Professional Cyclists Cycling Teams ProTour Races Vacations/Tours
Paris-Roubais is one of the most famous spring classics and is held in Northern France in early April. The event, known as the 'Hell of North', covers dozens of famed cobbled sections.
Paris-Roubaix is a famous single-day professional bicycle road race held in northern France. Formerly third of the ten UCI Road World Cup races and currently part of the UCI ProTour, it is regarded as one of the 'Monuments' or Classics of the European professional cycling calendar and carries the nickname The Hell of the North, Queen of the Classics or La Pascale: the Easter race.
Amaury Sport Organisation and held annually in the mid-April rainy season, over the cobblestoned roads and hard rutted tracks of northern France's coal-mining region, La Pascale leaves riders caked from head to toe in mud and grit. However, this is not how this race earned the nickname l'enfer du Nord, or the Hell of the North. The term was first used to describe the race when it was run immediately following the end of the Great War, or World War I. The race course closely followed the front lines of the war, and hence passed through many of the ruins, craters, and destruction along the way, earning it the name l'enfer du Nord, or the Hell of the North bestowed by the journalists. In the Vélodrome in Roubaix the last 750 meters of the race takes place In the Vélodrome in Roubaix the last 750 meters of the race takes place
In 1968, on the guidance of Jean Stablinski, the starting location was changed from Paris to Compiègne, approximately 80 km to the north. Famous for rough terrain, the route of Paris-Roubaix is adjusted slightly from year to year as the older roads are resurfaced and the race organisers seek to replace them with other challenging cobbles, to maintain the character of the race - in 2005, for example, the race included 54.7 km of cobbled sections. The race culminates with 750 meters on the Roubaix velodrome. A big crash in Cobble Section 20 in the 2005 Paris-Roubaix race. Some riders hit the muddy patch at high speed and the crash propagated throughout the peloton. A big crash in Cobble Section 20 in the 2005 Paris-Roubaix race. Some riders hit the muddy patch at high speed and the crash propagated throughout the peloton.
Since 1964, the record average speed of 45.129 km/h has been held by Dutch cyclist Peter Post. The record for the most victories in the race is held by the Belgian cycling legend Roger De Vlaeminck, who between 1972 and 1977 took first place four times (for which he was awarded a trophy in the form of a paving-stone). Octave Lapize (France), Gaston Rebry (Belgium), Rik Van Looy (Belgium), Eddy Merckx (Belgium), Francesco Moser (Italy), and Johan Museeuw (Belgium) each have won three times. Italian legends Jules Rossi and Fausto Coppi won in 1937 and 1950 respectively. The only German winner of Paris-Roubaix was Josef Fischer, who won the first year the race was held, 1896. Belgian cyclists have won 47 times, French cyclists 30.
Paris-Roubaix is often compared to the other famous cobbled road race, the Ronde van Vlaanderen held in Belgium. The two courses differ as Paris-Roubaix' course is more flat, and has more technical cobbled sections. Hence the race is often followed by the reverse numbering of the cobble sections. Ronde van Vlaanderen by comparison contains a series of hills, many of which are on cobbles. Hence the race is often followed according to the names of these hills.
