Mads Pedersen: "I truly believe I can be in the mix of the win"

Despite a recent crash at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, Mads Pedersen is confident that he is coming with the right form to Paris-Roubaix as he comes in with the ambition to take the win.

Last year he was in a good position, but a crash at the Trouée d'Arenberg saw the end of his possibilities of fighting for the win. As a rider who excels on long races, specially those without hills such as the one he'll be facing today, it is inevitable to see him in the favourite cards for many: "The shape is good. I truly believe I can be in the mix of the win on Sunday."

"I don't like 20 degrees, and it's going to be 17/18 on Sunday. So definitely eight degrees would have been better. But at least it's not 30," he admits. Although he preferred last year's conditions, he will be nevertheless expected to be near the front when the serious attacks come.

He'll be riding alongside Jasper Stuyven and an experienced team in the cobbles. Stuyven is one of the most experienced and talented riders in the cobbled classics, and despite having had illness interrupt his spring campaign, he comes with big ambitions for the race: "We know that Sunday is the race that fits us the best so we know we have the shape and we did our preparation. So we are racing to win on Sunday."

Trek - Segafredo for Paris-Roubaix: Mads Pedersen, Daan Hoole, Alex Kirsch, Toms Skujins, Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns and Otto Vergaerde.