*The Hell of the North* Sunday 10am, Eurosport

116th Paris-Roubaix (1.UWT) One Day Race (Compiègne  ›  Roubaix  257km)

Video Teaser
https://www.paris-roubaix.fr/en/home-gallery/video-gallery-teaser-2018

Recent Winners
2017 | VAN AVERMAET Greg
2016 | HAYMAN Mathew
2015 | DEGENKOLB John
2014 | TERPSTRA Niki
2013 | CANCELLARA Fabian
2012 | BOONEN Tom
2011 | VANSUMMEREN Johan
2010 | CANCELLARA Fabian
2009 | BOONEN Tom
2008 | BOONEN Tom

Top-10 previous edition
1. VAN AVERMAET Greg 5:41:07
2. STYBAR Zdenek same time
3. LANGEVELD Sebastian st
4. STUYVEN Jasper st
5. MOSCON Gianni st
6. DÉMARE Arnaud at 0:12
7. GREIPEL André same time
8. THEUNS Edward st
9. PETIT Adrien st
10. DEGENKOLB John st

Another superb Sunday in store here. Belgians might not agree, but Paris-Roubaix is probably the hardest one-day race on the calendar. Known as "l'Enfer du Nord" or Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix is characterised by its many sections of pavé, or cobblestones, that make up much of the distance, in fact more than one fifth. Like the other monuments, this race is always a challenging 250km+ which just on distance alone puts everyone apart from the elite into the red. Unlike the other monuments though, Paris Roubaix is virtually flat but has 55km of cobblestones sections. The cobbled sections will always elongate the peloton, which means they fight for position in the run-in to the cobbled sections to avoid losing position and wasting valuable energy catching back up, so they always hit the cobbles fast. Hitting these cobblestones at 60km/hr on a racing bike requires incredible bike handling skills. As per usual, the race finishes with a lap of the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux in Roubaix, but it rarely ends in a sprint, and 60 kilo climbers or Grand Tour contenders need not apply here. The last time Paris-Roubaix was taken by a Tour de France winner was when Bernard Hinault, the hardest of all the Tour winners, did it in 1981 before describing it as "race for idiots" and never coming back. This is a race for the road captains. The big boys. The hard men of the peloton.

They don't hit the first cobbles until 93km into the race but from there on the pavé comes thick and fast as they head up from Compiegne, just North of Paris, up through France towards Lille and then finish with the traditional lap of the Roubaix velodrome. There are 29 sections of pavé in total. Some of the sections of cobbles are reasonably even and well maintained. Others are uneven and dangerous, requiring riders to look for the best lines, which might be on the centre or crown of the road, or might be on the edge or the grass verge. When it is dry the cobbles throw up clouds of dust. When they are wet, the cobbles are lethally slippy. Punctures are commonplace. Crashes are inevitable. The 29 paved sections are rated by the organisers of the race based on their length, the unevenness of the cobbles, the overall condition of the sectors and their location. The toughest sections are the *5 star rated La Trouée d'Arenberg (km 162), Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208.5) and the Carrefour de l'Arbre (km 240).



The 29 cobbled sections of 2018 Paris Roubaix
29: Troisvilles (km 93.5 — 2.2 km) ***
28: Briastre (km 100 — 3 km) ***
27: Saint-Python (km 109 — 1.5 km) ***
26: Quiévy (km 111.5 — 3.7 km) ****
25: Saint-Vaast (km 119 — 1.5 km) ***
24: Verchain-Maugré (km 130 — 1.2 km) **
23: Quérénaing (km 134.5 — 1.6 km) ***
22: Maing (km 137.5 — 2.5 km) ***
21: Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (km 140.5 — 1.6 km) ***
20: Haveluy (km 153.5 — 2.5 km) ****
19: Trouée d'Arenberg (km 162 — 2.4 km) *****
18: Hélesmes (km 168 — 1.6 km) ***
17: Wandignies (km 174.5 — 3.7 km) ****
16: Brillon (km 182 — 2.4 km) ***
15: Sars-et-Rosières (km 185.5 — 2.4 km) ****
14: Beuvry-la-Forêt (km 189 — 1.4 km) ***
13: Orchies (km 197 — 1.7 km) ***
12: Bersée (km 203 — 2.7 km) ****
11: Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208.5 — 3 km) *****
10: Avelin (km 214.5 — 0.7 km) **
9: Ennevelin (km 218 — 1.4 km) ***
8: Templeuve — L'Épinette (km 223.5 — 0.2 km) *
8: Templeuve — Moulin-de-Vertain (km 224 — 0.5 km) **
7: Cysoing (km 230.5 — 1.3 km) ***
6: Bourghelles (km 233 — 1.1 km) ***
5: Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 237.5 — 1.8 km) ****
4: Carrefour de l'Arbre (km 240 — 2.1 km) *****
3: Gruson (km 242.5 — 1.1 km) **
2: Hem (km 249 — 1.4 km) ***
1: Roubaix (km 256 - 0.3 km) *

