A Brutal Battle on the Cobbles
PARIS, France (5 February 2025) — The 122nd edition of Paris-Roubaix is set to unleash its legendary chaos on Sunday, April 13, with riders rolling out from Compiègne to tackle a grueling 259.2 km en route to the iconic Roubaix Velodrome. This year, subtle but significant tweaks to the course will test the peloton’s mettle, particularly in the build-up to the notorious Trouée d’Arenberg. Race director Thierry Gouvenou has spiced things up with a fresh double cobbled sector around Quérénaing: the section at Artres (#24, after 130.9 km, 1,300-m long) and the one at Famars (#23, after 133.8 km, 1,200-m long), which will also be on the route of the Denain Grand Prix and will host a stage finish on the Four Days of Dunkirk this year, intensifying the challenge before the race’s pivotal moments.
“They are not especially difficult portions,” explained Gouvenou, “but by introducing them here, it provides us with a sequence of five sectors without virtually any tarmac.”
The Road to Roubaix: Key Changes and Sectors to Watch
For the men’s race, the 30 cobbled sectors come thick and fast, the first appearing at Troisvilles (km 95.8). As fatigue sets in, positioning and strategy become paramount, especially leading into Arenberg, where a crucial modification aims to temper the peloton’s speed. A newly designed detour now weaves past the Arenberg mining site, introducing four sharp right-hand turns in the final kilometer before the entrance to the Trouée d’Arenberg (km 163.9, 2.3 km long).
“This year, we have found an alternative that allows us to slow down the riders in a more fluid manner, via a small detour that runs alongside the mining site in Arenberg. With this introduction, there will be four right angle corners in the kilometre before the Trouée d’Arenberg,” noted the race director.
Beyond Arenberg, the race of truth begins. The strongest contenders will emerge through Mons-en-Pévèle (km 210.6, 3 km long) and the unforgiving Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 242.1, 2.1 km long), where the final selections will be made.
A Race That Always Delivers
Meanwhile, the women’s peloton will take center stage the day before, on Saturday, April 12, for the 5th edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Their 148.5-km route, starting in Denain, remains unchanged from 2024, but history has shown that no two editions of this race ever unfold the same way. With 29.2 km of cobbles across 17 sectors, including Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre, the battle for supremacy is guaranteed to be fierce.
Whether it’s a solo raid, a tactical masterpiece, or a chaotic sprint, Paris-Roubaix never fails to thrill. From Lizzie Deignan’s audacious solo ride in 2021 to Lotte Kopecky’s perfectly timed sprint in 2024, the women’s race has produced its own share of unforgettable moments. With unpredictable conditions and relentless terrain, one thing is certain—on the road to Roubaix, every cobble holds a story.
More Than Just the Pros
For amateur cobble connoisseurs, the weekend offers multiple chances to experience Roubaix’s brutality firsthand. The Paris-Roubaix Challenge on Saturday gives thousands of riders a chance to tackle one of three distances, mimicking the pro race’s treacherous terrain. Sunday morning, the future stars of the sport take their turn, with the U18 race (111 km, 17 sectors) and the U23 showdown (163 km, 26 sectors) setting the stage for the day’s grand spectacle.
In the United States, televised coverage of both the women’s and men’s editions of the race is expected to be carried live on the Peacock/NBC Sports streaming app, while in Canada the race will be carried by FloBikes.
