All of the tech, tyres, tape, suspension and more to cope with cobbles of Paris-Roubaix
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The Paris-Roubaix 2018 podium bikes: Sagan's S-Works Roubaix, Dillier's Factor O2 and Terpstra's S-Works Tarmac(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
At the finishline an engraver prepares the plaque for Peter Sagan's trophy(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Peter Sagan won the race in a two-up sprint against Silvan Dillier(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Heinrich Haussler rolls to the startline aboard his Merida Reacto(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo's Koen de Kort also taped his fingers up for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo equipped their Domane bikes with the new Shimano Ultegra RX clutch rear derailleur(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The race broom wagon is prepared for several broken bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Edvald Boasson Hagen was another rider racing in the new Oakley Flight Jacket sunglasses(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Alex Edmonson (Mitchelton-Scott) taped up his wrists to help with the vibrations from the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
One of the Team Sky cars was equipped with a GoPro to capture the action from the peloton(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Niki Terpstra opted to race aboard an S-Works Tarmac over the Roubaix frameset preferred by his teammates(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Terpstra's course notes highlight specific secteurs, as well as feed zones(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Marcel Kittel also opted to race Paris-Roubaix in the new Oakley Flight Jackets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A closer look at Sagan's S-Works Roubaix and S-Works 7 shoes in Sagan Collection finish (Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) with the rainbow arm bands of a former world champion and sunglasses in the national champion colours of Belgium(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Several Quick-Step Floors riders used additional handlebar top brakes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Gilbert has continued to wear the sunglasses he wore as Belgian national champion(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo raced aboard Trek Domane Discs with the new Bontrager Aeolus XXX wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Wout Van Aert wore the new Oakley Flight Jacket sunglasses, which were launched earlier this week(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
LottoNL-Jumbo wear clothing and sunglasses from Shimano's S-Phyre range(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Jempy Drucker of BMC Racing has several pairs of custom Giro Empire SLX race shoes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
As well as the Flight Jacket, Oakley also launched the Field Jacket sunglasses model, which Geraint Thomas wore for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Peter Sagan wore the new S-Works Evade helmet in the gold and black Sagan Collection finish(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The new out-front mount from K-Edge appears to be made specifically for the aero Wahoo Elemnt Bolt computer used by Sagan(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Cobbles are airbrushed onto Wout Van Aert's frameset(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Go Hard or Go Home' decals adorn Van Aert's seat stays(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Sagan's third bike was a disc equipped S-Works Roubaix from his self-titled Sagan Collection(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Peter Sagan's second choice bike was a rim brake S-Works Roubaix in last season's custom finish(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Sagan's bikes appeared to be running an aero out-front mount from K-Edge(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Matteo Trentin has team colour-coordinated Sidi Shot shoes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Irish national champion Ryan Mullen wears his special jersey for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Wout Van Aert's Stevens Xenon has been given a custom finish for Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Van Aert's bike is equipped with a SRAM Red eTap groupset with an additional brake lever on the handlebar tops(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Van Aert has his own face stencilled onto the head tube of his bike(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
cantilever brakes on Dan Chabanov's Richard Sachs bike.(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Team Sky print each of their riders identical course notes for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Team Sky raced aboard Pinarello Dogma K10-S with electronic rear suspension(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A mechanic adds the final touches to Heinrich Haussler's Merida Reacto(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Haussler raced aboard a Merida Reacto, while the rest of his Bahrain-Merida teammates raced aboard Merida Scultura framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
More Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 series components on show, this time at Bahrain-Merida(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Borut Bozic has an affectionate nickname at Bahrain-Merida(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A Bahrain-Merida mechanic uses an electronic pump to get the team's tyres to the desired pressures(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
All of the LottoNL-Jumbo riders had Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 series components on their bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
28mm tubulars tan-wall tubulars for the Dutch squad(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Some of the components already showed some signs of damage before the race had even started(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Direct Energie wrapped their disc-specific FFWD wheels with 28mm Hutchinson tubulars(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Direct Energie raced aboard Wilier Cento10NDR disc bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) wrapped tape around his fingers to help cope with the vibrations from the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Hand-written course notes for Tony Martin(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
French Pro Continental team Delko Marseille Provence race aboard KTM framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The team use Time Xpresso pedals(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Several Astana riders used TRP brake calipers, which appear to have larger tyre clearances(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Tyre pressures checked via a digital gauge ahead of the race start(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Magnus Cort's first choice race bike started the race on the team car roof(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Unlike the bike Cort started the race on, his first choice bike was equipped with larger 28mm cobble specific tubulars(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Astana and AG2R La Mondiale use CeramicSpeed's OSPW system on their rear derailleurs(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A rider for WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic raced with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Clear course details marking distance to go and the length of each section(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) raced aboard a Colnago V2-R in the custom finish of the European champion(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
