1986 Paris-Roubaix: Belgian, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke leads King Kelly on les paves to his second win in the Hell of the North.
Sean Kelly was the dominant classic rider of the eighties. Having won twice in Paris-Roubaix he was a specialist over les paves. From a 2016 interview, here are his thoughts of how to win one of the toughest one-day classics of all time…
“Number one, you need to become a specialist at riding Paris-Roubaix. It’s an incredibly difficult race to win, so it’s not just about being in good shape. You need to be the right style of rider, one who has the power and experience. There are probably about ten guys who fit that style of racing these days, and you can pick the winner for Sunday from that group.
When you look at Paris-Roubaix, the Belgians are the naturals at riding on the cobbles, and they learn how to do it from a very young age. It’s almost natural for many of them.
I had to learn because as an amateur I never rode over the cobbles. I started to learn but it took a number of years. My first Paris-Roubaix in 1979 saw me thrown in at the deep end because I had little experience of riding the cobbles, even in small races. You know if you’re not riding in a country where cobbles are the norm, then you need that learning time.
You need to be in top form because physically, Paris-Roubaix is such a demanding race. There’s always around 50 kilometres of cobbles and there’s no hiding place in Roubaix. If you can combine form and experience then you’re in with a chance.”
-Sean Kelly. 1984, 1986 Paris-Roubaix champion.
Comments