Five French teams amongst wildcards for race
Tour de France organisers ASO have confirmed the list of teams for the 2011 edition of Paris-Roubaix, which is also run by them. Five French teams figure amongst the seven wildcards for the race, bringing the overall total of teams to 25.
The teams granted selection are Cofidis, Europcar, FDJ, Bretagne-Schuller and Saur-Sojasun, as well as the German Team Netapp squad and the Dutch Skil-Shimano team. In January Cofidis, Europcar, FDJ and Saur-Sojasun were named as the Tour de France wildcards.
Frédéric Guesdon will be one of four former winners expected to take part. The 1997 victor will ride with FDJ, while Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and the Leopard-Trek pairing of Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O’Grady will team up to try to once again triumph in the Hell of the North.
ASO has confirmed a number of other big riders expected to take part in the race. These include Alessandro Ballan, Under 23 winner Taylor Phinney and George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), Peter Sagan (Liquigas), world champion Thor Hushovd, Tyler Farrar, Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervélo) Bernhard Eisel and Matt Goss (HTC Highroad), Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), Robbie McEwen and Robert Hunter (RadioShack), Edvald Boasson Hagen, Juan Antonio Flecha and Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling), Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Lars Boom (Rabobank).
It also lists Boom’s team-mate Matti Breshel, although the Dane is thought doubtful for the Classics due to an ongoing knee problem.
The 109th edition of the cobbled Classic will be held on Sunday 10th April over a 258-km route.