The 121st edition of the formidable "Hell of the North" Paris-Roubaix cycling race takes place this Sunday, stretching from Compiègne to Roubaix. Cyclists will face 54.5 kilometres of cobblestones, divided into 29 sectors, finishing at the Roubaix velodrome after a gruelling 259.7-kilometre ordeal.
Last weekend's Tour of Flander’s winner and the reigning World Champion Mathieu van der Poel starts as the favourite, though competition will be fierce. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, van der Poel was measured in his expectations, saying that this one race that is impossible to plan for, given the difficulty posed by the cobbles and the inevitable mayhem in the peloton.
Organisers have this year inserted a chicane at the start of the infamous Arenberg Trench section, a safety measure requested by racers in light of recent falls. But the road furniture has so far proved controversial, with van der Poel sceptical about whether it will be an improvement. He wrote on social media that it will only “cause more problems”.
Notably absent will be Belgium's Wout van Aert, who suffered a fall at the Dwars door Vlaanderen race two weeks ago. American Matteo Jorgenson is also out leaving their team Visma-Lease a Bike with fewer options, though they have French racer Christophe Laporte and Dutchman Dylan van Baarle.
A force to be reckoned with, Belgian team Alpecin-Deceuninck enters the race having triumphed in the first two Monuments with its winners Jasper Philipsen (Milan-Sanremo) and Mathieu van der Poel (Tour of Flanders). Other team members, including Gianni Vermeersch and Dane Soren Kragh Andersen, are also ones to watch.
🪨 Irregular, brutal and tiring, riding the cobbles of #ParisRoubaix requires a very special technique. 💥 Here’s some advices from riders on how to make the differences on the roads of the North. pic.twitter.com/rN8fdwfskm
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) April 5, 2024
However, victory is not foregone, as embodied by the hopes of Lidl-Trek’s Dane Mads Pedersen. Having previously bested van der Poel in Ghent-Wevelgem, he is joined by Italian cyclist Jonathan Milan.
Soudal Quick-Step is hoping to redeem its early season with Tim Merlier, Yves Lampaert, and Dane Kasper Asgreen. UAE Team Emirates’ Tim Wellens, BORA-hansgrohe’s Jordi Meeus, and Italian Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost), among others, also show promise.
Fans in Belgium can follow the action on Sporza.
