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paris roubaix weekend report
bit late but had a fantastic weekend riding the paris roubaix challenge then watching the pro race the day after. would thoroughly recommend both events.
sign on friday at the velodrome in roubaix was sunny and warm with lots going on. had a beer at the velo club roubaix who must have one of the best club houses in the world, with all the winners listed above the bar and loads of photos and memorabilia.
saturday the weather changed, colder, windy and wet. started from busigny on the longest 170 km route featuring all the 27 sections of pave from the pro race, in pouring rain. first cobbled section came after 13 km and after that longest section of road between pave was 10 km, 52.5 km of pave in total.
i was riding with a mate paul and we both had a very shaky start (pun intended) on the first 2 sections of cobbles, before gaining confidence on the longer and drier 3rd section and starting to ride more aggressively and smooth out the bumps a bit. Riding the cobbles fast felt good, although it still hurt. though even when I thought I was riding them hard someone would occasionally fly by me. 23 mph average on one section mr hadsley?! That is mighty impressive.
one puncture for paul then after 70 km we hit the trouee d'arenberg (arenberg trench) and our confidence was shattered. you go into it fast downhill and the cobbles are far worse than anything before, plus they were muddy for the first time. 2 ambulances were treating a crash victim with oxygen as we came past which didnt do much for confidence, although apparently it wasnt as bad as it looked. we came to a virtual stop as we tried to work out how to ride these muddy randomly spaced rocks with sharp edges. a girl watching with her friend helpfully observed "thats not the way to do it" looking at me... thanks for that.
sign on friday at the velodrome in roubaix was sunny and warm with lots going on. had a beer at the velo club roubaix who must have one of the best club houses in the world, with all the winners listed above the bar and loads of photos and memorabilia.
saturday the weather changed, colder, windy and wet. started from busigny on the longest 170 km route featuring all the 27 sections of pave from the pro race, in pouring rain. first cobbled section came after 13 km and after that longest section of road between pave was 10 km, 52.5 km of pave in total.
i was riding with a mate paul and we both had a very shaky start (pun intended) on the first 2 sections of cobbles, before gaining confidence on the longer and drier 3rd section and starting to ride more aggressively and smooth out the bumps a bit. Riding the cobbles fast felt good, although it still hurt. though even when I thought I was riding them hard someone would occasionally fly by me. 23 mph average on one section mr hadsley?! That is mighty impressive.
one puncture for paul then after 70 km we hit the trouee d'arenberg (arenberg trench) and our confidence was shattered. you go into it fast downhill and the cobbles are far worse than anything before, plus they were muddy for the first time. 2 ambulances were treating a crash victim with oxygen as we came past which didnt do much for confidence, although apparently it wasnt as bad as it looked. we came to a virtual stop as we tried to work out how to ride these muddy randomly spaced rocks with sharp edges. a girl watching with her friend helpfully observed "thats not the way to do it" looking at me... thanks for that.
Comments
food stops were excellent. weather improved after arenberg although there was a tough head wind. we got through the 2nd 5 star section mons en pevele. ditched rain jackets and changed gloves when we saw jane and claire,
then after we left them it chucked it down again and from then on the cobbles were very muddy and wet.
by the last sections of cobbles my legs were suffering from trying to ride hard, i knew i had the stamina but was short on strength/speed. with the worse conditions too we inevitably slowed down on the cobbles as did most other riders. of course that makes it worse, its much harder to ride them slowly, but you need to overcome fear, tired legs and sore arms/hands... was convinced at times that i couldnt hold the bars for any longer. probably the right decision to slow down as having seen only a couple of crashes suddenly towards the end saw 4 or 5 people in front of me come off, usually a slow topple sideways into the field accompanied by an angry curse..
anyway got through the final sections but was really tired by now. Managed to speed up on the road into Roubaix. All the road sections felt beautifully smooth after the cobbles. Coming into the velodrome saw the girls at the top of the banking and started to head up there before realising I didnt really have the speed jane helpfully called out be careful, loads of people have been slipping off there , but I made it safely back towards the cote dazur and got some speed up for the final bend and finish straight. Great place to finish a ride, and great atmosphere.
Straight to the mythical Roubaix showers as they are signed, brilliant no queue and unlimited hot water to wash away the mud. Quite busy so couldnt choose your previous winners changing cubicle. I ended up in the Andrea Tafi, Paul got the prized Tom Boonen, hence photo opportunities. Then grabbed a beer and went into the Stablinski indoor velodrome next door to see last 20 mins of Francois Lamiraud setting a new French hour record, beating Roger Revieres record that had incredibly been in place since 1958. 49.4 km was the new record. Great atmosphere and nice way to end the day. Thanks to Tim for bike advice and maintenance, and Geoff and Daniel for suggesting Vittoria Open Paves (25mm) a great tyre. No punctures and plenty of grip. Yes I would thoroughly recommend this ride, its brilliant, but after reflecting for almost a week, I think it is the hardest thing I have ever done on a bike.
cobbles
arenberg trench
more cobbles
mons en pevel
getting tired now and its muddy
very muddy
in the velodrome at last
this chap again, note the wooden bike, no pedals.. how did he do roubaix and flanders on that?!
the mythical showers
puccio leads for sky, wiggins about 6 or 7 back
carrefour de l'arbe
everyone watching has a beer
flandriens get excited as roelants leads
this topsport vlanderen rider looks how i felt at this point
as the crowds disappear and the back markers still come in, jane and claire dont seem to be giving this orica green edge rider the respect a pro rider deserves
What is the secret of the Arenberg cobbles - speed and bravery?
What bikes did you ride? CX'ers?
For a moment my whole body ached, as if I'd ridden it too ... but G&T has sorted me out. Here comes my (cobble-free) weekend
Great read
Adam
Anybody else thinking Flanders or Roubaix sportive in 2016?
I think most were on road bikes but there were lots of CX and MTB too.
Arenberg.. Yes I think speed, big gear, low cadence and bravery...
I heard the guy on the Arenberg broke his leg! Ouch.
Jeremy - all 6 of us were on CX bikes, mainly for tyre clearance. If you can get at least 25mm tyres on a road bike then that would be fine. 28mm or 30mm is better though and you'd appreciate it by the end. You've got it spot on for riding the Arenberg and all of the cobbles really, speed and courage. Like most off roading when it gets tough, you need to commit to the cause, hesitation is your enemy.
Edit - re: riding the cobbles, I think more important than speed is something to push against. My friend Basti kept saying he didn't mind the headwind as it gave him something to push against which made things easier, if that's not too much of an oxymoron.