Paris to Roubaix predictions and cycling betting tips:

Free cycling betting tips, best bets and analysis for Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1, 9.45am Sunday

Best bet

Dylan van Baarle
1pt each-way 25-1 BoyleSports

Race preview

After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and a further postponement from its usual April slot this year, Paris-Roubaix finally returns on Sunday.

And the 118th edition of the 'Hell of the North' is likely to live up to its moniker after a filthy week of rain in northern France and the prospect of even more on Sunday.

The peloton will tackle 257.7km on Sunday but it is the 55km of cobbles spread across 30 sectors which could be the defining factors.

Considering the terrain and some of the off-road sections more akin to quagmires, it is no surprise that former cyclocross stars Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel head the betting.

However, the attrition of a long season appeared to have caught up with Van Aert at last week's World Championships, while Van der Poel may still be feeling the effects of the back injury he suffered in the mountain bike race at the Olympics.

That makes the race wide open and Ineos could have a real contender in Dylan van Baarle, who has become a key part of their Grand Tour plans but is primarily a Classics rider.

Van Baarle was second at the Worlds and his one-day record this year is outstanding. He won Dwars door Vlaanderen and has also finished in the top ten at Gent-Wevelgem, E3 Harelbeke and most impressively, the Tour of Flanders.

The 29-year-old's Paris-Roubaix record is decent if not impressive with three top-20s but his showings this season suggest he is getting stronger all the time.

With doubts over the favourites, searching for value may not be a bad idea and it could be Van Baarle who crosses the finish line first at the famous Roubaix velodrome.

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