The chicane that will make its appearance in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday continues to stir. The aim is to make the approach to the Wallers Forest safer, but questions are being asked about this here and there. The man behind the course change is Adam Hansen, the Australian president of the riders’ union CPA. He explains why the combination of bends must contain the danger. “The danger is shifting, but it is easier to control.”
READ ALSO. “I would bet money on the fact that riders will now fall en masse”: ex-winners find the new chicane in Paris-Roubaix laughable
Several riders have expressed their dissatisfaction in recent years. They found it far too dangerous to dive straight into the mythical Forest of Wallers at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour. Some also raised the matter with the UCI and the riders’ union CPA. Adam Hansen then took action. He is the man behind the chicane and explains why in his opinion it is indeed an improvement. “If you dive into the Forest at 60 kilometers per hour, there is a high risk that you will hit the wrong cobblestone,” says Hansen. ”
For example, the riders have to enter the Forest of Wallers on Sunday.
Similar to bunch sprint
And so, after consultation with race organizer ASO, he introduced the chicane of which Mathieu van der Poel wonders whether it is a joke. “It remains a dangerous point,” says Hansen. “It is also true that we shift the danger a bit, but we increase the control the riders have over it. They take these kinds of bends every day, entering the Forest of Wallers is not an everyday occurrence. They know this from the run-up to sprints, where you often see 90-degree turns. They also have to fight for positions there. This way we increase control over the situation. They then start the Forest at a much slower speed. This reduces the risk of dangerous falls.”
Jumbo-Visma had already explored the chicane.
Due to the intervention, the CPA places more responsibility on the riders. After all, they will decide on Sunday how quickly they tackle those corners and how hard they push and push to get through at the front posts. A factor that the peloton controls more than the slippery and irregular surface of the cobblestones. Hansen did not act alone. He consulted with the peloton and then went to organizer ASO. “A number of riders insisted on a solution. I then contacted ASO. They were initially not sold on the idea, but were willing to cooperate if the riders supported it. So I gave the riders the opportunity to vote and a majority were in favor. That’s how I was able to persuade ASO.”
Hansen then put three options on the table. ASO opted for the chicane. The only uncertainty that remains is how the convoy of team leader cars will have to pass through those bends. There is a possibility that they can still continue straight.
READ ALSO. DISCUSSION. Extra safety measure during Paris-Roubaix divides peloton: what do you think of the already ‘infamous’ chicane?
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– 2024-04-04 10:57:00
