“Anything is possible in this race” - Dries De Bondt set to lead Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at Paris-Roubaix alongside Oliver Naesen

With strong results already in the cobbled Classics this season Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale will be looking to continue their run of impressive performances at Paris-Roubaix this weekend.

They are set to be led by Oliver Naesen and Dries De Bondt in the Hell of the North on Sunday, with the experience of Edvald Boasson Hagen, who finished fifth at this race in 2016, set to support them alongside Sander De Pestel, Jordan Labrosse, Pierre Gautherat and Damien Touzé.

Naesen seems to be in good form this season, as he finished fourth at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February and backed up that result last weekend with a seventh place finish at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. De Bondt will also be looking to put in a good performance on Sunday, as he finished fifth at Dwars door Vlaanderen last week, but abandoned the race at De Ronde.

Speaking to his team ahead of the race, De Bondt said “anything is possible in this race, anything can happen behind every turn and every cobbled sector, depending on the weather conditions with mud or rain: a rider can come back from a crash, he can have a puncture. That’s what makes it one of the most beautiful races in my eyes, the most heroic. If all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, great things can happen”.