With the 112th Paris-Roubaix taking place this Sunday, ASO’s Christian Prudhomme, Jean-Francois Pescheux and Thierry Gouvenou reconnned the pave that the race covers to finalise the organisers rating of the pave.
Jean-Francois Pecheux’s portrait got painted on the road. Photo: ASO / P.Perreve
The 28 cobbled sectors in the race are rayed between one and five according to their length, the unevenness of the cobbles, the overall condition of the sectors and their location. There are three five star sectors in the 2014 edition.
The ratings of the sections change from year to year with the parcours unpredictable from one edition to the next. In 2014, three cobbled sectors are making their comeback to the “Queen of Classics” after several years of absence.
After 97.5km the race will hit the first of the pave at Troisvilles, which is a three-star, 2 200m sector and is a slight a deviation from last year’s course which takes a detour through Solesmes, Saulzoir and then Famars.
The reconnaissance of the course showed that the pave of the Trouée d’Arenberg was covered with a layer of moss and grass that looks likely to increase the difficultly for the riders to negotiate the 2.4km sector.
Always a divisive point in the race, the Arenberg is followed “Pont Gibus” which includes several sections that the peloton will cover in the opposite direction during Stage 5 of this year’s Tour de France.
Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour, also took the time during the reconnaissance to inaugurate the finish line of the July 9 stage in Wallers and he was quick to stress the cobbles will be an importance moment in this year’s Tour.
The 28 cobbled sectors of Paris-Roubaix are rated between one and five stars:
28 – Troisvilles (97.5km – 2,200 m) +++
27. Viesly (104km – 1,800 m) +++
26 – Quiévy (106.5km – 3,700m) ++++
25 – Saint-Python (111km – 1,500m) ++
24 – Solesmes (119.5km – 800m) ++
23 – Saulzoir (126km – 1,200m) ++
22 – Verchain-Maugré (130.5km – 1,600m) +++
21 – Quérénaing – Famars (135km – 1,200m) ++
20 – Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (140.5km – 1,600m) +++
19 – Haveluy (153km – 2,500m) ++++
18 – Trouée d’Arenberg (161.5km – 2,400m) +++++
17 – Wallers – Hélesmes, aka “Pont Gibus” (167.5km – 1,600m)
16 – Hornaing (174.5km – 3,700m) ++++
15 – Warlaing – Brillon (182km – 2,400m) +++
14 – Tilloy – Sars-et-Rosières (185km – 2,400m) ++++
13 – Beuvry-la-Forêt – Orchies (191.5km – 1,400m) +++
12 – Orchies (196.5km – 1,700m) +++11. Auchy-lez-Orchies – Bersée (202.5km – 2,700m) ++++
10 – Mons-en-Pévèle (208km – 3,000m) +++++
9 – Mérignies – Avelin (214km – 700m) ++
8 – Pont-Thibaut (217.5km – 1,400m) +++
7 – Templeuve – Moulin de Vertain (223.5km – 500 m) ++
6 – Cysoing – Bourghelles (230km – 1,300m) ++++
Bourghelles – Wannehain (232.5km – 1,100m) +++
5 – Camphin-en-Pévèle (237km – 1,800m) ++++
4 – Le Carrefour de l’Arbre (240km – 2,100m) +++++
3 – Gruson (242km – 1,100m) ++
2 – Hem (249km – 1,400m) ++
1 – Roubaix (256km – 300m) +
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