This Sunday, the World Tour take on the Hell of the North AKA Paris-Roubaix, on a route that totals over 256km and includes 29 sections of cobblestone which cover over 54kms! This is one of cycling’s most notorious races, famous for leaving riders and bikes literally in pieces, and last year’s edition was no exception.
INEOS Grenadiers rider Dylan van Baarle tamed the cobbles and while many fell around him, he held out to be crowed the victor. Van Baarle’s win was huge for him and the team, but it was also a huge win for tubeless. With the switch from tubular to tubeless being a slow steady one over the past 3-4 years, Paris-Roubaix 2022 was a defining moment for the tubeless revolution. Van Baarle ran a Muc-Off tubeless set-up at the race, and it’s no surprise why. Lightweight and with improved rolling resistance and greater speed in the corners as well as fewer punctures, running on sealant is a no-brainer, particularly for the punishing terrain the Hell of the North is famed for.
This is a point which was proved by van Baarle who watched as competitors Matej Mohorič, Florian Vermeersch, Christophe Laporte, Davide Ballerini, and Wout van Aert - the majority of which were riding with either clinchers or tubular tyres - all suffered punctures which cost them time and destroyed their chances of taking home that cobblestone trophy. The combination of Van Baarle’s talent and INEOS Grenadiers’ strategy is what won the race that day, but it was the Muc-Off tubeless set up that kept the bike moving across the gnarliest of courses.
Paris–Roubaix wasn’t the only race where No Puncture Hassle Sealant has nudged INEOS Grenadiers to the finish line. Team rider (and hour record holder) Filippo Ganna suffered a puncture during the TT at the Giro d’Italia back in 2021, with the sealant plugging the hole instantly allowing the Italian to finish the stage without losing time. More recently, Tom Pidcock became the first male British rider in history to win Strade Bianche last month, with his Muc-Off tubeless set up affording him lower tyre pressures, helping to prevent puncturing on those iconic Tuscan gravel roads.
Whether it’s supporting riders to victories at the top of the sport, or making your Sunday morning blast more hassle-free, converting a road bike to a tubeless set up is the best way to ride uninterrupted. Still not convinced? We’ll leave you with this from INEOS Grenadiers Head Mechanic Diego Costa, who says:
"The swap from tubular and clincher tubes to tubeless is for me one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent years. The benefits riders get from comfort, how quick it is to replace, and the successes we’ve had finishing races without having to change wheels thanks to sealant make tubeless a game changing innovation."
Check out our new Tubeless and Puncture Protection Hub and join the tubeless revolution today.
