UCI President David Lapartient should focus on rider safety before considering changing the Spring Classics to October, said Jasper Steiven, who is aiming for Paris-Roubaix this weekend with Trek-Segafredo teammate Mats Pedersen ...

Stuyven claimed that "the weather could get worse" in Paris-Roubaix, which is already a dangerous race.

"I watched the Tour of Turkey today, and Lapartiento claims to always be concerned about the safety of our riders.

"I'm not saying it shouldn't happen again, but doing something like this only makes next year's ad video that much nicer."

Mads Pedersen similarly criticized the proposal to move the race, which was postponed last season due to the COVID-19 epidemic and held in October for the first time.

"If you move the monument to the Spring Classic," Pedersen suggested, "there will no longer be a Classic.

"Why not move the other races instead of the Classic? The Basque race could be at the end of the season. So for me, it would be a shame if that is the decision," he added.

Lapartiento made this comment in an interview with Wieler Fritz, congratulating his new position on the schedule as "one of the most heroic Lanfert du Nord in history." Other players and team managers have expressed opposition to the idea.

Stuyven and Pedersen preferred to talk about Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, and the growing tension and excitement was clearly evident in their answers to questions.

Pedersen, a former world champion, has had success early in the season and has so far achieved solid results in the cobbled classics. He believes in his chances.

"I'm in good shape. I believe I can be part of the championship contenders on Sunday."

Pedersen said of the weather: "I don't like 20 degrees and on Sunday it's going to be 17 to 18 degrees. So definitely 8 degrees would have been better. But at least it's not 30 degrees."

Stuyven added. Stuyven added: "We know that Sunday is the race that fits us best. So we race to win on Sunday."

While there have been sightings of a new cobblestone-specific bike from Trek (possibly the next generation of the Trek Domane), Pedersen and Stuyven explained that they could not comment on which bike they would be riding this weekend.