THE DEBUTANT

Ineos Grenadier Magnus Sheffield will be the youngest rider in the race when he lines up for his first Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. James Shrubsall finds out what makes him tick May

- Ineos Grenadier Magnus Sheffield

Magnus Sheffield's 20th birthday is set to be a pretty special one this year. Falling on 19 April, it comes just in time for him to give himself the gift of his first-ever Paris-Roubaix finish.

Sheffield, who signed for Ineos Grenadiers this season just a year out of the junior ranks, will be the youngest starter in the men's elite race when he lines up in Compiègne on Sunday (17 April), and the occasion won't be lost on him.

"It's one of the historic ones; I'm especially looking forward to it," Sheffield tells Cycling Weekly. “It will be a good birthday present to be able to finish up there."

It will also be a step on the ladder towards attaining one of his major career goals - he lists his three dream wins as the World Championship road race, Roubaix, and the Tour of Flanders.

In fact, he already ticked off one big landmark when he took his first win as a WorldTour rider, at the Tour of Andalucia in February. In terms of gaining confidence, Sheffield says having that win in the bag "definitely helps”. It has brought him more respect from other riders too, he says, though points out the flip side, which is that he is now more carefully watched in the bunch. "That being said, I knew what I was capable of. It definitely feels good to get that win early, but also it doesn't really change much in terms of my goals and how I want to progress as a rider over the years," he says.

Young Americans