Marianne Vos has won almost everything there is to win, but Paris-Roubaix is missing from her honors list. The 35-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider will start as one of the favorites on Saturday. “We have geared the season to this game.”
As a child, Vos was already glued to the tube when the heroic ‘Hell of the North’ was held. When the first women’s edition of Paris-Roubaix was finally scheduled two years ago, she was overjoyed. “It was great to enter the velodrome after that tough race, such a memorable place,” says the Brabant.
Vos finished second behind the British Elizabeth Deignan in the scoop over the northern French cobblestones. Last year she went for revenge, but the day ended in a debacle when Vos tested positive for corona a few hours before the start and was not allowed to drive. “The world collapsed for a moment,” said the Jumbo-Visma rider at the time.
Vos will again be one of the contenders at the start on Saturday. “We have indicated this race as the main goal of the season,” Jumbo-Visma team manager Rutger Tijssen told NU.nl. “We have adjusted the altitude training and other competitions to this. If Marianne can participate in the final for a long time, we are satisfied, but we are only happy when we win.”
Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijke ontwikkelingen in de wielersport
“If she makes it to the final, she’s just a killer”
Eight cyclocross world titles, three road world titles, 32 stage victories in the Giro d’Italia and two Olympic titles. This is just a small selection from Vos’ palmares. Paris-Roubaix is one of the rare major cycling races that she has not yet won.
“While this race is made for her,” says former rider and cycling analyst Roxane Knetemann, who became Dutch champion on the track (couple race) with Vos in 2012. “If Marianne makes it to the final, she’s just a killer. Then drive her off. I was very impressed with her at Dwars door Vlaanderen. She looked good and fresh, and had a very good ability to recover.”
Vos has to deal with the all-powerful Team SD Worx, which has the brand new winner of the Tour of Flanders in its ranks with Lotte Kopecky. “It’s going to be very difficult,” says Knetemann. “When Marianne is in the final with duos from SD Worx and Trek, she is a bit in a bind.”
Tijssen expects that the strength of the teams will play a less important role. “It’s one against one on the cobblestones,” says the manager of Jumbo-Visma. “It is important for Marianne not to lose too much energy for this.”
Knetemann thinks that Vos will not think about the gap on her honors list during the race on Saturday. “Marianne is not busy filling a bingo card. She doesn’t need that external stimulus. She just really enjoys cycling and winning remains the best thing there is for her. That hunger is still there.”
Vos nog lang niet klaar voor pensioen
Ook als Vos zaterdag wint, verdwijnt ze nog lang niet van het wielertoneel. “Ze wil iedere dag het beste uit zichzelf halen. Ze wil altijd winnen en er komt altijd nog een wedstrijd”, zegt teammanager Rutger Tijssen. “Sport blijft dan absoluut, niet relatief. Anders ben je naar het einde van je carrière aan het toeleven.”
Favorieten voor Parijs-Roubaix
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Lotte Kopecky
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Marianne Vos, Elisa Longo Borghini
- ⭐⭐⭐: Elisa Balsamo, Pfeiffer Georgi
- ⭐⭐: Lucinda Brand, Silvia Persico
- ⭐: Lorena Wiebes
