"Pogacar and Van der Poel are without a doubt the top favorites" - Visma and Van Aert realistic into Paris-Roubaix

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have their lineup confirmed and ready for Paris-Roubaix. Whilst the team's plan to ride special equipment this Sunday has been terminated by the UCI, the team will nevertheless stand good chances of finishing high in the standings, with Wout Van Aert in the lead.

“I still feel a huge drive heading into this race. It will be my seventh participation, but this race remains special," Van Aert said in a press release. "The nervousness and unpredictability make Paris–Roubaix so beautiful".

Van Aert was third at Milano-Sanremo and fourth at the Tour of Flanders, entering Roubaix on top form, and perhaps with the best chances of winning out of all the 'big five' races in cycling. In Roubaix, pure power rules over W/Kg which opens things up, however luck is also a key requirement and he's not always had it.

However if the pieces fall together tomorrow, Van Aert can absolutely be within a shot of victory. "Since the Italian races, I’ve been feeling good, and I was able to carry that into the Flemish classics. Now I’m determined to seize my last opportunity for a win this spring.”

However the Belgian has to face two generational leaders on the top of their game and form: Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. There's no mistaking that the responsibility to chase and attack will be on those two men, whilst everyone else is an outsider.

“Paris–Roubaix is one of those races where luck plays a role. In the past weeks, it became clear who we’ll have to watch. Pogacar and Van der Poel are without a doubt the top favorites, but on this terrain the differences between riders will be smaller than in recent races," team DS Grischa Niermann added.

Visma has lost Dylan van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot and previously the van Dijke twins - as well as having Matthew Brennan out of form - however they still enter the race with some depth. Van Aert is the leader, but this is a race where having cards matters.

"Our strength lies in the collective. Alongside Wout, Christophe Laporte and Per Strand Hagenes can also play important roles in how the race unfolds. Both have already proven in the past that they are strong in the cobbled classics. Winning Roubaix remains a big dream for the team, and we are ready to do everything we can to make that dream come true.”

The Norwegian rider is making his third appearance in the Hell of the North. “My goal is to play a role in the finale. I’ll do everything I can to stay in the front as long as possible and support Wout," he adds. "I believe he can compete with the other favorites. He’s shown a lot of good things in recent weeks. In Roubaix, the race often explodes from far out nowadays, so I’m preparing for a long, tough battle.”