He was on paper the main French chance to finally succeed Christophe Guesdon, on the strength of his formidable start to the season at Jumbo. But Christophe Laporte, 6th in the 2021 edition, could not shine on the 119th edition of Paris-Roubaix, betrayed on various occasions by mechanical problems at several key moments at the start of the race. In a spotted video by our colleagues from RMCwe also see the former Cofidis rider manage to keep his balance on the cobblestones despite a rear wheel literally broken in two.
A small feat which will then see Laporte running on foot on the roadway while being repaired, like Christopher Froome a few years ago at the top of Ventoux. “I struggled alone until Arenberg and, just when I was getting back to the peloton, when I had found Wout and was finally concentrating on the race, my gears started to stop working, I had all right,” explained the 29-year-old runner after his retirement. It was ultimately his teammate Wout Van Aert who did best among the big favorites, settling the small leading group just behind Dylan Van Baarle, sensation of the 2022 edition.