Features
Road

The post-Roubaix wash and brush-up

By Cycling News

published 16 September 2006

So what happens when it's race over? Well, apart from handing out a few medals and a wad of cash,...

Comments

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Image 1 of 46

George Hincapie's steerer(Image credit: Mike Carrucan)

Leif Hoste's Discovery Channel Trek

'The active suspension is very good,'

44/53 front chainrings.

Tom Boonen's

Boonen spends plenty of time

Unibet.com's mechanics

A stable of cleaned

There's that seat cluster again;

Now that's what

This Roubaix

Mavic's neutral spare bikes

The Saunier Duval-Prodir mechanics

Blasting the chainrings.

Blow-drying places

George Hincapie's steerer suffered a disastrous failure that ended Hincapies hopes of a Roubaix victory.(Image credit: Mike Carrucan)

Leif Hoste's Discovery Channel Trek for Roubaix.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Again, it wasn't the grimiest Roubaix we've seen in years.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

'The active suspension is very good,' Hoste told us. "You don’t feel it, but can see that it works while you ride behind someone. The team and the manufacturer do everything to give us the best material available. This is not only for Paris-Roubaix; in time trials, we also have the best bikes possible.'(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

The top tube profile of what is obstensibly a modified Trek 5200.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

A name worth remembering.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

44/53 front chainrings.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Hutchinson tubulars.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

A Bontrager-branded Selle San Marco saddle.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Inside the bike bus.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Getting down and dirty. Going ape with the hose may get the grime off, but there's no substitute for careful hand-washing if you want to get a bike clean without risking washing out all the lubricants.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Tom Boonen's Time Roubaix Special.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Good clearance as a result of a longer wheelbase.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Boonen spends plenty of time on the hoods, hence the very flat profile from bar to brake hood.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Unibet.com's mechanics were cleaning their Ridley bikes the old fashioned way.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Inside Unibet.com's bike bus.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

A stable of cleaned Rabobank C-50s, out to dry.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

Aurelien Clerc's BMC Phonak about to undergo the wash treatment.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

An unusually shaped top tube profile.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

There's that seat cluster again; its looks divide people, but you can't fault it as a way of grabbing your attention. You can't miss a BMC!(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)

This Roubaix was nothing normal brake calipers couldn't handle.(Image credit: Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com)