There is only 1 rider in the peloton who knows how well Tadej Pogacar can race in Paris-Roubaix cobbles - "I think he can do everything"

Stage 5 of the 2022 Tour de France was a memorable day. Primoz Roglic crashed into a Hay Bale which destroyed his winning ambitions, and Jonas Vingegaard had the most chaotic bike exchange in years but in the end saved the day - much due to Wout van Aert. What many don't remember is that on that day, Paris-Roubaix debutant Tadej Pogacar flew through the flat cobbled sectors and gained time on the competition together with Jasper Stuyven - who now recalls that day, days before their battle in northern France.

It was a stage in which Visma really suffered to keep things under control, having Primoz Roglic lose significant time and Vingegaard limit his losses due to his presence in the peloton in the final kilometers. Meanwhile, in the head of the peloton were an attacking Pogacar and Jasper Stuyven who gained time on the competition. The two rode together and already three years ago Pogacar proved he can handle the cobbles of Roubaix quite well.

“I was not really surprised to see him with me. I think he can do everything and he’s for sure a big contender this week-end," Stuyven said in an interview shared by the race organizers. After finishing an impressive fifth at the Tour of Flanders - together with the likes of Mads Pedersen, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert - Stuyven will be a rider to consider for victory this Sunday.

“I have to say Roubaix is one of the few races I could do with my eyes closed," he admits. "And sometimes, you have different tyres, different wheels, so of course you want to make sure you’re confident with the choices you made.”

The veteran is a specialist in the long races and specially when it's this sort of aggressive racing. He's won Milano-Sanremo in the past, finished fourth in the Leuven World Championships and has achieved much more throughout his career, and this past weekend he showed the same legs that could see him win yet another monument. Together with Mads Pedersen, the two have got good chances of racing tactically against their rivals.

But Roubaix is a special race, which he always anticipates. “There’s a high focus on equipment and they have put a lot of effort to give us the best setup possible. And the last years, they have delivered that step, which is very nice.”

It is also well suited to the heavyweight riders such as him, who can fully make use of a single-chainring setup now. “I didn’t use it in the Flemish classic but I will be using it for Roubaix, because there’s no need for smaller gears there. You only need a big ring and it’s very reliable in shifting. It’s my personal choice and I think it’s better in Roubaix than in Flanders for the type of rider that I am.”

“The better your legs are, the easier it is to get over. The key is not to lose momentum. If you lose momentum on the cobbles, it can be really shit. I try to anticipate stones that are sticking out or holes that are coming up.”

Three times a Top10 finisher in this race, Stuyven will be looking to improve on his best result which was back in 2017 when he was fourth. “Every classic is a mental fight and Roubaix for sure is one where you need to be concentrated from the start until the end. I try to get there with the best mental focus and the best legs possible. And because it’s a period where you are hoping to be at your peak form, it also increases your chances of having a good day," he concluded.