Category | UCI WorldTour |
|---|---|
Date | April 12, 2026 |
Start | Compiègne |
Finish | Roubaix velodrome |
Distance | 259.2km |
Previous edition | |
Previous winner | Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) |
Paris-Roubaix history
Often described as the Queen of the Classics or the Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix is the third Monument of the cycling season and arguably the most recognisable event in the sport after the Tour de France. The race dates back to 1896 and has taken place 120 times since then.
Compiègne – around 80km outside of Paris – has hosted the race start since 1977, while Paris played host from the very start up to 1967.
Belgians have dominated the cobbled Classic, with 57 winners over the years.
Two Belgians share the accolade of taking the most wins at the race, with Roger De Vlaeminck winning four times in the 1970s and Tom Boonen completing his quadruple between 2005 and 2012. As you'd expect, the honour roll is replete with huge names from cycling history, from Eddy Merckx and Sean Kelly to Johan Museeuw and Fausto Coppi.
In 2025 Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) powered to a third win in a row in the Hell of the North.
Race debutant Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stayed on terms with him into the finale but then faded to second after misjudging a turn and having an ungraceful get-off with 40 kilometres to go.
Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the Spring Classics- including reporting, breaking news and analysis from Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and more.
Latest Content on the Race
Sean Kelly's Classics Column: What Tadej Pogačar did in the Tour of Flanders was insane
Former double Paris-Roubaix winner less certain about Slovenian's chances in Hell of the North
'We are not scared of anyone next week' – Lidl-Trek back Mads Pedersen for Paris-Roubaix after Tour of Flanders performance
News Dane took second behind Tadej Pogačar on Sunday and knows that Roubaix suits his abilities more
'Not much you can do without one of these superstars' – Why Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's new cobbled Classics squad isn't fully firing yet
News 'It sounds very sad, but you're fighting just for a podium spot, fourth or a fifth' says DS Heinrich Haussler
How Tadej Pogačar racing the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix changes everything
Analysis 'Why should I wait for sprint when you have 250km of opportunities and chances to go for the victory?' says world champion ahead of second Monument of the season
Tadej Pogačar sets course records on Paris-Roubaix sectors during reconnaissance
News World Champion earns Strava KOM on Mons en Pévèle, Auchy les Orchies pavé sectors
Rider behaviour, unsafe routes, or higher competition – why are the Classics so dangerous right now?
Riders weigh in on the recent crashes and incidents, and what can be done to improve safety
'I love Tadej Pogačar because he is not afraid of anything' - Bernard Hinault backs Slovenian to win Paris-Roubaix
News Frenchman praises Pogačar's racing style and ambition
'He has the engine' - Geraint Thomas has no doubts Tadej Pogačar can conquer 2025 Paris-Roubaix despite lack of experience
News Former Tour de France winner and Classics specialist tips Slovenian for top result, despite lightweight build - 'Pog's Pog'
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'I cannot finish my career without trying everything' – Tadej Pogačar continues search for variety into 2026, targets Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix again
The two Monuments currently missing from Pogačar's palmares 'the two that I'm really motivated to fight for the win' -
'I don't think I can do this every Spring' - Tadej Pogačar plays down expectations for repeat Classics season stunner in 2026 and beyond
Slovenian first rider ever to finish on six Monument podiums in succession -
Silvan Dillier avoids injury after Paris-Roubaix crash with Visma-Lease A Bike mechanic
Post-race bulletin stated that Swiss rider had suffered a fracture to his right hand in the fall on the fifth cobbled sector
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Tadej Pogačar 'bears the closest resemblance to old warriors like me and Merckx' – Bernard Hinault
Former French great argues Pogačar's rivalry with Mathieu van der Poel and others is massively beneficial for cycling -
'How could I be so stupid?' – Remorseful spectator who threw bidon at Mathieu van der Poel apologises after Paris-Roubaix incident
'I am so happy that he crossed the finish line first' says Belgian man to Het Laatste Nieuws as he tells story for the first time -
'People who behave like that are not welcome' – Van Aert and Pogačar show solidarity with Mathieu van der Poel after bidon-throwing incident
'We want fans to be passionate, but there is no room for aggression or unwanted behaviour like we saw on Sunday' says world champion
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UCI, Alpecin-Deceuninck to pursue bidon thrower 'so that such behaviour is severely punished'
Mathieu van der Poel's team: 'misbehaviour of a few individuals can have far-reaching consequences' -
For the love of Paris-Roubaix – Girmay, Dygert and every Hell of the North finisher emotional after making it to the velodrome
'I have pain everywhere but it's a beautiful race' says Biniam Girmay as he achieves best-ever finish for an African male rider -
Paris-Roubaix medical updates – From fractures for Ballerini and a bloodied face for Küng to lucky escapes for Theuns and Ferguson
The accumulating injury reports from a brutal weekend of racing at the Hell of the North
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'I hope I don't stop writing this book' - Analysing Tadej Pogačar's continued drive to tear up conventional script with impressively ambitious 2026 calendar
Combination of cobbled Classics and Tour de France targets maintains Slovenian in class of his own -
Tadej Pogačar's final challenges: Paris-Roubaix – Mission impossible?
Can the 'new Cannibal' ever add the cobbled Classic to his palmarès, and how would he go about beating Mathieu van der Poel? -
Sean Kelly's Classics Column: 'If Tadej Pogačar stopped racing this year right now, his season would already be a huge success'
Significant collective improvement in Classics by Pogačar's team helps Slovenian dominate from Strade Bianche to Liège-Bastogne-Liège -
Paris-Roubaix: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the Hell of the North
Digesting all the action from the 2025 editions of the biggest Classic on the calendar -
Paris-Roubaix defeat only confirms Tadej Pogačar's greatness – Opinion
Slovenian's multitude of talents make him the best of his generation and an example for the sport to follow
