After having started the 2019 season with a nice victory at “Etoile de Bessèges”, Christophe LAPORTE will be the leader of Team Cofidis on the mythical race of Paris-Roubaix.
The whole team and Team manager, Cédric Vasseur, are impatient to see how Leader cyclist will evolve on this classic. How is Christophe Laporte getting ready for the race, in what ways is MICHELIN® Bicycle helping Team Cofidis, here is an exclusive interview of Christophe LAPORTE for MICHELIN® Bicycle...
- FIRST OF ALL, HOW DO YOU FEEL (PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY)? WHAT'S YOUR FEELING ON THE BIKE?
Christophe LAPORTE - Team Cofidis Leader : These last few days, the feelings were not there. But I’m getting back in shape and feeling better. I am more confident for this mythical and very hard race to come.
- WHAT'S YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THIS RACE? WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL?
C.L. : The goal for the Paris-Roubaix race is to have a good race, have fun, have good feelings and reach out for results.
- ON THE INEVITABLE COBBLESTONES OF THIS EVENT, WHAT ARE THE PARTICULAR SETTINGS TO ADOPT?
C.L. : On cobblestones, you need large size tubulars with low pressure. These kinds of race are particular which requires specific settings.
Alain DELCOURT - MICHELIN® Road Bike Tire Developer : Before this race, we have decided to do some scouting and test different size and pressure settings. Indeed, cobblestones are harsh for the cyclists and their bikes, which obliges us to adapt tire settings.
- WHAT KIND OF TIRE WILL YOU BE USING? IN WHICH SECTION? DO YOU ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA OF THE PRESSURE YOU WILL PUT?
C.L. : Absolutely, I will be riding tubulars for this race. We have chosen a 28mm size with a pressure of 5.5 Bars.
A.D. : Our new MICHELIN® Power Competition Tubular range offers a 28mm tubular that perfectly fits on cobblestones. Thanks to the larger section of the tubular, we can lower the pressure down to 4.5 Bars depending on cyclist weight, against the regular 8 Bars. That allows more comfort for the cyclist, who actually needs some.
- WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE MICHELIN® POWER COMPETITION TUBULAR FOR YOU?
C.L. : MICHELIN® tubulars have a good grip and are very burly with few punctures, which is a significant advantage for a professional cyclist.
A.D. : When we began developing the Power Competition tubular, we focused on grip and robustness to allow professional cyclists to finish their race comfortably while having an optimal performance.
Thank you to Christophe LAPORTE and Alain DELCOURT for their time and answers.
The MICHELIN® Bicycle team supports Christophe LAPORTE and the whole Team Cofidis for the Paris-Roubaix race on April, 14th 2019.
GOOD LUCK !
