The three ARKEA-B&B HOTELS teams take on Roubaix

NewsApr 10, 2025

World Team TeamDevelopment TeamParis-Roubaix

Four years after his last appearance in the ‘Enfer du Nord’, Arnaud Démare is back on the cobbles on Sunday. Marjolein van't Geloof talks enthusiastically about Paris-Roubaix, her favourite classic, while Emmanuel Houcou, our Martinique sprinter, will be hitting the cobbles for the very first time on Sunday.

Arnaud Démare

It's a return to Paris - Roubaix for me. I last took part in October 2021, the race having been moved to that date because of the Covid pandemic. It's a pleasure to be back, especially as I'm in good physical condition. I haven't had much success in the classics so far, but I finished the Tour of Flanders with confidence. Paris - Roubaix should suit me better, but that's also the case for the ARKEA - B&B HOTELS team. It's a race where I've suffered a lot in the past but where I've scored a top 10 finish (6th in 2017). I know where I'm going. It's going to be difficult, that's for sure. You need to be successful and have a good day. Against the big specialists, we're likely to be fighting for second places, but a top 10 or top 15 finish is still a possibility. We'll have to enjoy ourselves. I'm from Beauvais in Picardy. The start is in Compiègne, so it's still a local race and I'll have plenty of people to support me on the roadside.

Sébastien Hinault

Sportif director

Jenthe Biermans joins the group for Paris - Roubaix. With the presence of Luca Mozzato and Arnaud Démare, we'll have three experienced riders to support three young riders, Léandre Lozouet, Giosue Epis and Pierre Thierry, who took part in their first Monument in the Tour of Flanders. On Paris - Roubaix, we always see surprises and unexpected scenarios. There's always a chance of going for something. The Van der Poel - Pogacar duel could also open up some possibilities. Behind them, if we go on the offensive, there will be opportunities to seize. At the Tour of Flanders, our young riders were able to ‘get rid’ of their fear by finishing a major event on the calendar. If we want to put in a good performance, we need to build on the confidence we gained in Belgium.

Marjolein van't Geloof

Paris-Roubaix is a historic race in cycling, and it's a very good thing that it was opened up to girls five years ago now. In just a few seasons, it has become one of the major classics on the women's calendar. And for me it's one of my favourite races, it's really an important event for me. I've been focusing on it for a long time, and it's a beautiful race because it's so elusive. You can prepare as well as you like, and be 100% fit on the big day, but you also need success, and sometimes luck, to be able to shine in this event. The simplest thing is to prepare as well as you can, to have the best possible equipment, which is the case with the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, and to be in the best possible shape. And to embark on the adventure that is Paris-Roubaix with motivation and desire, because these are also the keys to success. I want to be in the front group, and if I'm there at the finish, I want to be able to get a result. But to do that, I know I'll have to be ‘full gas’ for the whole race.

Grégoire Le Calvé

Sports Director

Paris-Roubaix is a great classic for women. The first part of the race has no cobbled sections, and then the women riders will tackle 17 cobbled sectors, virtually the same as the men. It's a race of elimination from the back sector after sector, and the cobbles are a compressor for the women riders. We're lining up with a good group, who are confident following their good results at the start of the season, in particular Majorquin's recent fourth place in Ghent-Wevelgem. She'll be surrounded by Maurène, Amandine and Emilia. We're going to try to be there, to race at the front on the first cobbled sections, and if the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS riders are there at the front, we'll seize the opportunities that come our way to try and get a result.

Emmanuel Houcou

Paris-Roubaix is one of the greatest classics and one of the finest one-day races on the calendar of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS continental development team. We'll be keen to perform well in the Enfer du Nord Espoirs with the Excalibur jersey. This will be my very first Paris-Roubaix, and I want to show that this type of classics can suit me, and that in the future, along with the sprint, they will be my field of expression. The red and black team will be strong on Sunday, with riders like Nicolas Milesi and Axel Bouquet. And I think that all of us together will have what it takes to do great things in this 2025 edition of Paris-Roubaix Espoirs.

Léonard Cosnier

Directeur sportif

Paris-Roubaix Espoirs is one of the finest classics on the international calendar. You only have to look at the start list, both in terms of colours and teams, to realise that. This is an important objective for the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS continental development team. The team is in good shape and this race has been well prepared. Unfortunately, we lost Baptiste Gillet in a fall last week during the Route Adélie, and my thoughts are with him. Emmanuel Houcou and Nicolas Milesi will be key additions to the team. Paris-Roubaix remains an open race, even if we've prepared it well. We're also often dependent on the race conditions. We'll see what the weather conditions are like on the day, depending on the weather and whether Paris-Roubaix is contested on dry or wet cobbles.

Our latest news

Kevin Vauquelin makes it a double
Race reportApr 11, 2025
World Team TeamRégion Pays de la Loire Tour
Ewen Costiou third in stage 3
NewsApr 10, 2025
World Team TeamRégion Pays de la Loire Tour
Victor Guernalec opens his counter
NewsApr 9, 2025
World Team TeamRégion Pays de la Loire Tour
Clément Venturini and Jenthe Biermans in the top 10
Race reportApr 4, 2025
World Team TeamRoute Adélie de Vitré

All news