'We can't beat them on pure power' – Pedersen on how to win Paris-Roubaix

Mads Pedersen laid down one of the best Classics performances of his career at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, going on the attack from long before eventually standing on the podium beside Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel.

This Sunday, he enters Paris-Roubaix among the major contenders for glory in the Roubaix velodrome on Sunday afternoon.

"For Flanders, I'm 100% happy. I did – from my point of view – no mistakes and I think it ended up with a nice result, so I wouldn't change anything last Sunday," Pedersen said in a virtual press conference ahead of the race.

"It's a completely different race," Pedersen said of Paris-Roubaix. "We knew from other races, especially E3 that we saw the big three, they were just on another level when we were going uphill, and that's pure facts.

"At Roubaix, we don't have so many climbs, a little bit but not like Flanders."

The former World Champion has been one of many Classics contenders left in the wake of Van der Poel, Pogačar and Wout van Aert this spring, a gap in power that has influenced tactics across teams throughout the Classics season.

"You see all the races how the teams were trying to anticipate and challenge these guys. But they are always so strong that even when we try to challenge them they're still better," he said.

"At Flanders, you saw the difference in how teams were racing. A lot of guys wanted to anticipate early. But I think if we anticipate early and be in front of it, you never know what happens. If Pogačar got a puncture or if I had 20 more seconds on the Kwaremont I could have been with Mathieu on the top.

"We try to grab the races in a different way and try to beat them because we know we can't beat them on pure power. But Roubaix is a different race, where watts per kilo doesn't make such a big difference as it does in Flanders."

While Van Aert has expressed some doubt about his form and condition ahead of Paris-Roubaix, Pedersen presented an unusually forceful defence of his rival.

"The media is putting a question mark on Wout – I don't think that's fair," he said. "He's one of the best cyclists in the world and he's still performing super good. It's not easy to be a superstar like him and then everyone is looking at him and then still to race like he's doing.

"So I think this question mark especially the media is putting on him is completely bullshit and you should give him some more credit."

He displayed similar admiration for the other major favourite, Van der Poel, saying, "He's one of the biggest stars cycling right now and without bad luck, he will 100% [be there]. So yeah, I expect him to ride as always and race a final like he's basically doing every race her does."

For all the serious talk of the 'big two', and the tactics of both his and other teams, Pedersen gave a light-hearted answer to the question of who is his top favourite for glory.

"My brain or my heart?" he asked, before saying, "myself and myself" with a smile.

Pedersen looks set to be the outright leader for Trek-Segafredo on Sunday, though with the likes of Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns also on the team, they look to be among one of the stronger lineups in Compiègne.

And after playing a critical role in Pedersen's race in Flanders last week, Dutchman Daan Hoole is tipped to be a big asset for the Dane on Sunday, at only his second appearance at the race.

"[Hoole] showed it in Flanders and you can definitely do it in Roubaix also - that he can also be in the peloton and with the big boys for a long time in Roubaix," Pedersen said. "So I would expect something really good from Daan."

With the news of Jumbo-Visma's experimental adjustable tyre-pressure systems being deployed at Paris-Roubaix, Pedersen was one of many riders questioned about the new technology.

"I would like to stay with the product in my hand to see how it works and try it myself," he said. "I'll also be full I can actually give you guys a valid opinion on the idea of using this. They must believe in this otherwise they wouldn't race it.

"Someone has to be the first to try, so now we will see how it works out. If you see only Team DSM and Jumbo-Visma in the top five, then we can talk about it being a smart move."