Team Sky will field a very strong roster with a three-pronged attack in Sunday's Paris-Roubaix as Edvald Boasson Hagen is set to lead a team that also includes Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen. The trio shared their thoughts about the race on even of the biggest classic of the year.

With Paris-Roubaix fast approaching, Bradley Wiggins, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Geraint Thomas give their thoughts on Sunday’s big race.
 

The trio were all present in the lead group at the Tour of Flanders and will head into the ‘Hell of the North’ looking to secure a strong result for Team Sky.

A student of the sport, the significance and the magic of Roubaix is not lost on Wiggins, while Boasson Hagen is looking to translate his form into a result in the Queen of the Classics. Fresh from eighth place at Flanders, Thomas is aiming to stay out of trouble and be involved in the shake-up en route to the famous Roubaix Velodrome.

“I’ve been a bit nervous the last few weeks coming into these races because it’s been like a warzone with crashes. But actually once I joined up with the guys last week it’s been the most enjoyable period I’ve spent with the team for the last couple of years. It’s a fantastic group of riders and staff.

“It’s the setting as well. There’s just so much love for cycling. Even when you’re out training people are so respectful that you are there and are happy to see you. It’s just a really nice period to be involved in the Classics as now it’s all about the racing. You build to Sunday and it has an end of term feeling about it.

“I remember watching the race in 1993 when (Gilbert) Duclos-Lassalle and (Franco) Ballerini came onto the velodrome. I was 13 then and it was the first time I became aware of Paris-Roubaix. From then on I always watched the race and caught up on the history of it. For me it’s the biggest cycle race in the world – bigger than the Tour de France. Bigger than any other bike race. It’s probably the best bike race in the world too.

“It’s the one race I always endeavour to watch. If I wasn’t racing on Sunday I’d be watching it on the TV. When I retire it will probably be the only race I tune in to watch. It has that feeling about it and it’s the same for most people.

“It’s a race I’ve always wanted to do well in. The demands of the race suit my ability and I believe I can do a good ride.”

“It’s nice to have the opportunity to be the leader on Sunday. It’s my biggest goal so far this season. We have a really good team here. We have to play the cards right and try to do the best out of it. Of course you always want to do your best. The pressure is what you put on yourself – regardless of whether you are the leader.

“I was feeling good at Flanders and during the Classics period I’ve been feeling better and better each race. I’m pretty happy with my form and condition. I think both Flanders and Roubaix suit me fairly equally. They are just as hard. Even though Roubaix is flat it’s just as tough as climbs on the cobbles. My results haven’t been the best at Roubaix but I feel I’ve been stronger every year I’ve done the race.

“We’ve been out there looking at the course. It looks like we’re going to get dry weather so it should be a fast and exciting race. There’s a lot of pain riding on the cobbles but these are also the most fun races. It’s a strange feeling, riding on roads you would never race on normally. It’s not natural, but that’s what makes it special.”

“Crashes, punctures and bad luck are all part of it. It’s how you deal with that and come back from it. It’s never nice to see your team-mates or anybody go down. I guess that’s all part of it.

"Purely results-wise it’s been better Classics campaign for us than last year. With (Ian) Stannard winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, me coming third at E3 and the top 10 we got at Flanders. All those results are better than last year.

“(Fabian) Cancellara has obviously got great form but he’s not invincible. There are a lot of other strong riders out there and I think Roubaix is a bit more open than Flanders. There have been a few more occasions when the podium has been people you wouldn’t necessarily pick out as favourites. A lot can happen and team tactics could play a huge part as well. That’s what makes the Classics so exciting to ride in and watch.

“For our team having numbers in the final is the key thing. Eddy is the leader and we’ll do everything for him we can. Obviously if something does happen to him and he’s not there then hopefully we’ll have a number of other guys around to carry it on. I think Roubaix probably suits all our riders better as a whole rather than Flanders.”