Defending champion insists that he’s not the only favourite
Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) has declared himself ready for Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, and the defending champion insists that his team is ready too. The Swiss rider is out to get his third victory in the Hell of the North, where he will join a list that includes Octave Lapize, Gaston Rebry Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser, Johan Museeuw and Cancellara’s big rival on Sunday: Tom Boonen.
“I’m not alone, the whole team is ready for Paris-Roubaix,” he said. “We’ve worked well together over the past week, Thursday we still had a solid exploration and we are convinced that it will be a beautiful Sunday.”
Last Sunday Cancellara attacked with more than 40km to go; many thought that race was over but he was chased down by a number of teams and finally caught on the Muur-Kapelmuur at 15km to the finish. He rallied enough to put in further attacks, and eventually finished third, but was criticised afterwards for overestimating his own strength.
“This will be another race, and I will try once again to win,” he said. “And if the others want to follow me like in the Ronde [van Vlaanderen], that’s their right, but I’m not the only favourite. Put Thor Hushovd, Alessandro Ballan, Tom Boonen, Juan Antonio Flecha and George Hincapie in the frame. Certainly Thor, because it has been so long since the World champion won Paris-Roubaix.
“The best scenario would be that I have a super day and the others have moments of weakness,” he continued. “On the course itself there’s not much to say; the new strip [of cobbles] after Arenberg will do little to alter things.”
Cancellara will be supported in his quest for a third victory by the 2007 winner, Stuart O’Grady, while Dominic Klemme finished 14th last year, while riding in support of Cancellara. Wouter Weylandt has a good deal of experience in the race but will likely not be at full strength after his crash in the Scheldeprijs finishing straight on Wednesday.
Leopard Trek team for Paris-Roubaix:
Fabian Cancellara, Dominic Klemme, Martin Mortensen, Giacomo Nizzolo, Stuart O’Grady, Joost Posthuma, Tom Stamsnijder, Wouter Weylandt.