While Paris-Roubaix is the most tiring race to cover, there's a short window of about half an hour at the end of both the men's and women's races that are likely my favourite cumulative hour of work all year.
While Wout van Aert and Franziska Koch rightly take the headlines and draw the lenses, it's everyone else flopping onto the ground in various states of discomfort that I like to focus on.
Every rider has a story from the day one way or another. Some good, some horrible, but in either case their faces are covered in grot and grime from hours riding. Soigneurs comfort the broken, friends from different teams embrace and swap stories, and small cans of Coca-Cola and Fanta litter the floor, mixing with discarded finger tape, bandages, and nasal strips.
Here are some of the scenes from inside the velodrome on Sunday afternoon.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
The lead group enters the velodrome in the women's race.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Despite the threat of rain the race stayed mostly dry and even sunny.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Blanka Vas was dropped from the lead group shortly before the finish and sat alone at the end. She was not in a happy place.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Teamwork makes the dream work, though; a soothing arm from Lorena Wiebes.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Cherry juice, not blood. Many riders now drink this as a matter of course for muscle recovery after every race.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Emma Norsgaard gives an interview, though she looked a little shell-shocked and likely frustrated by her teammate Lucinda Brand being taken out by a spectator.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Kathrin Schweinberger looked on the verge of tears, but I'm not sure if they were happy or sad... or just down to pure exhaustion.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
After finishing, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot rode back through the crowd looking understandably stoney-faced.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Charlotte Kool had one of the best thousand yard stares of the day.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Hand inspection was a common theme.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
I think this was Susanne Andersen, who required her soigneur to stretch her legs for her while she lay on the ground, clearly in some considerable discomfort.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Haribo and cherry juice: the ultimate recovery combo.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Letizia Borghesi had a lot of race etched on her face while trying to talk to the camera.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Lewis Askey looked like he'd had a particularly hard day at the office.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
He could barely sit up once he dismounted his bike.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
He came in 13th though, which is a great result.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Mathias Vacek was also struggling.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Rather than the floor he simply slumped over his bars for a while.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
After coming second once again, Tadej Pogačar embraced his teammates as they crossed the line.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Wout's win was popular, but nowhere more so than with his teammates.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Stressed staff members watch on from the sidelines.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Seventh place for Pedersen.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Like so many others he was absolutely gassed.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Stefan Bissegger, though he looked relatively fresh under the dirt. His race wasn't marred by the incidents that beset so many others, I heard from his team staff.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Remarkably clean overshoes, though not entirely unharmed.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
John Degenkolb absolutely loves this race, and embracing his daughter erased any hint of exhaustion.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Sam Welsford looks for his teammates.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
At 19 years old, Ezra Caudell was the youngest rider in the race. He looked battered, but chipper.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Stanisław Aniolkowski gets his cherry juice in.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Mark Stewart had also had a day out, much like his teammate Caudell.
(Image credit: Will Jones)
Roubaix isn't just tiring for the riders it seems, but these three did crash out quite early.
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
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