After Lampre-Merida and Roompot-Oranje Peloton switched to disc brakes at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, Direct Energie will become the latest team make the transition as they plan to use the technology for Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
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The French team had a BH G7 Disc bike on top of one of their team cars at the start of the Tour of Flanders, but did not use it during the race, choosing instead to test the bike at Scheldeprijs yesterday. All but one of the team’s riders were using discs, and plan to continue to do so on Sunday, although team leader Sylvain Chavanel was not racing in Scheldeprijs and it is unclear whether he will also be using discs.
Watch: your essential guide to Paris-Roubaix
Aside from Lampre-Merida and Direct Energie, the only other team that we think might use disc brakes at Paris-Roubaix is Bora-Argon 18, who, like Direct Energie, had a few disc brake bikes hanging around at the start of the Tour of Flanders, but did not use them in the race.
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And the improved wet weather braking of those discs could well come in handy on Sunday, with some of the cobbles sectors currently wet and covered in mud to the point where the race organisers are considering removing them from the race, as well as a chance of rain early in the race.
