Preparing For Paris - Roubaix

It is quite a long time since I've spoken about Classics but Paris - Roubaix is a very special race.
I love to hear every year the same refrain about the new powerful and innovative suspensions that  bikes constructor have prepared for the race.
It makes me laugh so much.
Specialized Roubaix bikes have amused me enough. This year I want to talk about the new Pinarello Dogma FS. "The carbon frame features electronic front and rear suspension system. A battery pack is located in the seat tube of the bike and powers the two suspension units, enabling them to adapt to the road surfaces as they change."
We have now read the presentation of this new fantastic technology and we are nodding at this great idea.
Now, I invite you to watch the picture above.
What the hell are we talking about?
Do you believe that a battery pack under your ass can make you feel more comfortable while riding a humpback cobblestones sector? Please, be serious.
That's the reason why I love Paris - Roubaix, you can't bluff.
In recent year I decided to boycott brands that create silly bikes ahead of Paris - Roubaix.
These brands desecrate this incredible race just to have a bit more of visibility.
The preparation of Paris - Roubaix is something spiritual.
During the recognition you just try to be part of the sector, to become a cobble, to adjust the pressure of your tires so as not to hurt the cobbles too much.
This is the only preparation you need and your bike should be as basic as possible, because in order to merge yourself with the simplicity of a stone, you have to be simple as well.
See you on Sunday.

Merry Christmas!!!

Rider of the Year 2018

Congrats Peter! You have been elected Cycling Impression's rider of the year!
Someone says that winning a Paris - Roubaix is worth a Word title, but in this case it seems more than just a hyperbole.
Despite Valverde's great victory in Innsbruck, Sagan impressed everybody with his solo attack 50 kilometers away from Roubaix and gained the last encomium of the year.
I think this happened also due to the fact that Paris - Roubaix is the last legendary race. It brings us back to the legendary old cycling, made of gravel roads, punctures and hazard.
Nevertheless, Sagan would be remembered as the last winner of THE Paris - Roubaix because I don't know if we will call the race with its legendary name in the future.
I am talking about the shameful request, made by the Amis de Paris Roubaix, to fill the gaps between the cobbles of the Arenberg Forest with mortar.
They say that, otherwise, the sector is too hard to clean.
I hope they are kidding! We are talking about one of the last legendary cycling places in a cycling world that is moving to new nice places like Oman or Dubai but where history still has to be written.
My final question is: these people, asking to add mortar between the cobbles in the Arenberg Forest, are Friends of Paris Roubaix or Friends of the Sofa?

Winter Cycling Season

We can talk about having a nice ride during winter season, putting on our most expensive and fashioned outfit and go, but the essence of winter is Cyclocross.
I really appreciate Van Der Poel and Van Aert that still fight during winter, choosing to postpone their road careers to honor a discipline that is not so famous around the world nowadays.
They decided to build solid basis on their natural field instead of following the popular way of road cycling.
They are sons of a full season cycling, the pure one, made with strength, balance and bike handling.
The choice to wait is a form of respect to the old concept of cycling. That will help them deeply understand everything they will do among the pro.
It will help them dealing with difficult situation, because it is when you have eaten and breath mud during the winter that you are ready to welcome the summer.
This will make the difference.

Quick-Step Floors' Domination

Quick-Step Floors is dominating the 2018 seasons but who is really happy with this?
I think that the only people happy with Quick-Step Floors' domination are Lefevere and his staff.
In particular, in Belgium, this is a huge problem to deal with.
Their most representative team is dominating but the Belgian riders in the team are not winning any significant race, with the little exception of Lampaert's Dwars Door Vlaanderen.
Is this enough for a nation in which cycling is like a religion? I don't think so.
Also Gilbert said, with a bit of regret, that when you ride for Quick-Step Floors you can never consider yourself as The captain and you have to accept it.
My question is: if you are a champion, can you accept to have, potentially forever, a secondary role?
What would do Terpstra as the only captain of a team? He would be controlled as all the others I think.
Terpstra is a solid cobbles rider and deserved his victory but would have been the same if Van Avermaet or Sagan would have attacked?
Quick-Step Floors' strategies are the best in the world and we are witnessing an incredible phenomenon in cycling, that we have never faced before.
For the first time in cycling history, the team is the hero to admire more than its riders.
We will remember Quick-Step Floors more than its riders I think.
This phenomenon is more common in other sports such as Football or Basketball but I've never seen this happening in cycling.
Enjoy Quick-Step Floors' last miracle.

Happy New Cycling Year!!!