Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) has adopted a new bike position and new tyre technology as he looks to add a third Monument to his palmarès on Sunday at Paris-Roubaix. Kristoff`s best result at `The Hell of the North` is a ninth-place finish in 2013, with a 10th-place finish two years later. Since 2013, Kristoff has won Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and not finished outside of the top 10 in the four world championship road races he has competed in, showcasing his ability in long and hard races of attrition. For 2019, UAE Team Emirates brought in respected directeur sportif Allan Peiper, who prescribed Kristoff with extra cobbles-training in January. Alongside the new management and training, Kristoff has looked at his position on the bike as a potential detriment to his past Paris-Roubaix performances, shifting his weight further back in an attempt to keep the front wheel lighter as it hits the rough cobbles.ADVERTISEMENT Speaking at the Carrefour de l`Arbre after a final recon ride, Kristoff described the positional change. `I don`t really know why, but I think my position on the bike is slightly more forward [than other riders`], so maybe you dig yourself into the cobbles a bit more,` he said. `It doesn`t affect you so much when you`re going uphill and you`re going slower than when it`s full speed on the flat. But I`ve tried to adjust myself a little bit further back on the bike this year, and in the tests today and in January, it felt slightly better than before, so I hope it helps.` Aside from the positional changes for Paris-Roubaix, Kristoff drew attention in previous weeks by winning Gent-Wevelgem and finishing third at the Tour of Flanders using tubeless tyres.
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