The third edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift will be held on Saturday, 8 April. The infamously challenging course features 29.2 km of cobblestones. The last 84 km of the men’s and women’s races are identical. Each sector is rated from 1 to 5 stars.
Following Paris–Roubaix race director Thierry Gouvenou and Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift race director Franck Perque’s most recent reconnaissance of the course on 4 April, the organisers have rated the difficulty of the cobbled sectors in the race based on their length, the unevenness of the cobbles, the overall condition of the sectors and their location. The Trouée d’Arenberg (no. 19), Mons-en-Pévèle (no. 11) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (no. 4) remain the only sectors with a five-star rating.
The cobble-gobblers scouting the roads from now until race day will spend the week acclimatising to this exceptional terrain and putting their gear through its paces. Meanwhile, the organisers have turned the invitation for the media to join in the recces into a tradition that starts with a fluffy omelette for breakfast at Chez Françoise in Troisvilles, an institution of Paris–Roubaix. Yet, with the first cobbled sector just around the corner, grub will be the last thing on the minds of the riders when they zip past this famous café.
For the riders of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, the first part of the course has been stretched, bringing the total distance close to 150 km. The cobblestones remain unchanged, with 29.2 km spread out over 17 sectors. The women’s course will converge with the men’s one with 84 km to go, starting with the 3.7 km long four-star sector from Hornaing to Wandignies, the very same one that Brit Lizzie Deignan used as a springboard for her victorious solo adventure last year. It will be much harder to catch the favourites unawares this time round.
The 17 cobbled sectors of Paris–Roubaix
17: Hornaing to Wandignies (km 174.1 — 3.7 km) ****
16: Warlaing to Brillon (km 181.6 — 2.4 km) ***
15: Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières (km 185.1 — 2.4 km) ****
14: Beuvry to Orchies (km 191.4 — 1.4 km) ***
13: Orchies (km 196.5 — 1.7 km) ***
12: Auchy to Bersée (km 202.6 — 2.7 km) ****
11: Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208 — 3 km) *****
10: Mérignies to Avelin (km 214 — 0.7 km) **
9: Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin (km 217.4 — 1.4 km) ***
8: Templeuve — L’Épinette (km 222.8 — 0.2 km) *
8: Templeuve — Moulin-de-Vertain (km 223.3 — 0.5 km) **
7: Cysoing to Bourghelles (km 229.8 — 1.3 km) ***
6: Bourghelles to Wannehain (km 232.3 — 1.1 km) ***
5: Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 236.7 — 1.8 km) ****
4: Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 239.5 — 2.1 km) *****
3: Gruson (km 242.3 — 1.1 km) **
2: Willems to Hem (km 248.4 — 1.4 km) ***
1: Roubaix (km 255.2 — 0.3 km) *
Paris-Roubaix Challenge
Saturday, April 8th 2022 – 24 hours before Paris-Roubaix and a few hours before Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, a peloton of amateur riders will measure themselves on this legendary spring classic and its fabled cobblestone sectors. Three distances are on offer to cyclists, in order to accommodate all the preparation levels: 70, 145 and 170 kms. Every rider will find an appropriate legend.
Information and registration on parisroubaixchallenge.com and timeto.com
