"Paris-Roubaix suits me well, better than the Tour of Flanders" - Christophe Laporte has clear vision following Dwars door Vlaanderen win

Christophe Laporte is on the form of his life. As was the case in 2022 he's absolutely thriving in the cobbled classics, but this year he's turning that into wins. As the Jumbo-Visma riders heads into the cobbled monuments, he eyes his opportunity at Paris-Roubaix.

"Very nice. Every race again we come to the start very motivated. On Sunday, for example, the weather was very bad in Gent-Wevelgem, but everyone was happy to be there. We knew we could fight for the win. We also wanted to win today. Then you are motivated," Laporte said in the press conference following the race. “It is definitely a nice feeling to be so good as a team. It may sometimes seem that from the outside world that we are always sure, but on a bike you are never sure. You never know if people will be able to follow your attacks. We have a good plan and we try to follow it as closely as possible. At the moment it is going very well.”

After winning Gent-Wevelgem alongside Wout van Aert, he led the team at Dwars door Vlaanderen. With only five days of racing this season he was a last-minute addition to the race, but his form is ideal. Despite having a strong sprint he didn't rely on that, attacking into a solo win in the Belgian classic. “Today was another good game for the team. Everyone did well. Tiesj did very well, he went very fast on the climbs. I am glad that I was able to finish it," he said. 

The Dutch team lacked van Aert, Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck, but has nevertheless dominated the race. It was another big victory, one to add to the list. For Laporte, the Tour of Flanders will see Wout van Aert as the sole leader, as van Baarle recently argued. With three of the team's specialists having gotten big wins on the cobbles this year, motivation and support for the Belgian should be high.

Laporte was chosen to win Gent-Wevelgem out of the duo that crossed the line together, and he will likely give it his all to return the favour to van Aert this Sunday. “At the moment I am definitely dreaming of the monuments. In principle, a race like Paris-Roubaix suits me well, better than the Tour of Flanders. The Ronde is a very difficult race. I think it will be difficult to win it at this point in my career," he continued.

With the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar present it would still be difficult for him to take it. However in Paris-Roubaix that won't be the case, and it's a race where tactics will matter a lot more and Laporte should have a very real chance of winning his first monument.

Laporte was asked regarding his motivations to move to Jumbo-Visma, despite his evolution in Cofidis. “However, I really wanted to go to a foreign team. It's a different mindset. At Jumbo-Visma it is really a different level, we are the best team in the world. Everyone gets their chances and it is not always everything for one rider," he concluded.