French Pro Continental squad Vital Concept raced on Orbea Orca framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Interestingly, Magnus Cort (Astana) started the race on his spare bike and likely switched to his first choice bike ahead of the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Cort's spare bike, which he started the race on, had regular road tyres(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Sep Vanmarcke's Cannondale was equipped with a Shimano Ultegra cassette(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Vanmarcke opted for a 53/44 chainring combination(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The new Synapse has a Di2-specific port on the down tube(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Vanmarcje had very, very small course notes on his top tube(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The Belgian rider for EF-Drapac was running 30mm Vittoria Corsa Control tyres(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The Cannondale Synapse Disc ran thru-axles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The UCI were out in force to check bikes for technological fraud(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Trentin was running Di2 satellite buttons on the handlebar tops(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The vast majority of riders run larger inner chainrings due to the flat parcours of the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Soudal) ran handlebar tape on his pedals, which should help with comfort over the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Soudal) ran regular 25mm Vittoria Corsa tubulars(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
EF Education First-Drapac all raced aboard the new Cannondale Synapse Disc(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Mitchelton-Scott riders had the largest variance within a team for tyre choice(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
is what 11.5 PSI looks like.(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The flat parcours meant many riders opted for 11-25 cassettes rather than the usual 11-28 or higher(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
No double-wrapping the handlebars for Hayman(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) opted for 28mm Continental Competition PTX tubulars for the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Matteo Trentin was the only Mitchelton-Scott rider to race aboard a Scott Addict instead of the aero Scott Foil(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Mike Teunissen was the only Team Sunweb rider to use Dura-Ace disc rotors(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Older non-series levers were also used by Team Sunweb(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Arnaud Demare's Lapierre Pulsium for Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Demare ran Dura-Ace 9000 series cranks with an SRM power meter instead of Dura-Ace R9100 alongside Shimano's new power meter(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Older-style Elite Ciussi bottle cages are used for cobbled races, as the metal frame can be bent in for a tighter fit on the bidon(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A Groupama-FDJ mechanic ensured the team's cages held a bidon securely ahead of the race(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Oliver Naesen had limited course notes on his stem(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The entire squad for Team Sunweb raced aboard disc brakes(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The majority of Team Sunweb also used older Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 series cranksets, with Pioneer power meters (Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Riders arrive at the race with their preferred tyres pressures taped to the frame or in a mechanics notebook, tyre pressures are then checked ahead of the start(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Continental Competition RBX 28mm tubular tyres were a popular choice among the peloton(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Marc Soler (Movistar Team) had each secteur listed on his stem(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Double-wrapped handlebar tape helps to take some of the buzz out of the cobbles(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
With larger tyres, clearances become tighter on brake calipers and frames(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Movistar Team riders raced on a mix of Canyon Ultimate and Aeroad framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
AG2R La Mondiale use Shimano Ultegra chains on the majority of their bikes and spares frequently run Ultegra cranksets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Oliver Naesen's Factor O2 CHPT3 ONEMORELAP limited edition frameset for Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
With Naesen riding a new CHPT3 Factor frameset, his national champion bike was relegated to the spare position(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The 2018 edition of Paris-Roubaix was won by Peter Sagan's (Bora-Hansgrohe) powerful attack with 50 kilometres remaining was unmatched and ultimately unbeatable despite a heroic effort from Swiss national champion Silvan Dillier (AG2R La Mondiale), who finished second to Sagan in a sprint after surviving a full day in the breakaway.
The Paris-Roubaix 2018 podium bikes: Sagan's S-Works Roubaix, Dillier's Factor O2 and Terpstra's S-Works Tarmac
The race and day was overshadowed by the tragic death of 23-year-old Michael Goolaerts who suffered a cardiac arrest after around 100 kilometres of racing. The Belgian was racing his first Paris-Roubaix in his fourth season with the Verandas Willems-Crelan team.
The season's third Monument has the reputation for the toughest one-day race on the calendar for good reason. Over 50 kilometres of brutal pavé litters 29 secteurs, with punctures more a probability than just bad luck during the race.
To combat the cobbles, almost every rider will switch to wider and more robust tyres for the race. French handmade tubular tyre specialists FMB have built the reputation as the most reliable offerings for the race, with several teams opting to pay extra for these rather than using their sponsors' offerings.
Continental and Specialized also have their own lines of rubber developed specifically to cope with the race and the general trend of the peloton is to use at least 27/28mm, with several riders opting for 30mm or more.
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Supplementary brakes and discs
Unlike the Tour of Flanders, where not a single rider opted to race on disc brakes, several teams committed completely to racing disc brakes for Paris-Roubaix.
Team Sunweb, EF Education First-Drapac, Direct Energie and Trek-Segafredo all started the race with their riders on disc brake-equipped bikes, alongside several other teams who had disc brake bikes as spares on the team cars.
For those racing on regular rim brake bikes, additional brake levers for either one or both brakes on the handlebar tops was an option for riders on Quick-Step Floors, BMC Racing and Verandas Willems-Crelan.
Handlebar suspension and rear suspension
Used during last year's edition of the race, Specialized's 'Future Shock' handlebar suspension system made a return to the race with the Bora-Hansgrohe and Quick-Step Floors teams.
For this year's edition of the race, a lock-out knob at the top of the steerer allowed riders to switch between suspended bars for the cobbled sections and fixed bars for the asphalt, which accounts for around eighty-percent of the race.
Team Sky raced aboard updated versions of the Pinarello K10 frameset, which features a rear shock at the top of the seat stays in an effort to improve compliance and efficiency over the cobbles, while at the same time reducing fatigue.
Last year's version of the suspension system was controlled via a switch attached to the handlebars whereas this year's version is completely automatic and adapts to the road conditions.
Double-wrapped handlebars and taped wrists, knuckles and fingers
Despite new shock absorbing technologies coming to handlebar tape in recent years, the tradition of double wrapping handlebars for the race continues, with some teams clearly more versed in it than others.
In an attempt to support wrists and fingers over the cobbles, plenty of riders also taped up parts of their hands with bandages and kinesiology tape.
Shimano Ultegra everywhere and Dura-Ace 9000 makes a resurgence
Perhaps utilising older stock, or more likely cutting costs in a race that willingly destroys components, several teams used plenty of Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 components with LottoNL-Jumbo exclusively using the components including groupsets and wheels.
Shimano Ultegra components are also surprisingly common in the WorldTour with EF-Drapac, AG2R La Mondiale and Astana all opting to use chains or cassettes from Shimano's second-tier range. A rider from WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic took this a step further and raced the Monument on a full Shimano Ultegra 6800 series groupset.
Click or swipe through the extensive gallery above to see all of the tech on show at the Hell of the North.
