Ballerini’s 1998 Roubaix bike
In 1998 the Italian star left all behind him to claim a solo victory. CW caught up with former Mapei mechanic Andrea Nier to talk us through his cobble-conquering machine
I was in the car with Patrick Lefevere in that Roubaix. I worked for everyone in the team, there was two of us, one was looking after the Belgians more because he was Belgian and spoke Dutch, I looked after the Italians Andrea Tafi, Stefano Zanini, Franco Ballerini and Daniele Nardello.
I had the feeling that Franco was going to win that day. He was there in Flanders and in Ghentwevelgem. It was an internal battle in the team, who would win Roubaix. Wilfried Peeters, Tafi, Johan Museeuw, the usual names were also in the frame. Franco wanted to win and he was going so strongly. Franco was very calm, but very decisive.
I remember when we did the first Roubaix with him, maybe in 1994, we were using some of the first carbon bikes and the others were asking: “Why are using carbon on the pavé?” Franco was one of the first to use carbon with the C40. The others were on aluminium.
In 1998 he didn’t try to have any dampening materials, no double tape. He had a different frame, but it was only slightly longer, around a centimetre at the front on the fork and a centimetre in the seatstays.
In previous years, he thought about a dampened stem and soft fork, but that year, he just wanted a road bike. He felt ready, no need to add much. Colnago was always against any sort of suspension or softening effects. But that year, he didn’t bother or try to argue with Ernesto.
He was using 53/46 gearing, which was slightly different from other road races, and 11-28t in the back, I think they already had nine speeds then.
He had the green Vittoria 24mm, but those are ‘normal’ in cobble races. When he won in 1995, he changed bikes to have one that was smoother for the final; he planned to do that in 1998 too but in the end he didn’t bother. There was so much water and mud, there was no need to risk it.