Wout van Aert confirmed as Visma's leader for Paris-Roubaix - "We’re not the top favourites to win this race"

Team Visma | Lease a Bike are starting Paris-Roubaix without Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot who focused on the hilly cobbled classics, but they will have Wout van Aert in the lead alongside a group of experienced and also very young riders besides him who will look to create chaos in the Hell of the North.

Van Aert was third in Roubaix two years ago, after suffering a puncture whilst he attacked the final difficult cobbled sector of the race, and last year he could not race because of the injuries he suffered at Dwars door Vlaanderen. A race with a dark recent history for the Belgian, and in this spring it could be said that he was experiencing similar things until the Tour of Flanders last week where he rode a brilliant race and sprinted to fourth on the day. Without the climbs to make the difference, it could be more difficult for the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel to drop the Belgian.

He is joined by 2022 winner Dylan van Baarle whose form has been on the rise in recent weeks, Edoardo Affini, Julien Vermote, Per Strand Hagenes, under-23 World Champion Niklas Behrens and also 19-year old Matthew Brennan who's been putting in brilliant results in the last month.

“Like every year, this is one of our spring classics highlights. We’re starting with a strong and motivated group of riders, DS Grischa Niermann said in a press release. "But just like in Flanders, we have to be honest: we’re not the top favourites to win this race.”

“We’re definitely growing throughout this spring campaign. In both Flanders and Dwars door Vlaanderen, we were able to play our strength in numbers. That’s something we’ll carry with us into Roubaix”

Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Paris-Roubaix:

Wout van Aert
Dylan van Baarle
Matthew Brennan
Niklas Behrens
Edoardo Affini
Julien Vermote
Per Strand Hagenes