Scott Thwaites ready to give 'everything he's got' at Paris-Roubaix

Scott Thwaites said he’s ready to give “everything he’s got” at Paris-Roubaix this Sunday, following a string of strong performances throughout the spring Classics campaign.

The Yorkshireman finished 20^th at the Tour of Flanders last Sunday and eighth at Dwars door Vlaanderen the week before, while he also came 10^th at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and finished second at Le Samyn, narrowly missing out on the victory behind Niki Terpstra.

“I think the whole Classics season I’ve done pretty well,” the Bora-Argon 18 rider said at his team bus after racing at Scheldeprijs.

“I’ve stepped up from last year, am finding my feet a little bit now. I know what I have to do to be up there and am learning the roads a bit, so that’s been helping. I’m pretty happy with how this year’s going so far.”

Watch: Paris-Roubaix essential guide

The 26-year-old finished the Tour of Flanders in the same group as three-times winner Tom Boonen, and hopes he can contest his second appearance in Paris-Roubaix in the same way.

“I’ve been in good shape for a while, so I’m sort of getting to the point now where I’m having good days and bad days, I just don’t know which one it’ll be on the day [at Roubaix],” he continued.

“I’m still going to go into with full motivation and give it everything I’ve got and yeah hopefully I can be up there like I was in Flanders.”

Thwaites made his Roubaix debut last year for the German squad and finished in 69^th place, however, said the prospect of rain at this year’s edition means the race is likely to be tough.

“[Rain] it’s not ideal, I’d love it to just be sunny like it was last year,” he said, laughing. “I guess it’s the same for everyone, it’ll make it a lot more stressful; a bigger fight for position; more crashes things like that, so it will be a much harder race if it is wet.

“But then we all know what to expect and can put the plan into action, stay in the front out of trouble.”