The biggest talking point coming into this edition of Paris-Roubaix has been about the course rather than the favourites. The decision to change the approach to the Arenberg was always going to create debate, especially when it was announced at such short notice before the race.
Mathieu van der Poel’s initial reaction on social media was quite hard, and I think a lot of people were caught by surprise by this change. But at the same time, most of them would agree that the entrance to the Arenberg is the most chaotic place in Paris-Roubaix, with a very high risk of crashes.
