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Frederik Frison looking forward to Paris-Roubaix
Frederik Frison sadly had to miss most of the classics, just like he did last year but he is back in time for Paris-Roubaix. He looks back at the past weeks watching cycling on his couch and looks forward to Sunday’s race.
11 April 2025.
“I think I caught the flu in Ruta del Sol,” he reflects. “But it was only after my crash in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad that it really started to break through. The body was weakened by that crash and then it hit me. It had been twelve years since I had flu and this time it was followed by a bacterial lung infection keeping me off the bike for weeks and out of my favourite races for the second year. I watched the team from the couch which wasn’t easy, but it was great to see how hard everyone worked. Now I get to be part of the team again and that feels good. I can’t wait.”
Frison already started Scheldeprijs on Wednesday contributing to the third place of Matteo Moschetti. It was his first race day in over a month.
"I watched the team from the couch which wasn’t easy,"
“It took some getting used to the racing,” he explains. “I did feel those first real efforts in the race, but I felt better towards the end of the race. That’s where the engine started kicking in. It’s a good sign you feel better towards the end of the race. It means this period of illness is now behind me. It wasn’t easy to miss out, but I was happy with the support of the sports directors and my trainer Théo Ouvrard. They already knew my level was really good in Alula Tour and Ruta del Sol and that I would come back strong.”
Scheldeprijs and especially Paris-Roubaix were always on his mind in those hard days of recovery. It’s his sixth participation. The first time in the Hell of the North was in 2016, nine years ago, when he was just 23. Paradoxically, he holds the best memories of a year where he suffered the most himself.
“It was the wet edition of 2021,” Frederik looks back. “I had two flat tyres and was far behind the actual race, but Paris-Roubaix is a race you want to finish. Entering that velodrome is something magical. When I did arrive there in 2021, with about a minute to spare before the time cut, I saw that my good friend Florian Vermeersch finished in second place. That truly made my day.”
This Sunday the weather predictions show some rain and quite a strong tailwind. The race will be fast and hard, Frison thinks.
“It will be another edition to remember, like Roubaix always is. It’s the most special of the monuments. It’s such an honest race. The race is always man against man. Bad luck plays a role, but I would like to think I had my share of that by now,” he smiles.
“It’s also a race that suits me well and that is a bonus. I hope to have a good day on Sunday and to be part of the race. One thing is for sure: the rider winning Roubaix never stole it. The winner of this race always truly earned the big prize.”
Next up for Frison is the Ronde van Limburg, not far from his home in Geel. He is also on the long list for the Giro d’Italia.
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team line-up: Frederik Frison, Marcel Camprubí, Jannik Steimle, Rory Townsend, Joey Pidcock, Matteo Moschetti and Giacomo Nizzolo.
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