"I'm completely fit again" - Dylan van Baarle back to action and set to race Paris-Roubaix

Dylan van Baarle rode a very consistent and strong final block of cobbled classics in 2022, but this year has been the complete opposite. However, the defending champion of Paris-Roubaix will be at the start of the monument and reports better sensations this week.

"I've had good days since the weekend and I'm completely fit again. So I'm curious how it will go," van Baarle told Algemeen Dagblad. “The consequences of the crash in the E3 Saxo Classic were over quite quickly, but the following Sunday I got so sick that I only sat on the toilet. We decided on Thursday to pull the plug on the Ronde, because a good level was impossible there.”

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Winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, van Baarle got his new stint with Jumbo-Visma off to a perfect start. He contracted a leg injury at Tirreno-Adriatico however, and then crashed at the E3 Saxo Classic. He's reported leg pain riding over the cobblestones, less than idea scenario for his main goals. He was expected to miss out on the rest of the classics, where Jumbo-Visma took all wins except for the Tour of Flanders. However the Dutchman should be a card to play this Sunday.

“How good can I be at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday? We'll see on Sunday," he anticipates. "I was able to train for three very good days and we will see if that will be enough. My chances of winning? You can always bet, but whether you will win is the question. Before I got sick, I felt good. It remains to be seen how that will pan out. I don't rank myself among the five-star favourites, but a place below that would be nice."