Pidcock reveals passion, romance for Roubaix mud and cobbles

Ineos all-rounder Tom Pidcock made a surprise appearance on the start list for the cobbled classic Paris-Roubaix on Saturday despite a nasty fall ahead of the Tour of the Basque Country last week.

Pidcock had been expected to miss the race after he became one of many top riders injured on the Basque race, including Tour de France contenders Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel.

Pidcock won the junior Paris-Roubaix before turning professional, and said Saturday it was his favourite race.

Sunday's race is an epic 260km with 57km over rough-hewn cobbles on little used mining roads in the Picardy region bordering Belgium.

"It's my favourite race," he beamed on Saturday.

"It's the romance, the passion, it's just the cobbles and the way that they play a part in the race," he explained.

"It's the most special one-day race on the cycling calendar he said.

Pidcock is immediately a contender, and hinted that favorites Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen may not get things their own way.

"Things have been going smoothly for him (van der Poel) but anything can happen here, a bit like a world championships," said Pidcock.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to go out and enjoy it and that's when I get my best results," said the Yorkshireman, who was pursued back to his bus on Saturday by a pack of young fans who he promised to give team water bottles.

"I'm super excited, it's been a long time since I was this excited, not since I was young."

The Ineos star with scars all over his knees and legs, refused to get on the safety bandwagon.

"I recovered really quick," said Pidcock of his nasty fall while doing a recon of the Basque Country time-trial.

"There's a lot of talk right now about safety, and that detracts from all the good things, of course we're getting faster, of course the level is higher, that's why there's more accidents.

"In the end, there's nothing wrong with me, no problem and I've been training," he said.

Race folklore has it that the cobbles decide the Roubaix winner, who receives one of the rough-hewn slabs in guise of a champion's trophy along with a cheque of 30,000 euros (32,500 dollars).

Lidl Trek rider Pedersen, winner of the recent Gent Wevelgem also brushed off his fall on the around Flanders race two weeks ago.

"I'm fine, there's no lasting effect on that," said the 28-year-old Dane who won the Yorkshire World championships in 2019.

"We haven't decided on the tactics yet, that's for tonight," he said.

There was a great deal of talk at the Paris-Roubaix Gala of the recent falls, and Jonas Vingegaard's condition was a hot topic.

"He's in a great deal of pain," Visma's press officer told AFP. Asked if Vingegaard would be defending his Tour de France title come June.he grimaced.

"it's just to early to tell, he's still in hospital," he said.