Expected rain on Saturday could make some of the cobbled sections on Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix one-day classic slippery, according to a French meteorologist.
World champion Peter Sagan and the other favourites are due to cover 27 cobbled sectors totalling 52.8km over the gruelling 257.5km ‘Hell of the North’ race.
But while Sunday is expected to be dry, lingering moisture could make some of the famous ‘paves’ quite treacherous in a race that is always punctuated by numerous crashes and punctures.
“The course risks being moist because Saturday afternoon between 3pm and 4pm, it’s not excluded that the first drops could fall and that could last until 9pm,” Etienne Kapikian from Meteo France told AFP.
“It will certainly leave puddles.
“However, we’re not expecting any rain on Sunday in the Nord-Picardie region, but rather a return to dry weather for the entire day.”
A light tail-wind is expected, meaning conditions will be relatively favourable for the riders.
“The conditions are good apart from the possibility of the ground being wet,” added Kapikian.
Temperatures in the morning will be quite low at around 3-4 degrees Celsius, but rising to 13-14 during the day. – Agence France-Presse
