Cyclists' unique relationship with Paris-Roubaix: 'It’s horrible but I love it'
:focal(167x134:169x132)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/04/12/3041129-62378324-310-310.png)
Updated 06/04/2018 at 21:37 GMT
Paris-Roubaix needs little introduction for fans of professional cycling.
La trouée d'Arenberg, un enfer dans l'enfer
Image credit: Eurosport
From the jangling impact of the cobbles to that iconic velodrome finish, it's arguably the most evocative race of the season.
But don't just take our word for it.
Here are some of the biggest characters in the peloton on why they have such a love/hate relationship with the Queen of the Classics.
Mark Cavendish
Paris-Roubaix is one of the only one-day races that transcends cycling. It's a special race that takes you days to recover from. Your legs hurt, your feet hurt, your bum hurts, you can't open your hands for a week after... but it's incredible. It's the most rewarding one-day race, even if you don't win. It's a dream to ride.
Greg van Avermaet
It's the hardest race of the year. When I first came over the line I said 'this is never going to be a race for me, it's way too hard'. The legs suffer, but the body even more.
Mitch Docker
Roubaix is a battle. It’s a journey. It’s physically and emotionally tough. I love it yet at times I hate it. It can defeat you and be the most beautiful moment in cycling. The velodrome, it’s emotional. Roubaix is the reason why I race each season.
Taylor Phinney
It’s the holy grail. The Arenberg Forest. The trenches. I call it my favorite race. It’s hard to call something your favorite race when it destroys you every single time, but that’s cycling isn’t it.
Sep VanMarcke
For me, it’s the cobbles. They’re different than the ones in Belgium and the roads are only used once every year. It’s a special thing.
Matti Breschel
It’s so different from any other race. The history around it adds a layer of mystique.
Tom Scully
What do I love about Roubaix? The massive battle on all the small, small cobbled roads, approaching the Velodrome. When you finally get onto the Velodrome, it’s hard to describe. It’s an unreal feeling to make it in there, the crowds, all the people cheering, the sense of accomplishment.
Tom Van Asbroeck
I have a love-hate relationship with it. I was always afraid of it when I was on my previous team, on Topsport Vlaanderen. I had the chance to race it and didn’t take it. I heard stories about it. It was horrible. And then one day I had to do it and instant love. Instant love. It’s horrible but I love it.
Sebastian Langeveld
Roubaix is the toughest Monument and the one with the most history. They call it the Hell of the North for a reason. It’s a race beyond compare. I have good memories from the race already with a couple time top 10 and last year one of the highlights of my career with the third place, standing there on the podium, entering the velodrome to sprint for the win. That’s one of the memories that will always stay with me. I‘m really looking forward to Sunday. From now on, everything is focused on that.
And it's not just current cyclists who have been discussing their respect for the challenge that is Paris-Roubaix. Eurosport's own Sean Kelly has had his say:
"I think Paris-Roubaix has to be the toughest race because you have the terrain – there are anything between 52 and 55 kilometres of cobbles over the course of around 260 kilometres," Kelly said. "It’s just one of those races that takes a lot from you, not just physically but mentally too. All of the time you are turning left and right, not only on the cobbled sections but also when you’re off on the normal asphalt road. When you get to the final 100 kilometres it is just left and right all the time, then those cobbles.
Of the classics, Paris-Roubaix is the toughest.
"To win at Paris-Roubaix you need to be powerful, you have to have big power on the flat," Kelly added. "The guys who have big power on the flat are generally big riders, they’re big men, so you know they are 75kg. They can be sprinters, they can be time trialists or, as they say, rouleurs, either way they are big strong guys. Those are the qualities that you need to have to win at Paris-Roubaix and the qualities you need to be a classics rider."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement