Florian Vermeersch sees Tadej Pogacar's start at Paris-Roubaix as his own advantage: "We can complement each other perfectly"

It's been written in the stars since last year, but now it's been finally made official that world champion Tadej Pogacar would make his baby steps at the last Monument he hasn't ridden yet. Paris-Roubaix therefore promises to provide fans with an extra layer of entertainment compared to normal years. And as is usual for the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader, he'll be in France there for one reason - to win.

"I've known for a while that he was thinking about participating and that the chances were quite high. So it's not really a surprise to me," grinned Florian Vermeersch at Sporza.

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What are his initial thoughts? "I'm happy that Tadej will be at the start. That can also be an advantage for me. For me it's perfect," the runner-up from 2021 Paris-Roubaix said several times.

However, the news could also have an unpleasant side effect. Is Vermeersch now losing his status as a potential leader? "Annoying? No, you can make it that way if you want. I really don't have a problem with it. If I have good legs and if I can ride the final, then we can complement each other perfectly. I have a free role anyway. I'm not the big leader, that's Tadej. But I don't think I have to ride on duty. I'm pretty sure about that."

Vermeersch leaves little doubt about it. Pogacar should be able to score immediately on April 13. "I think he will definitely compete for the prizes. When I hear how fast he went during the reconnaissance, he will definitely be in the mix if there is no bad luck."

With three previous participations at the Hell of the North, Vermeersch could be used as a reference point by the Slovenian. "No, he hasn't asked for tips yet. I haven't spoken to Tadej personally about it yet." That is easily explained since there are also other important races on the menu. "The focus was initially on Milan-Sanremo, but next week we will gradually start talking about it.”

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