"The Classic of the Classics" or "The Hell of the North" are the two most famous nicknames of this race with a thousand names known to all as Paris-Roubaix. 260 kilometers of epic in which there are no ascents but there are 28 pavé sectors that each year crown a new king of cobblestones.
Only surpassed in longevity by the eternal Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Roubaix is the only monument celebrated in France and its iconic cobbled sections make it a unique event on the cycling calendar. However... Where does the idea of making cyclists become true heroes in a race closer to hell than cycling come from? We tell you the peculiar history of Paris-Roubaix.
In 1895 Théodore Vienne and Mauricio Pérez, two textile entrepreneurs from the Roubaix region, wanted to bet on cycling. A velodrome was built in the city and both decided to invest in the project. Not satisfied with that, they thought that the best way to promote the new venue would be to create a new race to promote it, but not on the track, but connecting Roubaix with the French capital. 280 kilometers with arrival at the recently inaugurated velodrome, thus the Paris-Robaix was born.
The sports newspaper Le Vélo joined the sponsorship of the race that was initially formulated as a training session. Yes, you read it correctly, a 260-kilometre training session that wanted to position itself as the main starter before Bordeaux-Paris, the most famous race of the moment, which had a 600-kilometre route.
Under these circumstances the first edition of the test was held. The German Josef Fischer inaugurated a list of winners that would later include the greatest classicists in the history of cycling.
In 1915, a year after the start of the Great War, the organizers of Paris-Roubaix were forced to imitate the rest of the world and paralyze the event. There were no editions from 1915 to 1918.
The same happened during the Second World War period, but on both occasions the test returned stronger than ever and in the 50's it had already established itself as a true monument. Every year it attracted better runners and Hell was once again a cycling event, never again a war.
If something distinguishes this test from the rest, it is its pavés. 28 cobbled sections that, despite the fact that none reach 4 kilometres, are extremely hard even for professionals. It is these sections and not any climb that is responsible for making the selection of favourites.
The sections are classified from one to five stars according to their hardness. The 'Trouée d'Arenberg', 'Mons-en-Pévèle' or 'Carrefour de l'Arbre', make up the five-star sections of the race, the most devilish in all of France.
The race towards the city of a thousand chimneys has not stopped growing and this 2023 returns, as always, on the second Sunday of April. Winning here means writing your name on the cycling Olympus so the competition is always fierce.
Since 2021 the women's Paris-Roubaix has also been held and despite cutting mileage it maintains the hardness and epic of the men's edition. Another example that 'El Infierno del Norte' continues to expand to preserve its title of 'Clásica de Clásicas'.
