On Sunday, in Compiègne, Lewis Askey will be competing in the Hell of the North for the fourth time as a professional. In love with the race since his early years, and winner of the junior edition in 2018, the British rider shared with us a little of his passion for the Queen of the Classics. It also came as an opportunity for him to reflect on a solid start to the season, which he would like to cap off in style in the Roubaix velodrome.
Lewis, how are you feeling approaching Paris-Roubaix?
Physically speaking, I have to say I’m towards the end of my peak form. I’ve had a very busy start to the season, starting in Australia, and I even went there beforehand to train in the heat. I also got sick after Milan-San Remo, and that kind of stopped my momentum. I also had a stuffy nose and a slight cough after Flanders, but I certainly didn’t lose all my fitness in a week! Mentally, I’m 100% ready because it’s the best race of the year for me. My whole family is already there to support me, so I obviously want to do well. Last year, I didn’t feel great before the race either, but I was still very useful to the team. It’s probably the race that suits me the most in the calendar, with positioning, technique on the cobbles, short efforts, and little climbing. I’m looking forward to it.
“From the moment we have the briefing, my heart starts racing”
Do you feel the pressure increasing day by day?
Of course, but it’s not something that stresses me out all week, like it did when I was younger. For me, it’s from the moment we have the briefing, on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, that my heart starts racing. That’s when I feel the difference compared to other races. As soon as we talk about what we’re going to do, I get completely into the race, and the excitement rises instantly. The rest of the week, I’m pretty relaxed. I’m more focused on what I have to do at home, on recovery, training, nutrition…
Do you think a lot about the race during the week?
Not really. Actually, it mostly depends on your role. I know that I’ll theoretically be Stefan’s last teammate, so I don’t need to think about the final all week like he does. If the team would have told me that I had to fight for the win, I’d have had to think about this, that, about my position at that point, about how to approach the last twenty kilometers… In this case, I know exactly what my role is this weekend, so I try not to think too much about the race, in order to be fresh mentally at the start.
Why is it your favorite race?
For two reasons. The first one is the crowd. Together with the Tour of Flanders, this is the race with the most people on the side of the road. When I see all that crowd, I immediately get excited and super motivated. The second reason is the fact that it’s so awful. Actually, that’s why we love it. It’s a race for warriors. Everyone is happy to compete in it, to finish it, because everyone knows it’s something crazy. And then, there’s the whole story behind it. This race is hell, something humans weren’t meant to do, but that’s precisely why everyone loves racing it once a year. It’s unlike any other. Its exclusivity is its beauty. It’s horrible, it’s pure fight, and that’s why it’s great.
“It’s the race I dream about”
Is this the race you think about in training?
I would say no. It’s the race I dream about, but the races I train for are the ones I was aiming for at the beginning of the year, where I knew I’d have my chance. Paris-Roubaix is a dream, but that doesn’t change my way of training. On the other hand, when I think about the races where I can aim for a big result, it’s easier to go deeper in training.
Do you have favorite sectors and others you hate?
There aren’t really any sections I love… Among the toughest, I still prefer the Carrefour de l’Arbre because there are so many people, and especially because you know it’s the last really hard one. You know it’s almost over, that liberation is just around the corner, and there’s a great atmosphere. I don’t like the one I crashed on in 2022 at all. I can recognize it when I’m there, but I can’t remember the names of the Paris-Roubaix sectors (smiles). The Trouée d’Arenberg is also something that stands above all the rest. Every year, you think that it’s impossible for it to hit that hard and for your bike to come out in one piece.
Would you prefer it wet or dry?
If I’m honest, it’s probably better for me if it rains, because I’d be more comfortable than the others. But that being said, it’s not something I wish for. If you get through it without crashing, it’s great in the rain, but it’s still too unpredictable. I’m confident in my abilities, but the guys around me also need to stay on their bike. Your destiny isn’t in your own hands, and I don’t like that.
“Stefan has the legs to do something great”
How do you see your role on Sunday?
It’s always difficult to know, because some years, the pace is super-fast early on, and other years, it opens up later. If it’s possible for me to not have to sacrifice myself until late in the race, that would be better. If we find ourselves in a group of 15-20 with Stefan, I’d like to be able to take a weight off his mind, so he doesn’t have to push too hard before the key moments. It would be up to me to follow the moves between the sectors so that he could sit in the wheels. Stefan is getting better with each race, so I think if we do a good job for him, he has the legs to do something great. We always start to win, but I think if we manage to get on the podium, it would be a great weekend for everyone.
Do you aim to be a contender in this race one day?
