Paris-Roubaix

It’s already four editions of the ‘Hell of the North’, the ‘Queen of the Classics’, for the UCI Women’s WorldTour peloton, over cobbled sectors – even if we’re still missing Arenberg – that usually offer one of the biggest spectacles in the whole classics season.

Even if it’s ‘only’ 17 pavé sections in the women’s race, the ‘Forest’ is the only challenging, significant one missing from a race which gathers all sectors in just 80km, as the first half of the race comprises two local laps around the start in Denain.

Two ‘five-star’ sectors are covered: Mons-en-Pévéle, with 49km to go, and the Carrefour de l’Arbre, usually decisive as the riders take on it just 17km from the finish at the legendary Velodrome.