SD Worx has two potential winners in Saturday's Paris-Roubaix Femme, Lotte Kopecký and Chantal van den Broeck-Blaak. Kopecký has already scored top-class victories in Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders, and said a win in the second edition of the northern hellhole would be a bonus.

"I'm relaxed," Kopecký said when asked how he feels ahead of Paris-Roubaix. 'If I'm in a situation where I can win a race, I'm not going to pass up that opportunity. I'd like to add Paris-Roubaix to my list one day, but it doesn't have to be this year. Winning the Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche has taken the pressure off. Of course, I still have goals for this year, but everything that comes with it is a bonus. I feel very good."

Kopecký, like Vandenbroucke-Blake, is marked as one of the favorites to win the cobbled trophy, but the two face a formidable challenge from the other favorites, Emma Norsgaard (Movistar), Elisa Longo-Borghini and world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek Segafredo), Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ), Marta Cavalli (FDL Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM).

Missing from the start line in Dunant were defending champion Lizzie Deignan, who is currently on maternity leave, and Marianne Vos, last year's runner-up.

Kopecký was asked if she was concerned that she was the favorite to win the race, and she replied, "No, I am not. I hardly feel any pressure from Paris-Roubaix. My view of Paris-Roubaix has changed. Before, I used to get too nervous right before the race and it would drain my energy. This year was the first time I was this relaxed before the Tour of Flanders. With success."

The route will not include the men's famous Tourouet d'Arenberg, but the women's race will be 124 km, slightly longer than the 115 km in 2021. As for the cobblestones, the women's peloton will tackle 29.2 km in 17 sectors. There are two 5-star difficulty levels: Mont-en-Pevere, with 49 km to go, and Carrefour de l'Arbre, with 17 km to go before the Vélodrome in Roubaix. Kopecký cautioned, however, that the wind could affect the outcome of the race.

"It will be a very tough race," Kopecky predicted. 'We've already looked at the wind direction and it's going to be against us. It will be very nervous going into the first cobblestones and then the finish. I think a lot of teams will try to put a strong rider in the early breakaway. Last year, Lizzie Deignan showed us that this is possible, but that time the tailwind was blowing at an angle."

Indeed, Deignan was crowned champion of the first Paris-Roubaix Femme last fall after an 82-km solo breakaway. She attacked on the first cobblestone section, Hornan a Wandigny.

Asked what the Paris-Roubaix win meant for her and SD Works, Kopecky replied, "I'm very happy with the way it went. It's a constant battle to get the best position heading into Pavé. If you get crosswinds on the cobblestone sections, it can be really bad. Then there is no hiding. This race is for those who keep going and are mentally strong."

"In Paris-Roubaix, you never give up. You never know what kind of bad luck the leaders will suffer, whether it be a flat tire or a crash. You need a lot of luck to win this race. But despite the unpredictability of the race, it is unlikely that there will be any winners who are not well-known. My happy moment will be at the Velodrome on Saturday when someone from Team SD Works is showing off the cobbled trophy."