Paris - Roubaix 2015: Favourites

Paris-Roubaix is a guaranteed spectacle and the 113th edition will be no different. The Dutch are the Kings of the Cobbles at the moment with Niki Terpstra winning the Hell of the North in 2014 and Lars Boom taking the cobbled stage in the Tour de France. Who are the main contenders in 2015? No Boonen, no Cancellara this edition - Cyclingstage.com brings you all favourites. (Slideshow route/profile)

Niki Terpstra
Being a smart rider, title-holder Terpstra used the powerful Omega-QuickStep (now Etixx-QuickStep) armada to his advantage to win in 2014. Last year’s winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen as well, so an absolute cobbles expert. Showed good pre-season form by winning the Tour of Qatar. Last week he pulled of a strong performance in the Tour of Flanders, but it was not enough since he was accompanied by a brutal Norwegian.

Alexander Kristoff
Laborious racing and Kristoff – we all know what a successful combination that is since the tough 2014 edition of Milan-San Remo in. After that feat he spiced up his palmares with two Tour de France stage-wins and he is still going strong. The Norwegian is in great shape, winning Driedaagse De Panne – overal plus three stages – and the Tour of Flanders all in one week time.

Lars Boom
To date a 6th place in the Hell of the North is his best result, but after his victory in the cobbled stage of the Tour definitely one to be reckoned with. Boom is Astana’s leader in the classics.

John Degenkolb
Last year, he won the sprint of the chasers to finish second. To his disadvantage speaks that nobody will want to go head-to-head with him on the line. As early as February he showed brilliant form by outpowering acclaimed puncheurs like Valverde on a 17% ramp in Dubai.

Peter Sagan
His successful history in cyclo-cross and mountainbiking make him an ideal Paris-Roubaix winner. Steering is his forte and without a doubt he will win Roubaix once. In 2015?

Zdenek Stybar
Cyclo-cross world champion in 2010, 2011 and 2014 and part of the Omega armada covering Terpstra’s back when he escaped to victory last year. In 2013 Stybar was in a small leading group when he collided with a supporter and blew his chances. Expert on the cobbles.

Sep Vanmarcke
The 26-year old Fleming is the leader of LottoNL-Jumbo (last year’s Belkin). Second in 2013 and fourth in 2014, it’s time to make the big step. A sophisticated break at the right time should be his success-recipe since he is not the fastest man in the pack.

Bradley Wiggins
Paris-Roubaix is his last gig as a road racer. Last year, he finished ninth and decided Roubaix to be his main goal in his goodbye-year. Can he pull it off?