Many of favourites will reconnoitre the Paris-Roubaix course today and tomorrow. World Champ Thor Hushovd, Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen and others want to prepare themselves for 'A Sunday in Hell.'
This Sunday, organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has planned for some changes the last 120 kilometres of the 256.5-kilometre race. Pavé sectors Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes (km 142.5) and Famars (km 146) return to the race, with five-star difficulty rating for the first. The additions will thin the pack ahead of the famous Arenberg Forest, a 2400-metre, five-star sector at kilometre 172.
"The race," ASO director Christian Prudhomme told L'Equipe, "will be even more intense before Arenberg."
"We don't want to lock down the race," added technical director, Jean-François Pescheux. "There are about 70 kilometres of cobbled roads in the north and we want to encourage municipalities to save them."
The change – now 51.5 of pavé – will cause the teams to re-think their strategies.
"After the Forest, the favourites usually recover some team-mates who can help in case of a puncture or mechanical problem," said Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, two-time winner. "Sunday, they could be isolated more quickly than expected. The team managers must try to send riders in the breakaway to make sure that their leaders have support in the last 100 kilometres."
The Arenberg Forest usually shatters the bunch. There'll be no rest, ASO have added a new sector right afterwards, the 2400-metre, three-star Milonfosse.
The 27 sectors:
27. Troisvilles (km 98 – 2200 m) ***
26. Viesly (km 104.5 – 1800 m) ***
25. Quievy (km 107 – 3700 m) ****
24. Saint-Python (km 115.5 – 1500 m) **
23. Vertain (km 119.5 – 2300 m) ***
22. Capelle-sur-Ecaillon – Le Buat (km 126.5 – 1700 m) ***
21. Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes – Famars (km 142.5 – 2600 m) *****
20. Famars – Quérénaing (km 146 – 1200 m) **
19. Quérénaing – Maing (km 149 – 2500 m) ***
18. Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (km 152 – 1600 m) ***
17. Haveluy (km 164 – 2500 m) ****
16. Trouée d’Arenberg (km 172 – 2400 m) *****
15. Millonfosse – Bousiginies (km 178.5- 1400 m) ***
14. Brillon à Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes (km 183.5 – 1100 m) **
Tilloy – Sars-et-Rosières (km 186 – 2400 m) ***
13. Beuvry-la-Forêt – Orchies (km 192.5 – 1400m) ***
12. Orchies (km 197.5 – 1700 m) ***
11. Auchy-lez-Orchies – Bersée (km 203.5 – 2600 m) ***
10. Mons-en-Pévèle (km 209 – 3000 m) *****
9. Mérignies – Avelin (km 215 – 700 m) **
8. Pont-Thibaut (km 218.5 – 1400 m) ***
7. Templeuve l’Epinette (km 224 – 200 m) *
Le Moulin de Vertain (km 224.5 – 500 m) **
6. Cysoing – Bourghelles (km 231 – 1300 m) ****
Bourghelles – Wannehain (km 233.5 – 1100 m) ***
5. Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 238 – 1800 m) ****
4. Le Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 241 – 2100 m) *****
3. Gruson (km 243 – 1100 m) **
2. Hem (km 250 – 1400 m) **
1. Roubaix (km 258 – 300 m) *