PARIS-ROUBAIX: Some Cobbled History
A Short Roubaix History Lesson: Sean Kelly, the winner in 1984 and 1986 said “Paris-Roubaix is a terrible race to ride, but the most beautiful one to win.” It is the race that attracts the attention of anyone with an interest in cycling, and some who don’t. Like the behemoth that is Tour de France, it has its obvious points that the general public can follow, where as the Giro d’Italia and De Ronde van Vlaanderen are maybe more for the hardened fans… the ‘Tifosi’.
PARIS-ROUBAIX: Some Cobbled History
By Alastair Hamilton On Apr 11, 2025
*** You can see the ‘PEZ 2025 Paris-Roubaix Preview’ HERE. ***
Paris-Roubaix quickly became a popular race, with many heroic stories over the years. It maybe a French race, but it was made for the hard men of Belgium. Since Cyrille Van Hauwaert’s victory in 1908, there has been fifty-six more Belgian victories. Three-time winners Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Johan Museeuw, but also Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen who have both won Paris-Roubaix four times, sharing the record for the most victories.
Gaston Rebry, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Johan Museeuw and Fabian Cancellara are all on three victories. In recent years, other great champions such as John Degenkolb, Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan and Philippe Gilbert have also triumphed on the Roubaix velodrome, but there have been some ‘surprise’ winners, but never a nobody: Magnus Bäckstedt, Stuart O’Grady, Johan Vansummeren, Mathew Hayman and who can forget Frédéric Guesdon. The last ten years read like a who’s who of Classic cyclists: Van Baarle, Colbrelli, Gilbert, Sagan, Van Avermaet, Hayman, Degenkolb, Terpstra and Cancellara.
Dylan van Baarle achieved the biggest victory of his career in 2022, soloing to Roubaix. The dangerous late break of the day included Matej Mohorič, Tom Devriendt and Laurent Pichon, they had a maximum lead of 3 minutes. Behind them a very strong Wout van Aert was in a chase group, with Mathieu van der Poel on his wheel. There was a counter-attack by Dylan van Baarle, he jumped away from the favourites group and joined Mohorič, Yves Lampaert and Devriendt on the Cysoing-Bourghelles cobbles. They had a lead of 45 seconds on the Van Aert group and the INEOS Grenadiers rider saw his chance. He rode the others off his wheel on the cobbles of Champhin-en-Pévèle and was solo on Carrefour de l’Arbre, the last of the hardest cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix. He finished on his own in the Roubaix velodrome. Van Aert out-sprinted Stefan Küng for second place at nearly 2 minutes behind the Dutchman.
2022 Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu van der Poel won the 2023 Paris-Roubaix in the best possible way, solo. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider crossed the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome, after he rode away from Wout van Aert on the cobbled section of Carrefour de l’Arbre. Van Aert had to let the Dutchman go because of a puncture. Jasper Philipsen out-sprinted Van Aert for second place for an Alpecin 1-2.
Chaos And Cobbles In Hell! – Paris-Roubaix 2023 Highlights
In 2024 Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for the second time in a row with a long solo ride. A week after his victory in the Tour of Flanders, his Alpecin-Deceuninck team split the race early, then the World champion went solo with 60 kilometres to go. He had three minutes to enjoy his win on the Roubaix velodrome. His teammate, Jasper Philipsen sprinted far second place, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) finished third.
Paris-Roubaix 2024 Highlights: Mathieu van der Poel’s Solo Symphony
# Stage PEZ for all the 2025 Paris-Roubaix action and EUROTRASH Monday for everything else. #
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Alastair Hamilton
Alastair Hamilton has been a pro team mechanic on the road, track and mountain bike and worked for the Great Britain team at the World championships in all disciplines. Since moving to Spain and finding out how to use a computer, he has gone from contributor of Daily Distractions at the 2002 Vuelta a España to editor at PezCyclingNews.
By Alastair Hamilton On Apr 11, 2025
A Short Roubaix History Lesson: Sean Kelly, the winner in 1984 and 1986 said “Paris-Roubaix is a terrible race to ride, but the most beautiful one to win.” It is the race that attracts the attention of anyone with an interest in cycling, and some who don’t. Like the behemoth that is Tour de France, it has its obvious points that the general public can follow, where as the Giro d’Italia and De Ronde van Vlaanderen are maybe more for the hardened fans… the ‘Tifosi’.
