Trentin hoping to step up at Paris-Roubaix

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Matteo Trentin will lead his Mitchelton-Scott team at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, hoping that he can perform better than his 21st place at last weekend's Tour of Flanders.

This time, the Italian can count on the vast experience of the now-retired 2016 Roubaix champion Mat Hayman in a directeur sportif role for the team, while in-race support will come from Jack Bauer and Michael Hepburn.

"Roubaix is the last of the cobbled Classics ahead of a transition to the Ardennes Classics, and a successful race would be one that was better than Flanders," Trentin said, having been unable to follow the main favourites on the climb of the Kruisberg with around 25km left to go.

"At Flanders, I didn't have a good day, but I hope it was only that day, so let's see if this Sunday will be a little bit better for me," he said.

"The transition from the Classics so far to Roubaix is like going from rock concerts to a heavy metal concert," Trentin continued. "It's more of the same, but rougher, harder and, even though there are no climbs – it's fully flat – it just makes you exhausted.

"Punctures and crashes are obviously the thing to avoid. If you manage that and have good legs, then it should be all good," he said.

"After Flanders, Matteo was disappointed, so I think that's good motivation coming into Roubaix," added Mitchelton-Scott sports director Laurenzo Lapage. "We have Matteo, but also Jack Bauer, who has showed in the past races that he's in really good form, so we also have to give him a chance."

The New Zealander has ridden strongly at this year's cobbled Classics, and, with six rides at Roubaix under his belt – like Trentin – the team will be counting on his experience to be up at the head of affairs to help his Italian team leader, or ride for his own result.

"Roubaix is flatter, but with all of the cobblestone sectors, it's a completely different race to Flanders," Lapage continued. "Flanders is more for the explosive types with all the climbs, so I think Roubaix suits our guys better.

"Once again it's another great opportunity for our young riders. Rob Stannard and Edoardo Affini already have the experience of the previous races, but doing Roubaix will only continue to help them for later in their career.  We know they are first year professionals, so we try to give them a job to do that is suitable for them, and the work we have asked them to do so far, they could do."

Mitchelton-Scott for the 2019 Paris-Roubaix: Edoardo Affini, Jack Bauer, Michael Hepburn, Luka Mezgec, Callum Scotson, Robert Stannard, Matteo Trentin