Van Dijke brothers refuse supporting role in Roubaix: "Two stand out above the rest, but we're not far behind"

At the Tour of Flanders it was all hands on deck for Remco Evenepoel. But at Paris-Roubaix Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe are reverting to a tried-and-tested classics approach: a wealth of strong riders, racing together as one. IDL Pro Cycling spoke to Mick and Tim van Dijke at Saturday's team presentation about their ambitions and tactics on the French cobbles.

The Van Dijke brothers have been delivering all year, which is why they deserve to be written up in red ink among the dark horses. Behind Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), there is a sizeable group of powerful classics machines dreaming of pulling off something special on Sunday.

Do they rate the likes of Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) above themselves? No, came the clear answer from the Van Dijke brothers.

"We are one of the strongest teams in depth, maybe even the strongest," Mick said. "I can see that two riders stand out above the rest, and beyond that, we don't need to take a back seat to anyone," Tim added.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe have not just two or three, but perhaps as many as five riders who can dream of reaching the finale in Roubaix.

"In every Classic, we've shown how strong we are in depth, and Paris-Roubaix is a race where it's crucial to get as many riders as possible into the finale. Then you can play the numbers game, because we don't have a Tadej or a Mathieu," Mick said.

Tim was in full agreement. "Getting five riders into the finale is a big challenge. If we manage it, a lot becomes possible. We've shown some great things this spring and we're all closely matched. It's about going through fire for each other," said the runner-up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

When it comes to positioning, Red Bull have already impressed on multiple occasions. "In that department, we might be the best team, and I'm trusting in that again on Sunday," Tim said.

Mick also praised the team spirit. "We might need to ride in the wind for each other early on, just like we did at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. With the wind that's been forecast, it could kick off early for us.'

Starting early does not mean we'll see the Van Dijkes in an early breakaway. A waste of energy, Mick reckons. "We haven't really discussed that either. The sport has changed so much in recent years, particularly Paris-Roubaix. If you look at the last few editions, it's very difficult to stay away from the front."

"And we're not a team whose riders they'll easily let slip away in a breakaway. You'd have to burn through your ammunition early, whereas behind Mathieu and Tadej we actually have a really good chance too." Tim echoed the sentiment. "A lot of riders will want to be in the breakaway. I'm not even sure if one will form at all. From there, we just have to see how the race unfolds and react to what's in front of us."

It is certainly clear that the twins are certainly looking forward to it. "I feel good," Tim said. Mick added: "I've got a healthy dose of nerves. Fortunately, I've never had much trouble sleeping, and in the end Paris-Roubaix is also a race where a lot is possible, but where you can find yourself chasing the race from very early on. I try to stick to my task, as always, and take it phase by phase."