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If somebody tried to create Paris-Roubaix in 2025, the UCI probably wouldn’t allow it.
Endless kilometers of bone-jarring cobblestones, haphazardly strewn across narrow farm roads.
One and a half finishing laps of a concrete velodrome that’s a relic at nearly 90 years old.
And the prize?
A ridiculous oversized cobblestone.
THE COBBLE
Les plus beaux trophées du monde sont offerts par l’association des Amis de Paris-Roubaix pic.twitter.com/PTE5EKyLFO
— Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix (@A_ParisRoubaix) April 8, 2025
Here are all you need to know ahead of Sunday’s favorite cobblestone crunch:
122nd Paris-Roubaix
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- Distance: 259km total, 55km cobbles across 30 sectors
- Start: Compiègne, 11:25 CET
- First cobblestone sector: Troisvilles (96km): 13:30 CET
- 3 x 5-star rated sectors: Trouée d’Arenberg (164km), Mons-En-Pévèle (211km), Carrefour de l’Arbre (242km)
- Finish: Roubaix, 17:20 CET
- Four most recent winners: Van der Poel, Van der Poel, Van Baarle, Colbrelli
The favorites
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Mathieu van der Poel
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Tadej Pogačar, Mads Pedersen
⭐⭐⭐: Wout van Aert, Filippo Ganna, Jasper Philipsen
⭐⭐: Jasper Stuyven, Stefan Küng, Nils Politt
⭐: Dylan van Baarle, Matej Mohorič, Florian Vermeersch
Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar are the superstars of the spring and the monument rivals of the era. They lead the peloton in term of palmarès, prestige, power, and attacking verve.
And better still, there’s little to separate them this year.
MVDP foiled Pogačar at Milan-San Remo, and Pogi got his own back in sensational fashion last week at De Ronde.
But despite Pogačar’s wreckin’ ball assault on Tour of Flanders, it’s Van der Poel who takes five stars for Sunday’s race. The Dutchman has two cobblestone trophies on his mantlepiece, and has never finished outside the top-10 at the “Hell of the North.”
With four Roubaix starts to his name and an extra 8kg on his frame, Van der Poel is a safer bet than the Slovenian.
But this is Pogačar … what can’t he do? Nobody will rule out this paradigm-shifting phenom.
Next up is Mads Pedersen, the third outright star of the spring.
The Dane has been relentless all season and has a durable dynamo-sprint you can gamble your house on if he goes to the final in a group.
And Wout van Aert?
His resurgence at the Tour of Flanders suggests WVA is far from done. Roubaix suits him best of all the spring classics, and he’s hitting from right on time to deliver in his favored “Hellish” playground.
Paris-Roubaix: Course map, cobblestone sectors