*** You can see the ‘PEZ 2025 Paris-Roubaix Preview’ HERE. ***
Paris-Roubaix is unique
Much has been written about Paris-Roubaix. But the bottom line is that if you can survive these iconic cobbles and finish first on the sacred track, you are famous for ever. To quote French journalist Guy Lagorce: “Paris-Roubaix starts as a party, but ends as a bad dream.”For some riders, Paris-Roubaix is suffering, suffering pain, falling, getting up, falling and getting up again. The race is a self-inflicted cruelty that riders yearn to return to every year. Henri Pélissier said in 1919. “It is not a cycling race, but a pilgrimage.” Four-time Roubaix winner, Tom Boonen summed it up for him: “When I take a shower in Roubaix, I actually start preparing for next year.”
Four-time winner – Tom Boonen
The French Classic was started in 1896 by Theo Vienne and Maurice Perez, two textile manufacturers from Roubaix. Vienne and Perez saw the success of Bordeaux-Paris and wanted to organise something similar. The race had to end on the cycling track they had built the year before, in Roubaix. They took their plan to the French newspaper Le Vélo, as they thought they needed the sports newspaper to organise the event. Editor of Le Vélo, Victor Breyer, decided to ride the proposed route. The weather conditions that day were so bad that Breyer thought that it would be too dangerous, but Breyer came round to the idea and Paris-Roubaix became a reality. The first edition in 1896 was won by the German rider, Josef Fischer.
The first winner of Paris-Roubaix – Josef Fischer
Paris-Roubaix quickly became a popular race, with many heroic stories over the years. It maybe a French race, but it was made for the hard men of Belgium. Since Cyrille Van Hauwaert’s victory in 1908, there has been fifty-six more Belgian victories. Three-time winners Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Johan Museeuw, but also Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen who have both won Paris-Roubaix four times, sharing the record for the most victories.
The Gypsy – Roger De Vlaeminck
The other four-time Roubaix winner
Gaston Rebry, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Johan Museeuw and Fabian Cancellara are all on three victories. In recent years, other great champions such as John Degenkolb, Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan and Philippe Gilbert have also triumphed on the Roubaix velodrome, but there have been some ‘surprise’ winners, but never a nobody: Magnus Bäckstedt, Stuart O’Grady, Johan Vansummeren, Mathew Hayman and who can forget Frédéric Guesdon. The last ten years read like a who’s who of Classic cyclists: Van Baarle, Colbrelli, Gilbert, Sagan, Van Avermaet, Hayman, Degenkolb, Terpstra and Cancellara.
Three wins for Fabian Cancellara
Dylan van Baarle achieved the biggest victory of his career in 2022, soloing to Roubaix. The dangerous late break of the day included Matej Mohorič, Tom Devriendt and Laurent Pichon, they had a maximum lead of 3 minutes. Behind them a very strong Wout van Aert was in a chase group, with Mathieu van der Poel on his wheel. There was a counter-attack by Dylan van Baarle, he jumped away from the favourites group and joined Mohorič, Yves Lampaert and Devriendt on the Cysoing-Bourghelles cobbles. They had a lead of 45 seconds on the Van Aert group and the INEOS Grenadiers rider saw his chance. He rode the others off his wheel on the cobbles of Champhin-en-Pévèle and was solo on Carrefour de l’Arbre, the last of the hardest cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix. He finished on his own in the Roubaix velodrome. Van Aert out-sprinted Stefan Küng for second place at nearly 2 minutes behind the Dutchman.
2022 Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu van der Poel won the 2023 Paris-Roubaix in the best possible way, solo. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider crossed the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome, after he rode away from Wout van Aert on the cobbled section of Carrefour de l’Arbre. Van Aert had to let the Dutchman go because of a puncture. Jasper Philipsen out-sprinted Van Aert for second place for an Alpecin 1-2.
Chaos And Cobbles In Hell! – Paris-Roubaix 2023 Highlights
In 2024 Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for the second time in a row with a long solo ride. A week after his victory in the Tour of Flanders, his Alpecin-Deceuninck team split the race early, then the World champion went solo with 60 kilometres to go. He had three minutes to enjoy his win on the Roubaix velodrome. His teammate, Jasper Philipsen sprinted far second place, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) finished third.
Paris-Roubaix 2024 Highlights: Mathieu van der Poel’s Solo Symphony
# Stage PEZ for all the 2025 Paris-Roubaix action and EUROTRASH Monday for everything else. #
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive updates and reminders on what's cool in road cycling?
Alastair Hamilton
Alastair Hamilton has been a pro team mechanic on the road, track and mountain bike and worked for the Great Britain team at the World championships in all disciplines. Since moving to Spain and finding out how to use a computer, he has gone from contributor of Daily Distractions at the 2002 Vuelta a España to editor at PezCyclingNews.
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