Cobblestones, cobblestones and more cobblestones. The 175 runners at the start of the 120th edition of Paris-Roubaix know it, it is not a cakewalk that awaits them between Compiègne and the Vélodrome de Roubaix this Sunday during the Hell of the North. 256.6 km of suffering to follow in the company of RTBF, which will follow this unmissable event live with commentary from 11.25 a.m. and live video from 1.40 p.m.
Wout van Aert et Mathieu Van der Poel, eternal rivals, will be the two big stars of the afternoon and are ready to do battle once again. If they have the favors of the prognosis, a horde of outsiders (starting with Filippo Ganna, Mads Pedersen et Stefan Küng) can claim victory in this mythical race which has always been able to offer a moment of glory to the fellows in the peloton.
Twenty-nine cobbled sections, some more slippery than others, will enliven the day for a total of 54.5 km traveled on these tricky and uneven paths. The Trouée d’Arenberg (94 km from the finish), Mons-en-Pévèle (48 km) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (17 km) are the three sectors classified five stars and decisive points of passage to get the grail on the Velodrome around 5 p.m.
