Lizzie Deignan solos to victory at the inaugural Hell of the North and raises the famed cobble trophy at the velodrome in Roubaix
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The women toe the start line at the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Australian Champion Saray Roy (Image credit: Getty Images)
World Champion Elisa Balsamo (Image credit: Getty Images)
Dutch Champion Amy Pieters, Belgian Champion Lotte Kopecky, and Canadian Champion Alison Jackson (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan waves to the crowds at sign-in on the stage at the start of Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
World Champion Elisa Balsamo and Valcar Travel & Service at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
European Champion Ellen van Dijk at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Jumbo-Visma bike and tire choice for Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos ahead of the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Detailed view of route profile in a head set prior to the 1st Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2021 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Newly-crowned World Champion Elisa Balsamo racing in the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lauretta Hanson leads the field at the start of Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The peloton racing by the corn fields at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
US Champion Lauren Stephens from gravel to cobble racing at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Teniel Campbell racing with BikeExchange at the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) makes her winning attack at the start of the first cobbled sector, Hornaing à Wandignies, at 30km into the race (Image credit: Getty Images)
Christine Majerus (SD Worx) leads the chase at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The start of Paris-Roubaix Femmes in Denain, France (Image credit: Getty Images)
Denain hosted the start of the first ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Drops-le Col crash on the pavé at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Annemiek van Vleuten struggles over the cobbles at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The fans were out on the side of the cobble sectors to watch the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
US Champion Lauren Stephens (TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) on the pavé at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Emma Boogard (Drops) tries to work her way forward over the cobbles after splits in the field at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Balsamo struggles to stay on her bike over the muddy cobbles and gets service from neutral support (Image credit: Getty Images)
German Champion Lisa Brennauer (Image credit: Getty Images)
French rider Aude Biannic (Movistar) racing on home soil at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marta Bastianelli ended up finishing in fifth place (Image credit: Getty Images)
Leah Thomas (Movistar) crashed during Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Christine Majerus using her cyclo-cross skills (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lauretta Hanson (Trek-Segafredo) crashed mid-race with Leah Thomas (Movistar) (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan flying over the cobbles ... looking very comfortable (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) (Image credit: Getty Images)
Italian Champion Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) followed by Emma Norsgaard (Movistar), both crashed during the race (Image credit: Getty Images)
Chantal van den Broek Blaak (SD Worx) (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan pushing after more than 82km off the front solo at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos in a desperate chase to try and catch Lizzie Deignan (Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini racing in third place (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos chasing Lizzie Deignan in the closing kilometres of Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos took back a minute to Lizzie Deignan but it was not enough (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan fights to stay ahead of a chasing Marianne Vvos (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan give it everything to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan rounds the velodrome in Roubaix, hearing the bell that signalled one remaining lap (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan takes the victory at the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos crosses the line in second place (Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini finishes third but raises an arm to celebrate Deignan's victory for Trek-Segafredo (Image credit: Getty Images)
French rider Audrey Cordon-Ragot at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marta Bastianelli wins the sprint for fifth place (Image credit: Getty Images)
German Champion Lisa Brennauer in fourth (Image credit: Getty Images)
Teniel Campbell and Jessica Allen (Image credit: Tim De Waele/Getty Images)
Trek-Segafredo celebrate the victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan after winning Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan, Marianne Vos and Elisa Longo Borghini on the podium at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lizzie Deignan, Marianne Vos and Elisa Longo Borghini on the podium at Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The famous cobble trophy presented to Lizzie Deignan as the winner of the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The famous cobble trophy presented to Lizzie Deignan as the winner of the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The famous cobble trophy presented to Lizzie Deignan as the winner of the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
The famous cobble trophy presented to Lizzie Deignan as the winner of the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)
There were 129 women who made history as they toed the start line for the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes on October 2. Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) secured an astonishing 82km solo victory and went down in history as the first woman to win the Hell of the North.
The race started in Denain under damp weather conditions but the celebratory vibes were plentiful as riders prepared for the start, many surrounded by cameras and media documenting the first moments of the historical day.
The first half of the race was not shown live on television when Deignan made her winning attack just ahead of the first cobbled sector, Hornaing à Wandignies, at 30km into the race.
Deignan would gain a maximum of 2:40 on the shattered peloton behind before a desperate chase from Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), who eventually finished second.
The women raced 29.2km of pavé spread across 17 cobblestone sectors, which included two five-star sectors - Mons-en-Pévèle at 67km mark and Carrefour de l'Arbre at the 98.5km mark - before the famed velodrome-finish in Roubaix.
Rain fell in the days prior to the race and then on-and-off showers during the day of the event making the cobble sectors muddy and slippery. Crashes ended the hopes of many of the competitors including Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), who sustained fractures to her pelvis and shoulder, and Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo), who had a concussion. Even new World Champion Elisa Balsamo (Valcar Travel & Service) slipped on the muddy cobbles and struggled to re-gain traction in the race.
For all 129 women who started, and for those who finished, it was a day written into the history books of cycling.
Click or swipe through our gallery of photos above to see the women's field making history as they race over the rain-soaked and muddy cobbles at first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes. You can also find a gallery filled with action from out on the road in our race report.
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Kirsten Frattini is an honours graduate of Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in Toronto, Canada. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's WorldTour. She has worked in both print and digital publishing, and started with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. Moving into a Production Editor's role in 2014, she produces and publishes international race coverage for all men's and women's races including Spring Classics, Grand Tours, World Championships and Olympic Games, and writes and edits news and features. As the Women's Editor at Cyclingnews, Kirsten also coordinates and oversees the global coverage of races, news, features and podcasts about women's professional cycling.
