"I don't really like cobblestones" - Mathieu van der Poel admits pre Paris-Roubaix

Prior to taking to the startline at Paris-Roubaix, Mathieu van der Poel admitted that despite the Hell of the North being one of cycling's biggest one day races, it isn't one of his favourites to ride.

"Whether I'm the super favorite? It's hard to say, because a lot can happen. It's not like the Tour of Flanders where you can get away as the strongest on a climb," the Alpecin-Deceuninck star revealed pre-race. "I don't really like cobblestones."

Having a career best performance of third at the 2021 edition of the race, van der Poel admits that even doing the required reconnaissance in the days before the race takes place is something he loathes. "I also find the exploration of Paris-Roubaix the least fun. You don't do it for fun," he says with a wry smile.

The truth is though that no matter how much he would like to play down his chances, Mathieu van der Poel is one of the race favourites alongside his main rival Wout van Aert, last year's winner Dylan van Baarle and INEOS Grenadiers Filippo Ganna among others.