The Zertz inserts in the carbon fork aren't quite as radical as the Rock Shox Ruby suspension forks that showed up in Paris-Roubaix during the mid-'90s, but it takes vibration damping to a higher level than most other companies are willing to go. Even with the Zertz inserts, double wrapped handlebars are the norm, helping keep the riders hands from taking too much abuse.

Just like the fork, the Roubaix's seat stays have Zertz inserts. Being able to power through the cobbles while seated without bouncing around is crucial to success in the 260 kilometer race. A longer wheelbase (approximately 1.5cm longer for a size 56cm frame) than the Specialized Tarmac, along with the Zertz inserts make the Roubaix one of the smoothest and most stable bikes in Sunday's race.

Saxo Bank are one of the few teams that will have all their riders using carbon wheels come Sunday. Zipp 404's are a proven wheel on the cobbles, and their aerodynamics definitely wouldn't hurt a solo bid for the win.

You're not going to find a carbon handlebar or stem on the Roubaix. This weekend is an all aluminum affair with FSA traditional bend handlebars and a Specialized stem. Saxo Bank is also sporting the recently released SRAM Red Black edition components.

Specialized FACT cranks have SRM power meters to capture every pedal stroke of data from the race. Most of the riders will run a 53 tooth outer chainring and between 42-46 tooth inner ring. Although the riders will be in the outer chainring just about the entire race, having an inner ring with minimal size difference helps the rider keep momentum if the chain slips down from the outer ring during a rough section of the race. 

 

FMB 27c tubular tires that have been stamped with a Specialized logo are mounted on Zipp 404's. These super-wide tires were ridden to victory last year by Cancellara and are a favorite of a lot of the teams in the race. Having a wide tire is essential for traction and rider comfort over the cobbles. These tires are run with as little as 65-psi.

Water bottle cages are something we don't think about that often, that is, until you sprint into a cobble section at 30+ mph and watch your water bottles eject from them. Having cages that don't give up the bottles accidentally will be critical for Sunday's forecasted warm, dry and dusty race.

A chat with the former Tour de France champion and owner of Team Saxo Bank-SunGard.

Bjarne: Of course it's different this year, if you have Fabian [Cancellara] on the team then you're a favorite to win. When he's not on the team and you want to win, then obviously you need to beat him. Every race is different and I think the best thing is to make your own race and see what you have in your hand and then get the best out of that. You know you have to beat all the other teams if you want to win. You look at your own team and see how strong you are, and then look at the other teams and figure out how to play your cards in order to get the best possible result. After that, you just have to pedal hard and have some good luck.

Bjarne: Paris-Roubaix is a special race because it has so many stones; the bike needs to be a compromise of being comfortable and being able to go fast. The way you go fast on the stones is by not breaking anything and no flat tires. But, with very few stones in the last 20 kilometers it's important to have a bike that can go fast outside of the stones. The frame is important but it's not the most important. I think the wheels and tires make the biggest difference in the race. It's easy to get the right equipment when you have a company like Specialized behind you, they're always innovating. 

Bjarne: After a lot of riders going away from the team, people said, "they are not that strong anymore, all they have is Contador". I said fine, let's start building on what we have. We changed a few things and really worked on the team that we've been building for the past ten years now. This winter I realized that nothing has changed, people come and go but the team is still the same. We work together, we fight together, we motivate together. I think this is very important. 

RBA: A lot of people were surprised when Nick Nuyens (Saxo Bank) beat Fabian Cancellara and Sylvain Chavanel in a sprint to win the Tour of Flanders, were you?

Bjarne: Many people are surprised that he's winning again, back to being a star. Everybody asks, "why all of a sudden"? Sometimes it's just the small things that actually make the biggest difference. Maybe we pushed the right buttons. This is cycling, it's all the small details. We supported him on the team and made a team around him. We made some changes to his training and I made changes to his position, small details. We did a bike fit and he looked like he was in a good position but I decided to shorten his crank arms 2.5 mm since he has short legs; it made a huge difference. He immediately gained 15 watts!