The Hell in the North. It is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, and for good reason, as the 129-year-old Monument is a frighteningly vicious beast to tackle.
Quite possibly the most untameable of the classics, its cobbled sectors create a perfect storm of chaos. Crashes are common, punctures almost inevitable and many have found not just their race, but their season brought to a bone-jarring halt by its savage ministrations.
The Queen of the Classics rarely disappoints. A race of Shakespearean brilliance, torn to ribbons from the first cobbled sector, all hope of coherent tactics shattered as the unstoppable force of the peloton meets the immovable object of Northern France’s most brutal cobbles. It is sheer, unbridled carnage, and its toughest cobblestoned sectors are deservedly enshrined in cycling folklore.
Fanatical fans sit, quietly huddled in candlelit nooks of Belgian bars, shuddering as they softly whisper the names of these cobbled sectors. Their hushed tones invested with the same fearful reverence as old sailors recounting encounters with the kraken. Watchful, least they incur the wrath of these ancient cobblestone leviathans of the deep. Precisely because of this wild nature, most GC contenders give the race a wide berth, focusing on safer options if they race the classics at all.
Most, we said. Not a certain Tadej Pogačar it seems. Last year a titanic battle for dominance erupted between the World Champion and Mathieu van der Poel across the early spring classics. It was a gripping tilt, with both riders taking phenomenal victories to further cement their reputation as the best Classics men in the business.
We were treated to one of the greatest editions of Paris-Roubaix in recent years, with two champion prize fighters locked together, each terrifically strong and almost, almost inseparable. A missed turn, a slow-motion tumble onto the soft turf of a grassy verge, a slipped chain and a pearlescent white rainbow jersey suddenly marred with blood, mud and grass stains as a dream shattered. Pogačar might have fallen foul of the cobblestoned beast, but the little smile we saw break across his face as he was serenaded by the Roubaix Velodrome’s adoring faithful was a sure indication that he would return.
A year on, and these two superstars are once again embroiled in a battle across the Classics. This year however, Pogačar is firmly in the ascendancy, having finally conquered Milan-Sanremo and taken his third Ronde van Vlaanderen title in imperious fashion.
Paris-Roubaix is now the only Monument the Slovenian hasn’t won, and only 259km of pain and Mathieu van der Poel stand between Pogačar and eternal glory. A victory in Northern France would give some credence to the hushed rumours of Pogačar’s potential clean sweep of Monuments this season...
We can’t wait to see what carnage unfolds on Sunday, so in eager anticipation of the spring’s crowning glory, we’ve made Katy Madgwick’s breakdown of exactly what made last year's edition so gripping available to read for free here.
If you want to remind yourself of one of the greatest Classics campaigns ever, pick-up The Road Book 2025 today!
