Paris–Roubaix Femmes

Paris–Roubaix is one of cycling's oldest races, and was first held in 1896. Paris–Roubaix is famous for rough terrain, mud and cobblestones, or pavé (setts)^{[n 1]} – the race has been nicknamed l'enfer du Nord, or Hell of the North.^[1] Punctures and other mechanical problems are common and often influence the result.

In the early 2000s, French cyclist Marion Clignet recalled asking if the organisers of Paris–Roubaix would organise a women's edition of the race, with Jean-Marie Leblanc (who worked for the organisers) replying that they would not.^[2]

In the late 2010s, the women's peloton pushed again for the race, with Iris Slappendel stating that "we would love to have a Paris–Roubaix".^[3] In 2018, Union Cycliste Internationale president David Lappartient pushed for the race, stating "I dream of a Paris–Roubaix Feminine" in an interview with L'Équipe.^[4]

The announcement of the inaugural women's edition of Paris–Roubaix came as a surprise addition to the revised 2020 UCI Women's World Tour calendar.^[5] The race was scheduled for 25 October 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6]

The first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes took place in 2021,^[7] with Lizzie Deignan winning following a 80km solo attack described by commentators as one of the greatest Roubaix rides of all time.^[8][9][10] Paris–Roubaix Femmes is held on a Saturday in early April, with the men's race held the day after.

The Paris–Roubaix Femmes course uses the same roads and cobbled sectors as the men's race – albeit over a shorter distance (around 120 to 150km) – before finishing in the Roubaix Velodrome.^[11] Editions of the race have so far started in Denain,^[7][11] with 17 sectors of pavé including the famed Carrefour de l'Arbre and the Mons-en-Pévèle – both ranked at "five stars" in difficulty.^[11][12] The course is maintained by Les Amis de Paris–Roubaix, a group of fans of the race formed in 1983. The forçats du pavé seek to keep the course safe for riders while maintaining its difficulty.^[13]

Organisers noted they consider it "too dangerous" to include the five star cobbled sector Trouée d'Arenberg due to its proximity to the start in Denain,^[14] but they also noted that they "do not rule out that we will pass through ... in the future".^[15]

• Official website