Ballan set to start in spite of weighty accusations
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Tom Boonen (Quick Step) in Compiegne.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme at the Paris-Roubaix presentation. (Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Paris-Roubaix was also part of Bradley Wiggins' programme in 2009.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Matt Hayman (Sky) is ready for Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Lampre-ISD rides Paris-Roubaix under a cloud.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Danilo Hondo is an experienced head at Lampre-ISD.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
French national team manager Laurent Jalabert at the Paris-Roubaix team presentation(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Euskaltel-Euskadi has sent a young team to Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) at the presentation of the 2011 Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) has been having a fine spring.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) is chasing a fourth Paris-Roubaix triumph.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) starts as co-leader.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) is looking to make an impact at Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Manuel Quinziato (BMC) is in relaxed mood ahead of Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Geraint Thomas (Sky) is high on confidence after his showing in Flanders.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Geraint Thomas (Sky) is a dark horse for Paris-Roubaix glory.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Sebastien Chavanel (Europcar) on the eve of Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) speaks to the press.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Irish champion Matt Brammeier's selection for Paris-Roubaix is proof of his progress at HTC-Highroad.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) will be looking to test himself on the cobbles.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) at the Chateau de Compiegne.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) is relaxed ahead of his Paris-Roubaix debut.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Martin Reimer (Skil-Shimano) in determined mood on the eve of Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Bretagne Schuller will be looking to make an impact.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Manuel Quinziato (BMC) will be prominent on the cobbles. (Image credit: Barry Ryan)
In the eye of the storm. Alessandro Ballan (BMC) was keeping mum.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
George Hincapie (BMC) is looking for an elusive Paris-Roubaix win.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) is still building his experience on the cobbles.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) will be lucking to make amends after an unfortunate Tour of Flanders. (Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Andre Greipel and Omega Pharma-Lotto are ready for Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Although the spectre of a major doping investigation involving one of the pre-race favourites hangs over Paris-Roubaix, it was a case of business as usual at the team presentation at the Chateau de Compiegne on Saturday afternoon.
While Saturday morning’s Italian newspapers carried accusations by investigators in Mantova that Alessandro Ballan (BMC) had undergone an autologous blood transfusion in 2009, his team has decided not to remove him from its roster for the Hell of the North.
In a somewhat macabre scene at the team presentation, the former world champion was presented as normal along with his teammates, and he was greeted with warm applause by the crowds gathered in Compiegne. Ballan was not available to field questions after descending from the podium.
The Mantova investigation is centred around Ballan’s erstwhile team, Lampre, and the Italian squad was also present in Compiegne, although its Paris-Roubaix line-up does not include any of the riders who were cited as likely to face charges in a report on Tuttobiciweb.it on Friday.
Meanwhile, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) was in relaxed mood as he spoke to reporters at the presentation, even though he admitted he is still feeling the effects of his double crash at Scheldeprijs on Wednesday.
“After Flanders I was on the way up, but Wednesday has made it a little more difficult,” Boonen smiled. The three-time Paris-Roubaix winner is Fabian Cancellara’s biggest challenger, but he was reluctant to discuss his plans to beat the Swiss rider, explaining that tactics soon go out the window in the Hell of the North.
“There aren’t many tactics you can plan for Paris-Roubaix,” Boonen said. “After a few cobbled sections it’s possible you’ll have lost half your time to crash or something. We’ll plan a little bit, but not too much and I think the strength of the team is that we have a few guys we can play with.”
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One of those men is Sylvain Chavanel, and the loudest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for the plucky Frenchman, who came agonisingly close to victory at last Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.
Other riders on hand in Compiegne included Paris-Roubaix debutant Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad), Slovakian talent Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Sky’s dark horse Geraint Thomas, who is fresh from a fine showing at last weekend’s Tour of Flanders.
For an exclusive picture gallery from the team presentation, click here.
Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
