Paris-Roubaix: The legendary pavés in detail

To understand Paris-Roubaix, you need to take a closer look at the cobblestone sectors, also known as pavé. Not all pavé is the same; there are big differences between the individual sectors. The organisers themselves divide the pavé into five categories, with the stars describing the difficulty.

The difficulty of pavé sectors

• ★★★★★ (5 stars): Maximum stress factor, high risk of defects
• ★★★★ (4 stars): Very hard, can lead to splits, increased risk of defects
• ★★★★ (3 stars): Heavy enough to break positioning and rhythm
• ★★ (2 stars): Unpleasant - but easy to master
• ★ (1 star): short, comparatively smooth - rather easy to ride in comparison

Ranking: The pavés of Paris-Roubaix 2026 by difficulty (stars)

5 stars: The toughest pavés in the race

These three sectors are the acid tests of Paris-Roubaix - iconic, feared and almost always race-deciding. Above all, a race can be lost quickly here. One defect and the group is gone, catching up is virtually impossible.

Trouée d'Arenberg

The Trouée d'Arenberg (Arenberg Forest) sector is a 2.3-kilometre-long, dead-straight cobbled section near Wallers and is one of the toughest five-star pavé passages in Paris-Roubaix. In 2026, the riders will reach the entrance to this first five-star sector via a double chicane, as in the previous year, and a preliminary decision can already be made here because the Trouée d'Arenberg often tears the peloton into small groups and only spits out small groups. From the exit of the forest, there are still around 90 kilometres to Roubaix, with 19 more sectors (just under 30 kilometres of pavé), with Hornaing-Wandignies (3.7 km, four stars) providing the next selection shortly afterwards. Defects are not uncommon on the Arenberg. At the end of the forest section, there are countless helpers with replacement equipment, because experience has shown that this section is a real challenge.

Mons-en-Pévèle

At just under 3 kilometres, the Mons-en-Pévèle sector is also one of the toughest cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix: it lies around 48 kilometres before the finish and is divided into two parts. Croix Blanche is the first section of the sector and is one kilometre long. After 100 metres of asphalt comes the second part, Blocus. It is 1900 metres long, with changes of direction and a slightly undulating profile, which makes the pace extremely high. Mons-en-Pévèle is therefore often the place where the groups thin out brutally for the first time and a preliminary decision is made through selection or attacks. A small group of favourites usually remains here.

Carrefour de l'Arbre

The Carrefour de l'Arbre sector, with its 2100 metres and only a few kilometres before the finish, is a real chance to decide the race. Almost continuously slightly uphill and in two halves, the first of which is considered the tougher section with tight changes of direction and particularly irregular stones, before the second, straighter passage runs towards the Restaurant de l'Arbre, a place where the race is often decided in the finale. The Roubaix velodrome is just over a quarter of an hour away, and from here it's all to play for.

4 stars: The most important "limbo" sectors

4-star sectors are very hard and can easily lead to a defect, just like the 5-star sectors. Halfway through the race, there is a whole series of these pavés, mixed with some of the third difficulty level and the Arenberg. The succession of sectors is the big hurdle here, the breathers are short. Many riders can no longer keep up the pace over the difficult cobbles.

3 stars: The hard centre section that eats legs

3 stars sounds moderate, but it never is in Roubaix. The sheer number of sectors with three stars is high, almost half of the entire pavé. The saying goes: the number makes the difficulty. Legs get tired from the constant bumps and the pace here is often very high.

2 stars: Short blows with a long-term effect

Two-star sectors are often the places where teams want to get back on track, and that's exactly where the mistakes happen: wrong line, too little pressure on the pedals, reacting too late. Even the supposedly harmless cobbled sections can be treacherous.

1 star: Short and fast

"Easy" here just means: shorter and usually better maintained. These sections are often "pushed over", i.e. ridden with full pressure on the pedals. The last sector is also a category 1, shortly after which you enter the cycling stadium. The last few metres are usually all-out, with the pros flying over the cobblestones.