Of course. If I could only win one race only, it would be Paris-Roubaix. I’d like, at some point in my career, to be the leader and be able to compete for victory a few times in this race. Right now, Stefan is a really good card for us, and if I’m in the final with him, that’s already super motivating for me. That said, you also need a certain level to fight for victory. I’m getting better and better every year, and I also hope that at some point, the current best riders will no longer be at the same level, even if only by a few percentages. If I continue to improve, the gap will inevitably reduce. I don’t know if it’s doable, but I’ll definitely keep working for it.
Your start to the season has been busy and solid. Are you satisfied with it?
I’m happy that I was always there, that I had my chance, but I think I didn’t get the results my legs could have allowed me to achieve. For that reason, I’m a bit disappointed. In some races, I had the opportunity to do great things, but the stars weren’t aligned. I’m happy with my form, with what I managed to do, but I think there’s still room for improvement, and that also motivates me for the future.
“On the Omloop, I never felt like I was struggling”
What are your regrets?
In the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, I felt I had a good sprint in my legs, but I was boxed in behind three riders. If they had decided to go a little to the right or left, and the door had opened, I would have really sprinted for the win. It’s the biggest frustration of my season so far. I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to really make the most of my form. It was a real shame. The second missed opportunity was the Grand Prix de Denain. I had good legs again, and finished second in the second group sprint, but we didn’t have our best race as a team that day. I made a few mistakes, I had a bit of bad luck, and I wasn’t in the winning group.
What are you most satisfied with in this start to the season?
Two races come to my mind. First: the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The level of the field was quite good, it was hard, in the heat, and I came over the toughest part of the course with the best. I surprised myself, and it proved to me that I really had what it took. It gave me confidence, even though the heat caught up with me in the final kilometres. The second race was paradoxically the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, because I spent the whole day in the top 10-15 positions of the bunch, and I never felt like I was struggling. I was always in the mix, always up there. Even when Stefan attacked, I could cover him. I wasn’t suffering. Physically, I’m happy with what I showed during these two days.
How do you assess your evolution in the Classics’ group since your first campaign in 2022?
As I said before, I’m improving every year, little by little, and that’s the most important thing for me. As a consequence, my role in the team is becoming more and more important, and I have to go further and further to help Stefan. If I can follow the moves in the final, like on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, it also allows him to give it a go, which might be less easy if he were by himself in a group of fifteen or twenty. If I’m in the form I was at the start of the year, I think I’m someone the team can really count on when there aren’t many riders left in the pointy end of races.
“I’d like to maintain this level throughout the Classics campaign”
Are you getting close to the level you’d like to reach?
If we go back to the Omloop example, that’s really what I aim for. I was really into the race. I was a protagonist, not just a rider who started. I was someone whose presence could impact the race. So I think I’m getting close to the level I’d like to reach. Last year, I was already in this position a few times, but let’s just say it was easier to be there this year, which also means I could be active once in front. Even if I don’t get much stronger, I’d at least like to be able to maintain this level throughout the Classics period.
Do you still need to channel your energy in racing? Is it something you’re working on?
Yes and no. Maybe not everyone will agree, but I’ve noticed that it’s something that allows me to perform. When I’m a little excited, follow the moves, and really feel involved in the race, it helps me, even if I lose a little energy in the process. Sometimes, when I race more conservatively, I feel like I’m not really into it. That said, it’s also true that this approach helped me on Le Samyn, for example. I wanted to follow everything, but the team did a great job and told me to really stay calm until the end because I had to sprint. A while ago, I might not have been able to stay calm. This time, I did and finished fifth. So I’ve improved in that respect, but I still need to keep that touch of instinct. Because that’s also why I enjoy racing, and I think it’s important to find the right balance.
“My life will be so much easier once I win a race”
We know you’re still looking for your first pro win. Does that obsess you?
My life will be so much easier once I win a race… That’s just how it is. There’s nothing I can do about it, except be in good shape when I’m given the chance, seize opportunities, and give it my all. I think I’m good enough to get one. If I continue on this path, it’s bound to happen.
Do you manage to maintain peace of mind about that?
Actually, I like the pressure. Even though it can be uncomfortable, it’s something that drives me. When things are really tough in racing, if I’m under that pressure, I’m more likely to do things well because there’s a reason why I’m doing them. Everyone’s counting on me, and that actually helps me. In Le Samyn, for example, I almost crashed before the last cobbled sector, and that really cost me a lot of positions. We’re talking small percentages, but if I hadn’t had the pressure of winning, I would have maybe fought less to get back into position. If the team is counting on me, I can’t give up.
