Bradley Wiggins will not win Paris-Roubaix, says Allan Peiper
Bradley Wiggins will not win this year’s Paris-Roubaix, according to BMC’s manager and former Classics specialist Allan Peiper
Allan Peiper, the Australian who is now the manager of BMC Racing and who was an accomplished cobbled Classics rider himself, believes Sir Bradley Wiggins has the firepower to perform at the Hell of the North, but told Cycling Weekly that he believed the combined might of the opposition would stop him from doing so.
The race is set to be Wiggins's final outing for Team Sky.
“I think he’s got what it takes, but no I don’t think he can pull it off,” Peiper said.
“It’s just for the simple reason that there are so many specialists there: Fabian Cancellara, Niki Terpstra, Sep Vanmarcke. There are so many guys who have had years and years of experience in Roubaix and know how to ride that race.
“I’m not going to say it won’t happen, but I don’t think it will.”
Wiggins will resume his Classics campaign at this Friday’s E3-Harelbeke alongside Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas, Luke Rowe and Peter Kennaugh.
“I don’t see Bradley stepping up to that level where he’s going to ride away from [the favourites] and leave them behind,” Peiper added.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“And if he is in a front group, he’ll be marked, that’s for sure. To be marked and ride away from everybody, you’ve got to be a Cancellara or a Boonen on your best day.”
>>> Ian Stannard ‘gutted’ for Classics rival Boonen
Tom Boonen will miss out on the chance to take a record-breaking fifth victory in the Roubaix velodrome after falling and dislocating his shoulder on stage one of this year’s Paris-Nice in March.
His absence could make for an interesting tactical dynamic as the combined might of Etixx-Quick-Step is reduced; Peiper believes Team Sky could shoulder some of the responsibility.
“It might make it less predictable, but it might put some onus on other teams to take some responsibililty, not just Quickstep all the time,” he said.
“Sky have been bulding their arsenal of Classics riders and Stannard coming to the front in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and winning two years in a row has given the team confidence that they can put their power behind him, and they’ve proved it works.
“I’d say Sky’s Classics team is as good as it’s ever been.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Richard Abraham is an award-winning writer, based in New Zealand. He has reported from major sporting events including the Tour de France and Olympic Games, and is also a part-time travel guide who has delivered luxury cycle tours and events across Europe. In 2019 he was awarded Writer of the Year at the PPA Awards.
-
Overachiever: Cameron Wurf competed in the Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne and an Ironman, all in just eight days
Cameron Wurf is both a member of Team Ineos Grenadiers and an accomplished professional long course triathlete who has racked up numerous World Tour and Ironman race finishes across his career.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
The tech nerd's guide to the perfect coffee
Joe on Joe. What does it take to make a fine mug of Joe? We sent Joe Baker to find out.
By Joe Baker Published
-
Tweets of the week: Forget the cobbles, Paris-Roubaix is now all about goats and chicanes
It's a Hell of the North special in this week's social media round-up
By Tom Davidson Published
-
37psi in 32mm tyres: Why tyre pressures are getting lower at Paris-Roubaix
As wider tyres become commonplace, riders are running lower pressures at the Hell of the North
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I've never seen the cobbles as bad as this' - Inside one team's Paris-Roubaix recon
Tom Davidson joins British Continental team Lifeplus-Wahoo as they prepare for the most feared race of the season
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I never wanted to be known as the TikTok cyclist' - how Alison Jackson wrote her legacy at Paris-Roubaix
The Canadian tells Cycling Weekly how a day across the cobbles of northern France changed her career
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Seven tech insights spotted at Paris-Roubaix 2023
From tyre pressure systems to old-school chainrings, here's what Cycling Weekly saw at the race
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers rider runs half marathon after finishing Paris-Roubaix
Cameron Wurf is a triathlete, so it's unfair really. He is not the first cyclist to dabble with trainers, however
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tweets of the week: Cobbles, barbecues, and what on earth is curry ketchup?
Strap in for our pre-Paris-Roubaix round-up of social media's finest
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Bradley Wiggins says he suffered ‘borderline rape’ during three years of 'abuse' by coach
Speaking on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Wiggins says he now “hates cycling” and only ever used the sport as a distraction
By Tom Thewlis Published