EXCLUSIVE There are few sporting teams that embrace their local identity quite like Van Rysel-Roubaix, and Daily Star Sport took the trip to Northern France to find out more
It’s cold, really cold.
The snow that had left the UK snuggled under a white blanket has reached out with its icy fingers and touched Northern France.
The towns and cities east of Lille, which kiss the Belgian border and fade into the Flemish countryside, have been left under a sheet of ice. It’s on these roads – that have been left unusable in the winter conditions – that some of cycling’s most famous chapters have played out.
There isn’t a more famous one-day race in the sport than Paris-Roubaix – and it’s in Roubaix where Daily Star Sport have found themselves.
“It’s a beautiful name, to have on our jersey, Roubaix has such a big history that everybody knows about,” Rait Arm told Daily Star Sport. Arm had just presented to the media alongside his Van Rysel-Roubaix team-mates.
Roubaix, itself, was once a hub for wool production but as technology advanced the industry collapsed. It was then famous for its swimming pool – La Piscine de Roubaix – which, in 2001, was turned into a museum celebrating the city’s history.
It’s in the former swimming pool’s main hall that Van Rysel-Roubaix was presented to the public. Unlike any other professional cycling team, Van Rysel-Roubaix has a connection to the local community.
Van Rysel dips into Flemish culture – it literally translates to “From Lille” in English, while the tam also boast the name of the famous city. “This is the reason for creating Van Rysel. Flanders: It’s in our DNA,” Jeremie Debeuf, Van Rysel’s Product Manager added.
“We’re all passionate about cycling, we all dreamed when we were young, sitting in front of a television, about racing Paris-Roubaix, Ronde van Vlaanderen, and other famous races.”
Van Rysel’s marketing has seen them taking their famed bike – the RCR Pro – on some of the most famous Flandrien bergs. The cobbled climbs of Ronde van Vlaanderen are 30km away, and the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are even closer.
Debeuf added: “When Nicolas Pierron launched Van Rysel, six years ago now, it was the spirit he wanted to give to the brand. He wanted to say ‘OK, we’re in Lille, based in Flanders, and the most iconic races in the world are only 30km away.
“It has to be in our DNA, this is pure cycling, tough cycling, cycling for the people.”
And that DNA can be seen in the Van Rysel-Roubaix team. A third-tier French side that boasts the iconic stained glass window of the La Piscine de Roubaix on the back of their jersey.
“I feel that cycling in this area you have to be tough,” Daniel Arnes, who has just signed for the team told Daily Star Sport. And it [Van Rysel’s culture] embodies the spirit of being hard, the determination it takes to go through tough times.
“Because it’s not always easy with the weather here and the cobblestones – so I think it embodies that!”
Cycling in this small corner of the world isn’t merely a sport – it’s a religion. The week that separates the Ronde and Roubaix is known as ‘Holy Week’ – Van Rysel-Roubaix one day hope to grace the famous cobblestones.
However, Van Rysel-Roubaix will have to move up to at least being a second-division team for that dream to become a reality. In the meantime, they hope to boost their profile in France, China and over here in the UK.
“A bit of Flanders in every house: that’s our dream,” Debeuf joked. And, in September, Van Rysel-Roubaix will take to the roads of the UK in the Tour of Britain.
Sprinkling a bit of Flanders on our roads.