Contenders
Peter Sagan 10/3
The 3-time World Champion and winning machine is not happy. Despite taking a stage of the Tour Down Under and Gent-Wevelgem he's not had things all his own way this spring. His domination and his ability to win in such a wide variety of ways has meant that his opponents have refused to work with him for fear of handing him a win, and he's often been the one who has needed to chase down Quickstep. Last weekend at The Ronde he probably made a rare tactical mistake burning his dependable super-domestique Daniel Oss chasing down the four escapees, which set things up for Quickstep and Terpstra to pounce. I don't expect him to make the same mistake again here and a change of tactics and an early attack should not be a surprise in the race he hasn't won yet and wants on his palmares most of all. In a race that you'd think would suit more than any other, it is astonishing that he only has one top ten finish and his best finishing position in this race is only 6th.


Greg Van Avermaet
Like Sagan, GVA has an issue. Quickstep are so dominant and they have so many cards to play that GVA and Sagan can be caught between a rock and a hard place. If they attack too early they burn a match and Quickstep can chase it down. If they let one of the Quickstep contenders up the road then they are forced to chase, and it sets things up for one of the other men in blue. However, there's no getting away from the fact that GVA is probably the strongest and most consistent rider over the cobbles. After all, unlike Sagan, GVA has been there and done that in this race. He has raced 8 times here and never not finished. As well as his win in this last year he has a 3rd and a 4th to his name. If he can nail the tactics he'll be right on the premises.


Sep Vanmarcke 12/1
Despite being unquestionably one of the strongest riders in the peloton, and one of the most skilled riders on the pavé, and continually being on the premises at the sharp end of these races Vanmarcke only has an Omloop in 2013 on his palmares. He's ridden Paris-Roubaix 6 times and finished 6 times, and has a 2nd and two 4ths to his name. His form this spring has been typical Sep, a 3rd in Dwards Doors Vlaanderen and Omloop are scant consolation for a rider of his undoubted ability. At 29 it's not too late for Vanmarcke to start winning, and there wouldn't be a dry eye in the velodrome if he was able to avoid the typical punctures, mechanicals, badly-timed attacks and other hard luck stories, and finally picked up the cobblestone trophy but the price is surely too skinny for a man who threatens but so far at least doesn't deliver.


Phil Gilbert 12/1
One of several options for Quickstep, but in my eyes their best option. At Ronde, Terpstra went first and his attack stayed out. Gilbert proved how good his legs were by winning from the group in behind to take third on the day. His palmares is superb, this has been his stated target all year, and he's looked mega strong in the cobbled races so far. He won Ronde last year with a long range attack that was never brought back, and I think he'll try and get out in front again in this and make the other contenders chase him, safe in the knowledge that even if he is brought back it will set things up for his Quickstep team mates. Big Phil has a fantastic chance.


The Others
As well as Gilbert, Quickstep have several other cards to play in Terpstra 10/1 who won this race in 2014 and has already won Le Samyn, E3 Harelbeke and Ronde this year. He will obviously have his share of fans, and be well marked. They also have Zdenek Stybar 14/1 who has been runner-up twice in three years and Yves Lampaert 50/1 who won Dwars Doors Vlaanderen 10 days before this. Any of those four are potential winners. Quickstep are so dominant this season that all the other sides have to find a way of beating them first then winning the race second. Jon Degenkolb 14/1 won this race in 2015 but looks short based on what he's shown since his return from missing the following season after being taken out by a car in a training accident, and he will only share co-leadership  of Trek with Jesper Stuyven 22/1 who at the prices may be a better bet. Alexander Kristoff 25/1 hasn't had a great couple of years, he's seemed to have declined from the superstar sprinter and classics specialist from a couple of years ago, but there have been signs that he's coming back to form and he's dangerous to discount. Gianni Moscon 25/1, Oli Naesen 25/1 and Mads Pedersen 33/1 are the young, improving cobbled classic specialists, and while it would be a mild surprise to see them win this, it would shock no-one if they made the final selection, and a podium is a possibility for all three.  Sky actually have a strong squad for this, with Luke Rowe 66/1 and Ian Stannard 40/1 seemingly come back into form. Wout Van Aert 18/1 has continued to impress in his debut spring classics season but his price is surely too short given the quality of his rivals in this. Arnaud Demare 25/1 and Matteo Trentin 66/1 are sprinters that handle the cobbles well and could be contenders if they can follow the attacks. Demare especially has shown progressively improving results in this race and could be a serious contender.

My idea of the Winner
He's won the World Championships, Ronde Van Vlaaderen, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Lombardia twice and Amstel Gold four times. He's one of the strongest men in the peloton and has been targeting this race all season. It's time for Phil Gilbert to complete his Palmares by winning The Hell of the North, I've taken the 14 and 15 available here win only. Of the others, I like Stuyven and Kristoff as each way plays and I'll take them with one of the books who are paying each way bets to four places.