Ohboyohboyohboyohboy! Two more sleeps and one of the best races to watch (but maybe not to ride) is here: Paris-Roubaix. There’s really no race like it.
The pavé has a way of levelling everything. One mistake, one puncture, one wrong line and the race tilts. It’s as much about surviving as it is about strength, with only the finest margin separating glory from disaster.
This year, the men’s race brings another proper heavyweight rematch. Mathieu van der Poel returns chasing history after smoking Roubaix the last few times. Tadej Pogačar lines up again with unfinished business. The world champion is there to make history. He wants to complete his sweep of the five Monuments. He somehow won Milan-San Remo, after a crash before the Cipressa which made the impossible win that more impossible. But now, Roubaix is the last one left.
2025 Paris-Roubaix
Last time out, the early break had its moment before the favourites took over and the tension tightened. Pogačar lit things up first, forcing splits and putting rivals under pressure, only for van der Poel to respond with the kind of authority Roubaix winners need. A select group formed, then fractured again as the sectors wore on.
The decisive moment didn’t come from strength alone, but from a rare mistake. Deep in the race, Pogačar misjudged a corner, and suddenly everything shifted. Van der Poel rode on and took the win.
Pogi chased, but the race was gone.
He’s said to be even better this year…another level up again, somehow. But Roubaix isn’t just about form. It’s about luck, or more accurately, avoiding bad luck. Everyone flats, everyone gets caught behind something. The trick is minimizing how many times you flat or crash.
And, honestly, a race likes Roubaix is not a two-man show. Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen are both more than capable of capitalizing if anything goes sideways. And there are plenty others in the field that could sneak away.
Canucks headed to Hell (Of the North)
From a Canadian perspective, there should be a few representin’. Names are still being finalized, but there’s a good chance of seeing familiar flags in the chaos of the cobbles. NSN Cycling’s Guillaume Boivin, who had a 9th at the Hell of the North a few years back, is for sure there. And undoubtedly national champ and former Roubaix winner, Alison Jackson will be racing. There may be a few more added in the next day or two.
Both men’s and women’s Paris-Roubaix races are available to stream in Canada on FloBikes.com. The fellas coverage begins at, gulp, 4:35 a.m. EDT and the women’s at 10:55 a.m. There are also junior and under-23 men’s races, each with some Canadians, but no live coverage–but we gotcha on that.
Canadian Cycling Magazine will have full coverage, with updates to come as the start lists are confirmed.
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