Red Bull - Bora - hansgroghe goes retro with tubular-era tyre hack for Paris-Roubaix

Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe raised eyebrows at Paris-Roubaix by reportedly employing a 'tubular-era tyre hack' on their Specialized bikes. The team, featuring riders like Nils Politt, apparently ran inner tubes inside their tubeless tyres, a strategy aimed at providing a double layer of puncture protection on the brutal cobbled sectors. While the exact setup details remain somewhat opaque, the implication is a deliberate deviation from standard tubeless protocol in pursuit of reliability.

This unconventional approach highlights the perennial quest for puncture resistance on the Hell of the North, a race notorious for its tyre-shredding pavé. While tubeless technology has largely superseded tubulars in professional road racing, the unique demands of Roubaix often see teams experimenting with pressures, inserts, and now, seemingly, hybrid solutions. It speaks to the high stakes and the fine margins at play, where a single flat can derail a meticulously planned campaign, forcing teams to reconsider established wisdom.

Ultimately, this 'hack' underscores that even with cutting-edge technology, the fundamental challenge of Roubaix remains unchanged: simply getting to the velodrome with air in your tyres. Some traditions, it seems, die harder than others.