Paris-Roubaix was cancelled last year for the first time since the Second World War as cycling fans were deprived of one of the highlights of the sporting calendar.
It was then postponed in the spring as the coronavirus pandemic took hold once more. But now, after an 18-month wait, the French cobbles return this weekend just one week after a superb world championships.
And it is a momentous year for the historic race as finally we have ourselves a Women’s Paris-Roubaix, a long overdue addition to the cycling season.
The women’s race will take place on Saturday and be followed by the men’s race on Sunday as the Classics riders look to win one of the biggest bike races on the planet.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of a mouthwatering weekend of action.
Where can I watch the races?
You will be able to watch or stream the races via Eurosport or GCN+.
Women’s road race: What is the course and who are the favourites?
- Women’s road race: Saturday 2 October - 12.35pm - 3.30pm BST (rough timings)
- Course length: 115.6 kilometres
It is certainly progress to have added a Women’s Paris-Roubaix to the cycling calendar, but hopefully in the years to come they will extend the distance of the course from the 115 kilometres we have been given in 2021.
Nevertheless, it still contains some of the most legendary cobbled sections - 17 in total. It promises to be a punishing and arduous course where only the strongest riders contest the victory.
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, world road race champion from four years ago, was focussing on this race back in the spring before it was postponed. She will be looking to blow everyone else out of the water as the SD Worx team pin their hopes on the Dutch star.
One of the best chances of British success this weekend comes in the form of Lizzie Deignan, who has been a leading strongwoman in the peloton for a decade now. She will also be boosted by the supreme team she has behind her, with Ellen van Dijk and Elisa Longo Borghini the standout riders alongside Deignan in the Trek-Segafredo line-up.
Belgium’s best riders are always in the frame for Roubaix. Lotte Kopecky is not different as the two-time Belgian champion goes in search of a famous win in the inaugural edition of a race her country has a long-running history with.
Then there are the likes of Emma Norsgaard and Lorena Wiebes who could play a part in proceedings, particularly if a sizable group makes it to the finish.
And what about the top two from the world road race championships? Rainbow jersey winner Elisa Balsamo and runner-up Marianne Vos will be looking to build on their superb performances in Flanders with a win in France.
Prediction: Lizzie Deignan
Men’s road race: What is the course and who are the favourites?
- Men’s road race: Sunday 3 October - 10.15am - 5pm BST (rough timings)
- Course length: 257.7 kilometres
Some of the biggest Classics riders in the world have been waiting more than a year to feel the cobbled roads on their wheels once more. The 30 sections of cobbles are torture to many, but welcome periods of pain for those Roubaix-loving, unhinged maniacs.
It feels like an absolute age since Philippe Gilbert won the men’s race way back in 2019, the last time the race was staged before the pandemic caused chaos in the 2020 season.
The Belgian is highly unlikely to contest for the victory this time around, although you’d be a foolish fan to write off the 39-year-old legend.
As it seems in every major race this year, Wout van Aert is the favourite with the bookies. His exploits in the Tour de France and Tour of Britain left him the overwhelming favourite to take the rainbow jersey in Flanders, but he was overworked and in the end outdone by rival Julian Alaphilippe. He remains the man to watch on Sunday, however his reputation often tends to work against him in many of the Classics.
Mathieu van der Poel performed better than expected in the world championships given he had only just recovered from the injuries he sustained at the Olympic Games. He will be eyeing Roubaix up as a race tailor-made for his explosive style.
Alaphilippe defended his world road race title in scintillating fashion last weekend and will be on a major high from his glorious success in Flanders. Roubaix could be a step too far for the Frenchman, but he will definitely be in the conversation when we head into the latter stages of the race.
Peter Sagan always has to be in contention. He has won this race in the past and showed good form at the Tour of Slovenia as he won the general classification. Kasper Asgreen, Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven also all deserve a mention as potential winners.
And then there is British interest in the form of Tom Pidcock. The Olympic gold medallist finished sixth in the world championships in Flanders and has shown in the past that he can hang with Van Aert and Van der Poel over the most gruelling of courses. If he does win the race, he would become the first British man to ever triumph.
Prediction: Mathieu van der Poel
