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"This was quite a frustrating edition of Paris-Roubaix" - Sep Vanmarcke rues mechanicals as he misses out on important opportunity
CyclingTuesday, 11 April 2023 at 10:32
Sep Vanmarcke has thrived in Paris-Roubaix in the past, but nowadays the level is superior and to achieve the same results is much more difficult. He came in very motivated and with dreams of winning the French monument, but the bad luck that usually pursues him once again made itself felt.
"This was quite a frustrating edition of Paris-Roubaix. I felt pretty good. But at a certain point, at Haveluy, they suddenly went full speed ahead. This broke the peloton in two. That was really unexpected. I was then riding in about fifteenth position and trying to close the gap. However, I couldn't anymore," Vanmarcke told CyclingPro.net "Then, in the Trouée d'Arenberg, we had another chance to close the gap. But there was a crash. My chain came off and I had to put my foot down to put it back on.”
Vanmarcke had finished third at Gent-Wevelgem and has been carrying good form this spring. In Roubaix with no climbs he was within a better chance of a result, on what is always a chaotic race. However the chaos affected him as when the race split up he had to stop on the road. He was on the backfoot when the winning group went up the road and could only be in the chase group.
"It all happened again a few hundred meters further on. From that moment on I was dependent on the chase. Unfortunately I didn't get back to the front. We tried with my squad, but there was little help from other teams. And besides: when the strongest guys are in the front, it becomes difficult to close such a gap," he adds.
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Vanmarcke nevertheless showed a good level, he finished 16th on the day however finishing second in the peloton sprint, only behind Alexander Kristoff. It was a decent sprint for the classics veteran who will likely return in search of more results.
“I think I showed a good level. But of course it is difficult to measure yourself against such super talents. You really have to be lucky enough to be in the wheel. Only then will you have a chance to follow. But to beat them, you have to come from very good houses. That is practically impossible," he concluded.
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