"Are there major falls every year when that strip is opened up?" - Lars Boom questions whether Arenberg chicane is even needed at Paris-Roubaix

With Paris-Roubaix Femmes this Saturday and the men's version this Sunday, the pre-race talk has been dominated by the introduction of chicane prior to the Arenberg forest section of cobbles that race organisers believe will stop the number of crashes.

Lars Boom, a nine-time Paris-Roubaix starter and a 4th-placed finisher back in 2015 however, has questioned whether the chicane or any measure to slow riders prior to that particular section is even really needed. “For me, that takes away the charm of the Forest a bit. You are indeed flying fast, and positioning is quite important. But are there major falls every year when that strip is opened up? This usually only happens later on in the strip," Boom tells Wielerflits. 

"Moreover, technology does not stand still. They ride with increasingly thicker tyres, perhaps even 32 millimetres. The peloton to notice the impact is getting bigger, especially because almost everyone rides with inserts these days," continues the Dutchman, who now works for Team SD Worx - Protime. "I think it's too big a change for this course."

In fact, Boom believes the chicane may actually cause more crashes than it prevents. "If things go even a little bit wrong, you will just have a massive crash in that chicane before that bend to the right. Then the whole road is full and you have to wait," he explains. "Normally it wasn't there, because you dived straight into the forest. I have to say that I think it's a shame, because I was never so afraid of diving into the woods. On the other hand, I also understand it a little bit.”