No Roubaix for Chavanel

Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, on a wave of good form this Spring since his stage victory in Paris-Nice, will not be racing Paris-Roubaix despite his recent successes in the Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Brabantse Pijl.

The Cofidis rider was tempted to see what he could do in the 'Hell of the North' after helping his team-mate Nick Nuyens to a second placing in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, but team manager Eric Boyer preferred not to take any risks. "It wouldn't have been very professional to give in to that temptation," he told L'Equipe on Tuesday. "I prefer to regret not lining him up than doing so."

However, Chavanel modified his racing programme slightly: After racing in Paris-Camembert on April 15, he will not be participating in the Tour du Finistère but instead going to the Amstel Gold Race on April 20. It will be his seventh participation in the Dutch Spring Classic. "This is a coherent choice as he is not adding anything to his programme," added Boyer. "It's an intelligent way of surfing on the wave of good form he has been on for a few weeks now."

In May, Chavanel will go for a third victory of the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque (May 6-11), a race he won in 2002 and 2004.