2020 Paris-Roubaix Race Preview
The details of this year's 2020 Paris-Roubaix are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The cobblestones of northern France were set to provide their annual examination of suffering and endurance as the peloton prepared to tackle one of cycling's most celebrated monuments. The 2020 edition of the Hell of the North carried an unusual weight given the disruption caused by the global pandemic, with the race pushed back from its traditional spring slot to October, meaning riders would face the pavé under autumn conditions with the very real possibility of rain and mud adding an extra layer of brutality to an already punishing parcours.
The route would take the riders on a journey of 257 kilometres from Compiègne to the iconic velodrome in Roubaix, featuring 30 sections of cobblestones totalling around 54 kilometres of rough, jarring road surface. The famous sectors of Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l'Arbre would once again serve as the decisive battlegrounds where races are won and lost, where tyres explode and ambitions collapse in an instant.
Defending champion Philippe Gilbert would be among those hoping to repeat his 2019 triumph, though the Belgian would face fierce competition from a strong field. Mathieu van der Poel arrived carrying enormous expectation after his stunning performances throughout the season, his powerful and explosive riding style seemingly tailor-made for the demands of the cobbled classics. The young Dutchman had already announced himself as a generational talent and many tipped him as the favourite.
Wout van Aert represented another irresistible force, the Belgian having demonstrated throughout the season that he possessed the complete package of speed, strength and tactical intelligence required to succeed at this level. His performances in other monuments had underlined his credentials as a genuine contender for the highest honours on these roads.
The Deceuninck Quick-Step team, so often dominant in the classics, would arrive with options and experience, capable of making the race difficult through sheer accumulated pressure across the many kilometres of cobbles. Greg Van Avermaet, a former winner and perennial cobblestone contender, would also be hoping to add another monument to his palmarès.
The autumn scheduling meant that weather conditions were likely to play a significant role. Rain in the days before the race had the potential to transform the cobbled sectors into something approaching a cyclocross course, rewarding those with the technical skill to handle their machines through mud and standing water. Van der Poel and Van Aert, both accomplished cyclocross competitors, might find such conditions playing to their particular strengths.
Experience of reading the race correctly, positioning well through the nervous early kilometres and surviving the inevitable crashes and mechanicals that punctuate every edition would prove just as important as raw physical ability. The pavé rewards those who treat it with respect while simultaneously punishing any moment of inattention. For a few hours the riders would submit themselves to one of sport's most genuinely unpredictable examinations, and somewhere in the Roubaix velodrome a new chapter in a very old story would be written.
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