Hell is normally associated with fire and brimstone, but for professional riders it is the miles of cobblestoned roads between the cities of Paris and Roubaix.
Fabian Cancellara and Zdenek Stybar escape in Paris-Roubaix. Photo: Cycling Weekly
“The Hell of the North” is the nickname given to Paris-Roubaix, the third monument of the year and the final northern classic.
Such a devilish pedigree has been established over the 111 editions since the race’s inception in 1896, with the its treacherous cobblestones, excessive length and occasional adverse weather conditions all making this arguably the most difficult race of the year.
Though it may only arguably be the hardest race, it is indisputably the most unique. Unlike the other spring classics, the cobblestoned sections do not feature on short climbs like, for instance, the Paterberg, Koppenberg and the Kemmelberg, but instead on flat sections.
As a result, there are lighter riders who flourish in Flanders that struggle in this race, while many diesel engines enjoy a rare parcours that rewards brute power over climbing and sprinting.
But there’s more to winning Paris-Roubaix than simply bludgeoning your opponents into submission; if that was the case Fabian Cancellara would win every year. Luck plays a huge role in determining who wins, with the total of fifty kilometres spent on unpredictable cobblestones ensuring that punctures and crashes are even more frequent than in the other classics.
Another unique factor of Paris-Roubaix is how the difficulty of all 28 of its pavé sections are determined by a star rating out of five.
There’s nothing quite like the spectacle of Paris-Roubaix, and the 2014 edition will surely provide much of the same.
When: April 13
Where: France
Distance: 257km
Status: UCI World Tour
Teams:
Ag2r La Mondiale, Astana, Belkin, BMC Racing, Bretagne-Seche Environment, Cannondale, Cofidis, FDJ, Garmin-Sharp, Giant-Shimano, IAM Cycling, Katusha, Lampre-Merida, Lotto-Belisol, Movistar, NetApp-Endura, Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Orica-GreenEdge, Sky, Tinkoff-Saxo Bank, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, Trek Factory Racing, United Healthcare
Recent winners:
2013: Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack
2012: Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
2011: Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Cervelo
2010: Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
2009: Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep
2008: Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep
2007: Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
2006: Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
2005: Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep
2004: Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Alessio-Bianchi – Cycling Weekly
Read more Paris-Roubaix news here.
