Saturday 06 April 2024 at 14h23

While the women are shaking their bikes today on the cobblestones of the Nord department, it's the men's turn tomorrow, Sunday April 7, 2024: indeed Paris-Roubaix 2024 is already here!

With a slightly modified route, notably in the first cobblestone sectors, and with the introduction of the now famous chicane before entering the Trouée d'Arenberg, this 121st edition of the queen of classics promises spectacle as usual. With the weather forecast to be dry, and just a little rain in the middle of the night after a hot day today, we're likely to see more dust than mud on the cobbles tomorrow!

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The 29 cobbled sectors of Paris-Roubaix 2024

With a slightly different route to that of 2023, the cobbled sectors vary slightly, especially on the first ones, which will be the source of repeated shaking of the riders' bikes in this classic. As a result, the total distance covered on the cobbles increases a little, from 54.5 km last year to 55.7 km this year (+1.2 km).

However, the difficulty ratings assigned to these cobbled sectors after reconnaissance by race director Thierry Gouvenou and Paris-Roubaix Femmes director Franck Perque on Tuesday are strictly identical to those of last year (and previous years basically). It's hardly surprising that the scores are identical, given that the criteria taken into account in awarding the scores are length (which doesn't move), irregularity of the cobbles (which doesn't move or at least doesn't move much, with the exception of major repairs or deterioration), general condition of the section (which doesn't move much, especially when the weather is similar) and its location (which hardly moves at all).

As before, therefore, 3 sectors are rated 5 stars (the most difficult): Trouée d'Arenberg (#19), Mons-en-Pévèle (#11) and Carrefour de l'Arbre (#4). For the first of these, the Trouée d'Arenberg, what the organizers call a chicane was installed just upstream, to slow the pace and reduce the risk of falls at the entrance to the sector. We talk about it just below!
#locationlengthkmrating
29Troisvilles à Inchy2,2 km96⭐️⭐️⭐️
28Viesly à Quiévy1,8 km102,5⭐️⭐️⭐️
27Quiévy à Saint-Python3,7 km105,1⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
26Viesly à Briastre3 km111,3⭐️⭐️⭐️
25Vertain à Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon2,3 km122,6⭐️⭐️⭐️
24Capelle à Ruesnes1,7 km129,3⭐️⭐️⭐️
23Artres à Quérénaing1,3 km138,3⭐️⭐️
22Quérénaing à Maing2,5 km140,1⭐️⭐️⭐️
21Maing à Monchaux-sur-Écaillon1,6 km143,2⭐️⭐️⭐️
20Haveluy à Wallers2,5 km156,2⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
19Trouée d'Arenberg2,3 km164,4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
18Wallers à Hélesmes1,6 km170,4⭐️⭐️⭐️
17Hornaing à Wandignies3,7 km177,2⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
16Warlaing à Brillon2,4 km184,7⭐️⭐️⭐️
15Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières2,4 km188,2⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14Beuvry-la-Forêt à Orchies1,4 km194,5⭐️⭐️⭐️
13Orchies1,7 km199,5⭐️⭐️⭐️
12Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée2,7 km205,6⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11Mons-en-Pévèle3 km211,1⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10Mérignies à Avelin0,7 km217,1⭐️⭐️
9Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin1,4 km220,5⭐️⭐️⭐️
8Templeuve (L'Épinette)
Templeuve (Moulin-de-Vertain)
0,2 km
0,5 km
225,9
226,4
⭐️
⭐️⭐️
7Cysoing à Bourghelles1,3 km232,8⭐️⭐️⭐️
6Bourghelles à Wannehain1,1 km235,3⭐️⭐️⭐️
5Camphin-en-Pévèle1,8 km239,8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4Carrefour de l'Arbre2,1 km242,5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3Gruson1,1 km244,8⭐️⭐️
2Willems à Hem1,4 km251,5⭐️⭐️
1Roubaix (Espace Charles Crupelandt)0,3 km258,3⭐️

The famous chicane at the entrance of the Trouée d'Arenberg

At the request of the association of Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) for safety reasons, the organizer has modified the approach to the Trouée d'Arenberg. As stated in a press release from the organizers, the course will take in a chicane just before the entrance of the sector, to slow the speed of entry and limit the risk of falls on the cobbles.

