Paris-Roubaix is the most archaic of all five cycling monuments and the most unpredictable classic. Nowhere else do crashes or defects play such a major role. The race has become a legend because of its pavé sectors. Along the way, the riders have to overcome countless cobblestone sections known as "sectors". The ride from Compiegne - north of Paris - on the concrete cycle track to Roubaix over the Pave of northern France is a torture course for man and material. Since 2021, there has also been a women's race, which takes place one day before the men's race.
Paris-Roubaix 2023: Dust or mud battle?
The approach to each section of the Pave is like a mass sprint - the peloton fights tooth and nail for the best positions, as overtaking is often difficult on the narrow cobbled sections. This often leads to crashes. Wind and weather also play a major role at Paris-Roubaix. If it is dry, the riders swallow the dust kicked up on the cobbles. When it rains - as it did most recently in 2021 - the queen of the classics turns into a slippery mud battle in which the riders are barely recognisable with their dirt-smeared faces.
Last year, the race was postponed to mid-April due to the presidential elections in France. This year, Paris-Roubaix is back in its traditional place on the UCI World Tour calendar - one week after the Tour of Flanders.
Paris-Roubaix 2023 - the route: 54.5 kilometres of cobblestones
No major changes were made to the route in 2023. The first 100 kilometres or so are still on asphalt roads. Then there are a total of 29 cobblestone sectors on the programme - 54.5 kilometres of pavé. The sectors are counted down backwards to the finish. It starts with sector 29 in Troisvilles.
In the forest of Arenberg (around 95 kilometres before the finish) there will be a pre-selection, and on the five-star sectors Mons-en-Pevele (around 50 kilometres before the finish) and Carrefour de l'Arbre (around 18 kilometres before the finish) there will be the opportunity for a decisive attack. The biggest change to the men's route was made after sector 25, which leads from Vertain to Saint Martin-sur-Ecaillon.
Paris-Roubaix 2023: Haspres sector returns to the course
Haussy and the section from Saulzoir to Verchain Maugres (sectors 25 and 24 last year) are bypassed. Instead, you will drive directly to the sector that leads from Verchain Maugre to Querenaing.
After the section from Maing to Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (2022 sector 21), the route leads to Haspres at kilometre 139.6. A 1700 metre long sector was built into the course there, which was last ridden in 2004 at Paris-Roubaix.
The forest of Arenberg: probably the most famous torture course in cycling
After leaving the Haspres sector, the riders head towards Haveluy before reaching Wallers and tackling the Arenberg forest. The 2.3 kilometres through the Tranchee d'Arenberg lead over cobblestones of the worst kind and are probably the most famous pavé section in professional cycling. After the Arenberg forest, the route is largely identical to last year's.
The pavé sectors of Paris-Roubaix 2023
- 29 Troisvilles - Inchy | Length: 2.2 kilometres | *** star difficulty
- 28 Viesly - Quievy | 1.8 kilometres | ***
- 27 Quievy - Saint-Python | 3.7 kilometres | ****
- 26 Saint-Python | 1.5 kilometres | **
- 25 Vertain - Saint-Martin-sur-Ecaillon | 2.3 kilometres | ***
- 24 Verchain-Maugre - Querenaing | 1.6 kilometres | ***
- 23 Querenaing - Maing | 2.5 kilometres | ***
- 22 Maing - Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon | 1.6 kilometres | ***
- 21 Haspres | 1.7 kilometres | ***
- 20 Haveluy - Wallers | 2.5 kilometres | ****
- 19 Trouee d'Arenberg | 2.3 kilometres | *****
- 18 Wallers - Helesmes | 1.6 kilometres | ***
- 17 Hornaing - Wandignies | 3.7 kilometres | ****
- 16 Warlaing - Brillon | 2.4 kilometres | ***
- 15 Tilloy - Sars-et-Rosieres | 2.4 kilometres | ****
- 14 Beuvry-la-Foret - Orchies | 1.4 kilometres | ***
- 13 orchies | 1.7 kilometres | ***
- 12 Auchy - Beresse | 2.7 kilometres | ****
- 11 Mons-en-Pevele | 3 kilometres | *****
- 10 Merignies - Avelin | 0.7 kilometres | **
- 9 Pont-Thibault - Ennevelin | 1.4 kilometres | ***
- 8 Templeuve (l'Epinette) | 0.2 kilometres | *
- 8 Templeuve (Moulin-de-Vertain) | 0.5 kilometres | **
- 7 Cysoing - Bourghelles | 1.3 kilometres | ***
- 6 Bourghelles - Wannehain | 1.1 kilometres | ***
- 5 Camphin-en-Pevele | 1.8 kilometres | ****
- 4 Carrefour de l'Arbre | 2.1 kilometres | *****
- 3 Gruson | 1.1 kilometres | **
- 2 Willems - Hem | 1.4 kilometres | **
- 1 Roubaix (Espace Charles Crupelandt) | 0.3 kilometres | *
Paris-Roubaix 2023: TV broadcast & live stream
The Women's race will be on Saturday from 15:00 live on television at Eurosport 2 transferred. The Men's race on Sunday is from 10:30 a.m. live on free TV at Eurosport 1 to watch. Discovery+ and GCN+ (both via paid subscription) also offer a live stream of both races.
The transmission times at a glance
- Ladies | Saturday, 8 April | 15:00 - 18:00 Eurosport 2
- Men | Sunday, 9 April | 10:30 - 18:00 Eurosport 1
Women's race at Paris-Roubaix
The 3rd edition of the Paris-Roubaix women's race will take place in 2023 - the women will race over 145.4 kilometres one day before the men. This year, the route has been extended by almost 21 kilometres with two additional loops shortly after the start. The women complete 17 pavé sectors (a total of 29.2 kilometres of cobblestones). At the Hornaing sector (sector 17 in the men's race), the women join the route of the men's race. Here too, Mons-en-Pevele and Carrefour de l'Arbre play a central role in the finale. The Arenberg forest, on the other hand, is not included.
Paris-Roubaix 2023: The most important info
Date: Sunday, 09 April 2023 (men), Saturday, 8 April (women)
Distance: 256.6 kilometres (men), 145.4 kilometres (women)
Start: Compiegne (men), Denain (women)
Target: Roubaix
Edition: 120th of the men, 3rd of the women
Premiere: 1896 (men), 2021 (women)
Nicknames: L'Enfer du Nord (The Hell of the North in German), La Reine des Classiques (The Queen of the Classics in German)
Last year's winner: Dylan van Baarle (Netherlands), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)
Record winner: Roger De Vlaeminck (Belgium) and Tom Boonen (Belgium) - both four times
German winners: Josef Fischer (1896), John Degenkolb (2015)
Everyman race
The amateur cyclists can also ride over the cobblestones of northern France - on 8 April 2023. 70, 145 and 170 kilometres are available for amateur cyclists.
