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 20th at the Tour of Flanders last Sunday and eighth at Dwars door Vlaanderen the week before, while he also came 10th 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 69th 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.”
