Paris-Roubaix: Can Pogacar end Van der Poel’s three-year reign to complete full Monument set?

To Paris-Roubaix. The Hell of the North is here. Cobbles, mud and suffering await.It stands as the only major one-day race to elude Tadej Pogacar; victory this weekend could see the Slovenian take a giant step towards Eddy Merckx at the summit of cycling’s firmament.Probably the sport’s most famous race outside the Tour de France, the 258km route includes more than 50km of cobbles (144km and 33.7km of cobbles for the women), taking the peloton from just outside the French capital to the Belgian border. These are roads over which it would be unkind to ride a horse, never mind a bike.Paris-Roubaix is always an extraordinary day. The Athletic’s writers discuss how it could unfold.Advertisement