According to the French Larousse dictionary, a chicane is a series of obstacles arranged on a road in such a way as to impose a zigzag course. That's not quite what we're doing here, however, as it's more of a right-turn followed by a 180-degree turn back before turning right to enter the Trouée d'Arenberg (as seen below in the video of Italian RAI journalist Stefano Rizzato, to which Mathieu van der Poel responds). This way of entering the Trouée d'Arenberg will, by definition, have the effect of reducing the approach speed.

However, it represents two potential dangers:
  • firstly, it is immediately outside the train crossing just in front of the Trouée d'Arenberg. As a result, if the peloton arrives in a large group at this point (which is still relatively likely, as this sector is relatively early in the race), it will have to brake as it passes this train crossing. Tomorrow, this won't really be a problem, but we can only imagine the damage it could cause on a wet road!
  • the U-turn (180-degree turn) to be made at the right-hand end of this "chicane" can also cause damage, if it has to be done in a large group, even if speed has already been slightly reduced by turning right beforehand.
Not surprisingly, race favourite Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was left wondering whether this was all a joke. Although the Dutch rider has since explained his comment, saying that it's good that solutions are being found to reduce risks, he still wonders if this is the best possible solution...

The Paris-Roubaix 2024 route on Open Street Maps

The start from Compiègne on the Place du Général de Gaulle will be given -according to the time- and route schedule- at 11:10 am.

After the start, the riders will take the Rue du Dahomey, the Place Saint-Jacques, the Rue Magenta, the Rue Jean Legendre, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, the Rue Solférino, the Cours Guynemer, the Rue de Soissons, then the Rue du Bataillon de France, the Route de Choisy, the Rue du Président Roosevelt, the D66 and the Rue Raymond Poincaré, before rejoining the D130 as usual, where the actual start will be given. Riders then follow the D130 towards Saint-Léger-aux-Bois and Pont-l'Evêque towards Noyon, then via Ham and Saint-Quentin to the first cobbled sector, the usual Troisvilles à Inchy.

2 more cobbled sectors follow, before moving on to the Viesly à Briastre sector, which returns to the course, and before passing through the first feed zone, which is at the same place as usual, still in Solesmes. After the usual cobbled sector from Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon, the second change in the course takes place, with the cobbled sectors from Capelle to Ruesnes (24) and from Artres to Quérénaing (23), before returning to the usual route.

In all, the riders will pass over 55.7 kilometers of cobbles, and will be able to refuel a second time in the feeding zone in Beuvry-la-Forêt. The finish is as usual at the Vélodrome of Roubaix after a complete lap of the track (300 meters from the track entrance + 500 meters of a complete lap = 800 meters in total).

Below you'll find the time- and route schedule and Open Street Maps for the 2024 Paris-Roubaix route. Click on the images to open them.
The profile of Paris-Roubaix 2024 The time- and route schedule of Paris-Roubaix 2024 The Paris-Roubaix 2024 race route

You can use this map to plan your visit to Paris-Roubaix 2024 down to the last detail. No more excuses for not having enough information provided by the organizer!

The Paris-Roubaix 2024 route in Google Earth

If you'd prefer to see the Paris-Roubaix 2024 route in Google Earth, so that you can take a virtual flyover of the course, for example, I invite you to download it in Google Earth by clicking on the following link:

>> Download the Paris-Roubaix 2024 route in Google Earth (KML file)

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The 25 teams at the start of Paris-Roubaix 2024

25 teams will be at the start of Paris-Roubaix 2024: the 18 UCI WorldTeams, as well as:
- Bingoal WB
- Israel-Premier Tech
- Lotto Dstny
- Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Team Flanders-Baloise
- TotalEnergies
- Uno-X Mobility

The participants list for Paris-Roubaix 2024 is now available!

TV coverage of Paris-Roubaix 2024

As usual, the race will be broadcast in its entirety in France, both on France Télévisions (France 3 from 10:50 a.m.; between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. it will be switched to France 4, before returning to France 3) and on Eurosport 1 France (from 11:00 a.m.)!

Outside France, the race will be broadcast on Eurosport 1 from 11:30 a.m., as well as on RTBF and VRT in Belgium, NOS in the Netherlands, DKTV2 in Denmark, Teledeporte in Spain, RAI Sport in Italy, RTL in Luxembourg, TV2 in Norway and several other broadcasters in other countries.

Paris-Roubaix 2024 results

>> On Sunday evening, go to the Paris-Roubaix 2024 entry in the UCI cycling calendar to find out the race result!

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Classics | Paris-Roubaix | OpenStreetMap/Google Maps/Google Earth

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