Ultimately, the change was made to prevent the riders from hitting the cobbles at very high speeds where in the past there have been catastrophic crashes. The town of Porte du Hainault where the sector starts also did not have safe alternatives - as Adam Hansen, head of the CPA, confirmed. The former rider was in charge of the request and the two alternatives were on roads that had plenty holes or was too narrow.
The request was made as most teams and riders in the field were in favour of a change. Van der Poel expands on his thoughts however: “I think we should try to create a situation like last year. Whether this is successful depends on many factors. In Roubaix you have to be spared from bad luck to get there. We kept looking at each other. Not many riders want to ride to the slopes with Jasper.”
He was also asked about a possible revalidation of the title, but the
Alpecin-Deceuninck rider knows that it will not be an easy task."There were also many competitors last week, but there are slightly fewer points in Paris-Roubaix to make a difference," he admits, unlike the many steep climbs of Flanders. "And equipment failure also plays a slightly more important role than in the Tour.”