Key points:
– On 9 April, the peloton of the 120th edition will battle it out on a 256.6 km course with 54.5 km of cobbles spread out over 29 sectors, the first of which comes 160 km from the line. Each sector is rated on a scale from one to five stars.
– Meanwhile, the third edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, which will be held one day earlier on Saturday, 8 April, features 29.2 km of cobblestones. The last 84 km of the men’s and women’s races are identical.
Following Paris–Roubaix race director Thierry Gouvenou and Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift race director Franck Perque’s most recent reconnaissance of the course on 4 April, the organisers have rated the difficulty of the cobbled sectors in the race based on their length, the unevenness of the cobbles, the overall condition of the sectors and their location. The Trouée d’Arenberg (no. 19), Mons-en-Pévèle (no. 11) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (no. 4) remain the only sectors with a five-star rating.
The cobble-gobblers scouting the roads from now until Sunday will spend the week acclimatising to this exceptional terrain and putting their gear through its paces. Meanwhile, the organisers have turned the invitation for the media to join in the recces into a tradition that starts with a fluffy omelette for breakfast at Chez Françoise in Troisvilles, an institution of Paris–Roubaix. Yet, with the first cobbled sector just around the corner, grub will be the last thing on the minds of the riders when they zip past this famous café on Sunday. The return of the three-star Haspres sector (km 139.6) for the first time since the 2004 Paris–Roubaix will add an element of surprise. The Trouée d’Arenberg, the most dreaded and often decisive moment of the race since its introduction in 1968, has received a makeover from an un-baa-lievable team of gardeners in anticipation of the peloton blasting into the sector at nearly 70 km/h. A 40-strong herd of goats was called into action to nibble away at the weeds coating this forest lane, which turns into the biggest arena on planet cycling once a year. It was the ideal solution to reduce the risk of slipping without applying toxic products to this protected area. The champions who emerge unscathed from the Trouée d’Arenberg and inch a bit closer to the coveted trophy will owe the Goat Gang a big “thank you”! It is 93 kilometres from there until the finish line.
In contrast with their male counterparts, the riders of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift will not reap the rewards of the goats’ work, while the first part of the course has been stretched, bringing the total distance close to 150 km. The cobblestones remain unchanged, with 29.2 km spread out over 17 sectors. The women’s course will converge on the men’s one with 84 km to go, starting with the 3.7 km long four-star sector from Hornaing to Wandignies, the very same one that Brit Lizzie Deignan used as a springboard for her victorious solo adventure last year. It will be much harder to catch the favourites unawares this time round.
The 29 cobbled sectors of Paris–Roubaix
Cobblestones sectors 17 to 1 are common to both races
29: Troisvilles to Inchy (km 96.3 — 2.2 km) ***
28: Viesly to Quiévy (km 102.8 — 1.8 km) ***
27: Quiévy to Saint-Python (km 105.4 — 3.7 km) ****
26: Saint-Python (km 110.1 — 1.5 km) **
25: Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon (km 117.2 — 2.3 km) ***
24: Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing (km 127.2 — 1.6 km) ***
23: Quérénaing to Maing (km 129.9 — 2.5 km) ***
22: Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon (km 133 — 1.6 km) ***
21: Haspres to Thiant (km 139.6 — 1.7 km) ***
20: Haveluy to Wallers (km 153.1 — 2.5 km) ****
19: Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161.3 — 2.3 km) *
18: Wallers to Hélesmes (km 167.4 — 1.6 km) ***
17: Hornaing to Wandignies (km 174.1 — 3.7 km) ****
16: Warlaing to Brillon (km 181.6 — 2.4 km) ***
15: Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières (km 185.1 — 2.4 km) ****
14: Beuvry to Orchies (km 191.4 — 1.4 km) ***
13: Orchies (km 196.5 — 1.7 km) ***
12: Auchy to Bersée (km 202.6 — 2.7 km) ****
11: Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208 — 3 km) *****
10: Mérignies to Avelin (km 214 — 0.7 km) **
9: Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin (km 217.4 — 1.4 km) ***
8: Templeuve — L’Épinette (km 222.8 — 0.2 km) *
8: Templeuve — Moulin-de-Vertain (km 223.3 — 0.5 km) **
7: Cysoing to Bourghelles (km 229.8 — 1.3 km) ***
6: Bourghelles to Wannehain (km 232.3 — 1.1 km) ***
5: Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 236.7 — 1.8 km) ****
4: Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 239.5 — 2.1 km) *****
3: Gruson (km 242.3 — 1.1 km) **
2: Willems to Hem (km 248.4 — 1.4 km) ***
1: Roubaix (km 255.2 — 0.3 km) *
