Van Avermaet: Quick-Step have three cards for Paris-Roubaix, I have one

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) will roll out of Compiegne to start Paris-Roubaix on Sunday morning with the number one dossard on his back and hoping to add another cobble to his collection. This time last year, Van Avermaet crowned an incredible Classics campaign with his first Monument victory at Paris-Roubaix.

While the run of success towards this year’s Roubaix has not been the same, Van Avermaet is hoping to become the first rider since Tom Boonen in 2009 to win back-to-back editions.

"I feel really good again. I'm happy that I've recovered from Flanders," Van Avermaet told the press in Compiegne on Saturday afternoon.

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"It feels really good, I'm really happy to be here again. It was really a big goal for me to win a Classic like this and there are really big emotions for me here and I’m so happy that I’ve put this one on my palmarès and I hope that I can do it a second time on Sunday."

Van Avermaet was speaking to the press in a sun-soaked Place du Général de Gaulle as the teams were introduced to an eager crowd. Some cloud cover is expected for the race on Sunday but the weather will remain much the same, despite earlier predictions of rain. After huge amounts of mud covering the surface of the cobbles earlier in the week, the drying weather and rising temperatures have come as something of a relief for most of the peloton, Van Avermaet included.

"I think that this is the biggest thing compared to last week, to feel the heat again," Van Avermaet said. "I think that it can only be in my favour and can help me to feel a little bit fresher again and be a little fresher in the final.

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