Sir Bradley Wiggins has no constraints as he gets set to ride the Paris-Roubaix and he believes that will play into his favour in the gruelling one-day race.
Wiggins, who won the Tour de France and the Olympic time trial title as part of a golden 2012, warmed up with a 32nd-place finish at the Tour of Flanders.
He is far from the favourite however with three-time winner Fabian Cancellara expected to challenge fiercely once again along with Belgians Tom Boonen and Sep Vanmarcke.
However seven-time Olympic medallist and Team Sky rider Wiggins insists he heads into the race with nothing else on his mind – a situation unlike that of years gone by.
“I want to do well in Roubaix, it’s no secret. You don’t start that race unless you want to do well,” said Wiggins. “I wouldn’t have risked it at Flanders if I didn’t want to do well in Roubaix. Whether it happens or not is another thing.
“I’m in really good shape. I’d be lethal if I could ride positions. Just trying to get that mindset of leaving it all on the road. Obviously, I have no bigger picture so I can afford to take these risks, whereas a few years ago I rode Roubaix but always with one mind on the Tour.
“I won’t know if I can match the favourites until the race. On paper, you’d say ‘yes’ in terms of time trial ability and flat speed, but riding on the cobbles after 230, 240 kilometres, is a completely different thing than doing a 50-kilometre time trial or a prologue.
“That’s why those guys are the best in the world at what they do. To be honest, it’d be nice to be in their company in the final. That’s going to be my biggest challenge, to be in a position to be with those guys.
“That alone will be quite something. Thoughts of how to beat them haven’t even entered my mind because it’ll be a big honour just to be with those guys in that position.”
© Sportsbeat 2014