All eyes on Roubaix for Taylor Phinney as knee issue disrupts Classics openers
Phinney is focused on being at full strength for Paris-Roubaix after struggling with a knee injury
Taylor Phinney (EF Education First) hopes for a strong return by Paris-Roubaix after a knee problem side-lined him in the early cobbled Classics this season.
Right knee soreness forced Phinney to miss the E3 BinckBank Classic and Ghent-Wevelgem in the last week. The American took part in the Dwars Door Vlaanderen on Wednesday (but failed to finish) with eyes on Paris-Roubaix in one and a half weeks.
>>> Tour of Flanders 2019 live TV guide
"I'm all eyes on Roubaix, that's my ticket," Phinney told Cycling Weekly.
"I had a bit of a hiccup last week, didn't get those races in. I didn't really mind missing them, they are super stressful and dangerous and... I'm here [at Dwars Door Vlaanderen], taking it one day at a time, all those clichés."
Phinney had felt some soreness in his right knee. In 2014, he broke his left leg crashing in the US National Championships, but bounced back and in 2018 and placed eighth in Paris-Roubaix.
This season began well with a team time trial win in the Tour Colombia, after which he raced in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Tirreno-Adriatico before being forced to stop in the Three Days of De Panne.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I had some knee problems last week." Phinney said.
"A risk to race? I don't think so. It's something that came on really fast, I've been doing therapy for a week, sleeping a lot, doing the rehab thing. I'm pretty used to that. I'll see how it goes today and I'm hoping for the best. If it hurts, I'm out and that'll put Sunday in jeopardy."
Phinney is scheduled for the Tour of Flanders this Sunday to support Sebastian Langeveld. The team's leader Sep Vanmarcke is out due to a crash in the E3 BinckBank Classic and may not start the Tour of Flanders.
The following Sunday, Phinney wants to shine in Paris-Roubaix. As an under 23 rider, Phinney won the race twice.
"Yeah, always," Phinney said about being happy to be back on the cobbled roads.
"It's super stressful, dangerous, scary, but all the races are like that now. At least these races are good for me."
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
'The bike’s been the biggest therapeutic element for me': Former pro and DS Allan Peiper's battle against prostate cancer
Allan Peiper has won stages and Grand Tours, both as a rider and a DS. Since 2014, though, his biggest challenge has been a recurring battle with prostate cancer. He talks candidly to Chris Marshall-Bell about the ups and downs of his struggle
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Our 'van life' dream failed, so we tried to make surfing and cycle touring compatible — this is what happened
If cycle touring teaches anything, it is that life rarely goes according to plan, as Isobel Duxfield found out when riding what soon become a pedal-propelled sail around the Pacific Coast
By Isobel Duxfield Published