Is Tim Merlier going to be Quick-Step's best bid for Paris-Roubaix this Sunday? "I’ll give it everything to get the best possible result, but I have to stay realistic"

Compared to recent years, Soudal - Quick-Step miss a strong leader heading into Paris-Roubaix. And so the shared leadership between European champion Tim Merlier and Yves Lampaert feels more like a wishful thinking than a realistic bid for a top result.

By those words, we don't mean to take away from Lampaert's past exploits at Paris - Roubaix as the 34-year-old Belgian had even finished on the podium in the past. But that was quite a while ago - in 2019. "My form is good, so I hope I can be there when it counts in Paris-Roubaix. It would be great if I could be part of the finale and make it a strong race," the Belgian concluded.

Alongside Lampaert, recent winner of Scheldeprijs Tim Merlier will also be on the start line for Paris-Roubaix. "Paris-Roubaix is a tough race where a lot comes down to small details. They’re already forecasting rain and wind, so I expect it will be a full day of racing. I think the big engines like Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna, and Pedersen have a better shot than I do."

"But never say never," the fast Belgian continued. "There are always scenarios where you can get back into the race and end up in the finale. I’ve never really scored a strong result in Roubaix, so you don’t go into it with massive confidence. But of course I’ll give it everything to get the best possible result, I just have to stay realistic."

We may spot several other interesting names in the selection of Soudal - Quick-Step. Young promises Luke Lamperti and Andrea Raccagni Noviero are both making their debut at Roubaix and since both have a solid engine, the cobbles to suit their taste.