with custom geo and buckets of tire clearance. If you have a normal bike, that's not a super compliant wonderbike, the nemesis is still a great choice.

That and an entire continental team were on Nemesis rims, so he couldn't have been looking that hard.

I LOVE the fire, lads! I wasn't agreeing with that article, just puttin' it up there. Yeah right, as if we should all hang up our nice Al wheels. I don't think there is anything nicer looking that some low profile Al wheels on a classic steel bike or even a modern carbon one.
Deakus says:

Apr 12 2013 at 1:43 pm

@wiscot

I'll confess to owning a pair of toe covers. In my defense, they aren't the stupid wee things illustrated here but ones that loop around the heel. That being said, I never wear them by themselves, beligan booties go over the top. I find the combo works well on the cool days when full overshoes are too much.

Wise words...I use Mavic shoe condoms (toe covers), I was always taught to wear a "french letter"! In my defence also they are never worn au naturale, but hidden under a pair of Assos overboots and only in the coldest of cold weather (sub zero deg C)
mcsqueak says:

Apr 12 2013 at 1:56 pm

@Ron

I LOVE the fire, lads! I wasn't agreeing with that article, just puttin' it up there. Yeah right, as if we should all hang up our nice Al wheels. I don't think there is anything nicer looking that some low profile Al wheels on a classic steel bike or even a modern carbon one.

@Ron

Yeah where bang-for-the-buck is concerned at the consumer level, it's hard to beat alu hoops. Mine were $600 and only weigh about ~1350g. Plus I don't go fast enough to get any benefit from deep carbon rims.
the Engine says:

Apr 12 2013 at 1:58 pm

@Deakus

@wiscot

I'll confess to owning a pair of toe covers. In my defense, they aren't the stupid wee things illustrated here but ones that loop around the heel. That being said, I never wear them by themselves, beligan booties go over the top. I find the combo works well on the cool days when full overshoes are too much.

Wise words...I use Mavic shoe condoms (toe covers), I was always taught to wear a "french letter"! In my defence also they are never worn au naturale, but hidden under a pair of Assos overboots and only in the coldest of cold weather (sub zero deg C)

Charles de Gaulle had Latin writing on his hat because he'd have looked stupid with French letters on it...likewise my (slightly charred) Bonts say "Bont" in Australian and will not be sullied by letters from France.
eenies says:

Apr 13 2013 at 3:57 am

I must confess to owning toe condoms, they do indeed look shiddy and like Stijn, black on top of white ladies looks worse than numb toes feels. I shall consign them to the box of forbidden things where they will join the EPMS, the clip-on peak for the helmet and the Livestrong Oakleys.
Beers says:

Apr 14 2013 at 9:16 pm

@Cyclops

There's a part of me that yearns to make a KT and ride the storied cobbles and yet there is a little voice in my head that is whispering "Don't do it. You'll embarrass the hell out of yourself." I'm conflicted.

Me too, keen for the company and good imes, but I'm afraid whatever training I do, I'd be the in the dust. I'm resigned to organising a solo tour, 10 years from now when maybe I can afford it...
Leroy says:

Apr 14 2013 at 11:45 pm

Great write up and an awesome race!
Chris says:

Apr 15 2013 at 1:51 am

@Beers

@Cyclops

There's a part of me that yearns to make a KT and ride the storied cobbles and yet there is a little voice in my head that is whispering "Don't do it. You'll embarrass the hell out of yourself." I'm conflicted.

Me too, keen for the company and good imes, but I'm afraid whatever training I do, I'd be the in the dust. I'm resigned to organising a solo tour, 10 years from now when maybe I can afford it...

It'd be one thing to say you'd love to do a KT but can't afford it but to whine about not doing it so you won't embarrass yourselves demonstrates an astonishing lack of V. Man the fuck up.

I'm not a particularly strong or fast rider and I don't have as much time to ride as I'd like but as hard as the ride is it's completely achievable if give yourself enough time to train properly.

@Cyclops you could even build yourself a new bike for the event.