The starting line for Paris-Roubaix in Compiègne was filled with a low-key but tense atmosphere on Sunday morning.

Training, reconnaissance rides, decisions on bike technique, and discussions about chicanes and cobblestones were all over. All that remained was the intense 259.7km ride, arguably the most dramatic race of the men's season.

Team buses began arriving 90 minutes before the 10:00 a.m. departure, and athletes and teams were glad that the rain that had been falling all night had stopped. There was little wind and the spring sun was drying the cobblestones. The riders had to be prepared for all eventualities, including a mix of wet and dry cobblestones in the same section.

The teams placed their bikes in front of the bus to reveal their final equipment decisions. Most teams chose road bikes with 32 tubeless tires. This was because aerodynamics and speed were more important than comfort. Only Israel Premier Tech opted for an aero gravel bike and a Factor Ostrogravel.

Chainrings increasingly favored 1x chainrings, with Josh Tarling choosing a 62-tooth 1x chainring for time trial power on cobblestones.

Teams signed up in a specific order, with minor teams taking the stage early and Mathieu van der Pol (Alpecin Deceuninck) taking the last stage a few minutes before rollout. They answered the last questions from the TV and media and made their way through the VIP tent to the start line.

Tom Pidock's late start was the talk of the 24 hours, but the Ineos Grenadiers riders were eager to race. There were three non-starters: Mikhail Morkov (Astana Kazakhstan), Michael Vink (UAE Team Emirates), and most impressively, Dylan van Baarle (Vimalies a Bike).

The 2022 Paris-Roubaix winner is struggling to recover from an illness that interrupted his Flanders Classics campaign. Wout Van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson are sidelined, Visma-Ries-a-Bike's Classics ambitions are devastated, and Christophe Laporte is the protected leader despite not having raced since Milan-San Remo due to illness and saddle pain.

Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-Easy Post) was also ill, but has recovered, according to Cycling News. Bettiol, a native of Tuscany, is determined to give his all in the last race of the spring before going into rest and preparing for the Tour de France, which will start in Florence, near his home in the Chianti hills.

"I'm here and this is my last race.

Van der Pol was escorted to the front of the peloton two minutes before the start. The riders exchanged nervous guts, checked their power meters and tire pressures, and mentally prepared themselves for six hours of suffering.

At 11:10, the speakers counted down the seconds to the start, and the crowd cheered on the racers as they raced off into the northern hell.

"It took a little longer than expected, but I recovered well from the Tour de Flanders. In any case, I had a good training in Spain and I hope to get my Flanders legs back. Winning the rainbow jersey was already a big goal and I had a bit of a breakaway afterwards, but I was able to stop that right away. But I still don't know what kind of feeling I will have on the first cobblestone section.

"I've been put in similar situations a few times this spring, and each time I've controlled it well. I just stay in front of them and wait for them to attack in front of Allenberg."

"In any case, my race only starts there. In any case, my race can only start there.

"Honestly, I'm fine. I still have a little bruising on my lower back, but as soon as I saw that it wasn't serious, I thought, 'Okay, I'm going to do it. I started training again, and I thought, 'I want to go to Roubaix.'"

"I haven't done a recon and I haven't raced on this road for four or five years. That certainly helps, but I'm looking forward to getting into the last part of the race anyway. Anyone can be a victim of mechanics or crashes. So I have to conquer the track before I can win the race

"I'm not here to tell you how to beat Van der Pol. We're on the edge and I'm here to have fun. If you enjoy it, you can get the most out of yourself. He might get a flat tire or crash, too, or he might finish the race in the first 100 kilometers.

"I feel good and I want to do my race without mistakes. That's my main goal. I think we have a good team, so I want to make the most of our chances as a team."

"I think they built it [the chicane] with our safety in mind. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it was built with that in mind and everything built with that in mind is good for us."

"I'm excited, it's a special day because it's one of those really special races that I look forward to all year. What do you expect from yourself and your team today?

"We are not the favorites to win, so we need to let the other teams do the bulk of the work and find our own moments up front.

"I try to look at [outside pressure] as a positive. We've won a lot of championships in the past, so the expectations are high. We're in a bit of a lull right now, but we're doing everything we can to get out of it.

"Allenberg has a chicane, so you have to accelerate in the sectors, which will be difficult. I think the splits will be much bigger. Every year for the past few years I have crashed in the first 200 meters because of the speed. It would be nice to have something done before something seriously bad happens."

"It might be a little damp out there, but it dries out faster than most roads. At least, that's what I tell myself on the bus. I'm excited though

"After Flanders I think I have to forget that experience. The last 60km was painful and not where I wanted to be. In the past I have had bad luck here and it is difficult to have a smooth race here. But hopefully we can have a smoother race than in the past and get something good out of today

"[The chicane] is causing a lot of talk and a lot of people are worried and talking about it. But honestly, I think the race has exploded beforehand in the previous sectors."

"There is no doubt that it will be interesting and that Allenberg will be savage. There won't be any big crashes at the hairpins or chicanes.

"You never know what will happen today. You can't control your own destiny, so that's a bit stressful. But I'm feeling great, so I'm looking forward to it. I've learned over the years that it's better not to worry about things I can't control."

"A top-five finish is realistic, and I'll do everything I can to get there. But it's one of those days where you don't know what's going to happen ten times.

"It's going to be super hard and crazy, and it's going to be a battle before the first cobbled sector.

"It's been a long season since Australia and we've kept a good level since then. After this I'm going to take some time off. Looking back, I am very happy with the result. I can't complain

"I think we are racing to win. Of course, you go into a race like this with the goal of winning. Stéphane has done well and I hope I can do the same in the end, hopefully in the top 10, but hopefully with someone from the team."

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