The Cycliste Moderne, April 8, 2005

Hell Awaits

Paris-Roubaix is unlike any of the other one-day cycling classics. Some of the great one-day races, like Milan-San Remo or Paris-Tours, prove who is the fastest rider in the peleton. Other classics, like Liege-Bastogne-Liege or the Giro di Lombardi, prove who is the most consistent climber. Still others, like the Ronde van Vlaandernen, are all about being the strongest under adverse circumstances. Paris-Roubaix proves who is the strongest, smartest, fastest and most importantly luckiest man on the day.

The current forecast for Sunday’s “Hell of the North” calls for wind, rain and cold temperatures. More than 260 kilometers in the saddle, pan-flat into a likely headwind or crosswind the whole way, more than 25 separate cobbled sections covering over 50 kilometers, all of which are crammed into the last 150 kilometers before the finish in Roubaix. These are the perfect conditions to prove who is the hardest of the hardmen.

There is a reason that the GC riders, the most famous sprinters, and a whole host of Spaniards do not race Paris-Roubaix. (In fact, in the 103 editions of the race there has never been a Spanish champion.) A bad day on the cobbles of northern France can end your day. An unlucky day can threaten your season, if not your career. During Paris-Roubaix a few years ago, Belgian legend and three-time race champion Johan Museeuw crashed hard injuring his knee. The resulting gangrene from his injury almost ended both his career and his life.

Last fall I visited the Arenberg Forest, historically one of the most decisive cobbled sections of the course. If you are not in the front when you enter the Arenberg Forest, you might as well turn around, ride back to the start in Compiegne, and take a shower because your day is over. To say that the road through the Arenberg Forest is paved with cobbles is a stretch. A strip of irregularly shaped, unevenly spaced cobbles covers only the center of the path that is over 2,400 meters long.

The Arenberg Forest personifies everything that is Paris-Roubaix. The southern entrance to the Forest comes just after passing one of the many mines that dot the region. The northern entrance takes you back out to flat farm fields. Between the entrances is a small but dense forest that closes over the narrow path, occasionally letting in what light there may be on race day. The day I was there was the perfect day: light rain; flat light; heavy haze hanging over the trees. It was incredible.

Unfortunately, after my pilgrimage, in a move totally befitting the French, the Arenberg Forest was removed from this year’s race by local officials and race organizers for “safety reasons.” Last year’s winner, Magnus Bäckstedt of Sweden, complained that if the race organizers were worried about safety they ought to just run the race on the A23 motorway that runs parallel to the race route. What makes Paris-Roubaix great is that after 260 kilometers of hell, there is usually a very small group that enters the velodrome in Roubaix. They complete a lap and a half together and then sprint the last 200 meters to prove who is the hardest, toughest, luckiest man on the day.

This year’s race is going to be somewhat unpredictable. The conditions will obviously be a factor in who wins the race. The course will also determine who wins, as additional cobble sectors outside of Valenciennes have been added to make up for the removal of the Arenberg Forest. This year’s additions will increase the total length of cobbled sectors to almost 55 kilometers including the first ever uphill cobbled segment in Hameau du Buat.

Moreover, the carnage at Wednesday’s Gent-Wevelgem has reduced the number of favorites. Andreas Klier (T-Mobile), who finished second at the Tour of Flanders last week, Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel), who finished third last year at Paris-Roubaix, and Fabrizio Guidi (Liquigas) are all out after serious injuries at Gent-Wevelgem. Max Van Heeswijk (Discovery Channel) is out with, of all things, teeth problems.

The teams to watch are again Quick Step, Davitamon-Lotto, T-Mobile and Discovery Channel. All four are coming into the race with some very strong team performances over the last few weeks. Tom Boonen of Quick Step and Peter van Petegem of Davitamon-Lotto are going to be the leaders of the Belgian super-teams. Steffen Wesemann will lead T-Mobile and has shown his strength in past editions of Paris-Roubaix. If Discovery Channel rides well and does not make tactical errors, like it did last week, then George Hincapie or Slava Ekimov could finish on the podium.

However, my dark horses are Juan Antonio Flecha, a Spaniard riding for the Italian Fassa Bortolo team, and Andrea Tafi, an Italian riding for the Spanish Saunier Duval-Prodir team. Flecha had an excellent ride at Gent-Wevelgem only to get caught at the end. He is one of the few Spanish racers who seem to enjoy the hard days of northern Europe. His move to Fassa Bortolo has given him the opportunity and support to succeed in the one-day classics. Andrea Tafi is on the verge of retirement. Tafi has several commendable finishes at Paris-Roubaix including first in 1999, second in 1998 and third in 1996. He will retire and has focused his entire spring at preparing for his final Paris-Roubaix.