On Sunday, 13 April the bunch sets off for the 122nd edition of Paris-Roubaix. It’s the third of five Monuments on the cycling calendar. Also known as the ‘Hell of the North’, Paris-Roubaix is one of the oldest and one of the most difficult one-day races with riders having to endure a daunting gauntlet of cobbled sectors before the finish in the Roubaix Velodrome. The route usually adds up to roughly 260 kilometres with and the riders are to endure one fourth of it kilometres on bone-jarring farm roads.
A perfect blend of positioning, power and tactical nous are required if a rider is to lift the famous cobble-stone trophy awarded to the victor, not too mention a large slice of luck. Given the conditions, mechanical issues are unavoidable in Roubaix, the timing of which can be the difference between winning and losing.
Mathieu van der Poel won the last two editions. Last year, he was flanked on the podium by Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen.
Another interesting read: records & winners Paris-Roubaix.
Paris – Roubaix 2025: videos, cobbles & more
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