As it happened: Paris-Roubaix Femmes concludes with a breathtaking three-up sprint

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the Queen Of The Classics, Paris-Roubaix Femmes. We'll be taking you through every twist, turn and cobblestone of perhaps the sport's most iconic one day race.

We've got an hour until the race kicks off after a short neutral period, so stay with us all day for information and insight.
Especially as the TV coverage doesn't start 'til late, something race director Thierry Gouvenou has defended.

The race has changed every edition, covering a different distance each year. The first year in 2021, was just 116.4km.
Last year was the longest at 148.5km, but this year has more cobblestones, with 20 sectors covering 33.7km along its 143.1km total.

Indeed, this is the first year the women's race has run on the same day as the men's.

Is that a great plan for more spectators, or disadvantaging the women's race?

Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.

Lidl-Trek line up with former World Champion Elisa Balsamo as their leader.

For the men this is one of the oldest races on the calendar, but for the women the race was only created in 2021. Nonetheless the legend is real and an entire culture has built around it. Even if that culture is often humble.

It started with an omelette – The story of Chez Françoise, the humble café that has become 'part of the legend of Paris-Roubaix'

Of the 20 cobbled sectors that punctuate today's race there are five four star sectors and two of the hardest five star sectors, Mons-en-Pévèlle and Carrefour de l'Arbre coming at 94.5km and 126km respectively.

We're rolling for a short neutralised section before the tough get going here at Paris-Roubaix. The first of the cobbles comes at Solesmes, after 29.3km.

Not only are the cobbles ridiculously punishing to ride, the weather affects them in different ways. Some fans crave rain and a muddy, others love the epic images of riders hurtling through clouds of dust.

So what is weather doing?

Let's go Paris-Roubaix Femmes is go!

143.1km to go!

So who's going to win? There are three previous winners and plenty of others who can make their mark on the stones of northern France today.
There's an open field full of contenders.

A consistent top 10 finisher, Picnic-PostNL's leader, Pfeiffer Georgi finished third in 2024 and the British rider remains a favourite for another top result today.
"We want to leave no stone unturned," say the team

The attacking has already started, though it was brought back immediately and the bunch is back together.

Lotte Kopecky is one of the favourites to become the first woman to win Paris-Roubaix a second time and, while she's already won the Tour of Flanders three times, today possibly suits her even more!
In fact, Paris-Roubaix is tailor-made for her.

Last year Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) attacked and won the race solo and this year she's back to defend her cobblestone.

She was a late addition to the squad though, and will co-lead with the legend Marianne Vos.

We've had another attack and now Rosa Kloser (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) has lead of 35 seconds on the chasing bunch.

130km to go

Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.

Klöser now leads by ne minute. Remember, the first sector of cobbles come with 113.8km to go.

There are two riders in today's race whose fathers won the men's event, the first of those is Mirre Knaven (EF Education-Oatly). Her dad won 25 years ago, in 2001 in a filthy, muddy and wet edition of the Hell of the North.

A mud-bath, an over-inflated spare tyre and a domestique holding the cobblestone trophy.

Three years after Knaven won it was the turn of Magnus Bäckstedt, whose daughter Zoe rides for Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto today. The Brit arrives in France fresh off a fifth place at the Tour of Flanders last week.

And though she's only 21, she reckons age doesn't matter in the Hell of the North.

At the front of the race Klöser has just turned east, she now has a tailwind, but even though she has a lead of one minute the cobbles are coming. Will the peloton's fight for position bring her back?

Klöser continues to lead.
They say Paris-Roubaix is completely flat, and while no one would describe it as hilly, there are 723m of verticla ascent. And those cobbles!

120km to go

Onto the first sector of cobbles, Solesmes à Haussy, and Klöser continues to lead, though her advantage is down to 50 seconds

Cobbled sector 1

Off the cobbles and Klöser maintained her 50 second lead. The next sector is coming up very soon though, with 107km to go.

110km to go

We're onto the Saulzoir à Verchain-Maugré sector now. It's a 2 star sector and 1.2km in length.
Klöser leads by 50 seconds still.

Cobbled sector #19

Klöser is doing a brilliant job, holding her lead over the pavé sectors.
The next sector is the first 4 star sector, Haveluy à Wallers comes with 90km to go.

Puncture for one of the pre-race favourites, Elisa Balsamo. The Lidl-Trek rider is just off the back off the peloton.

Rosa Klöser (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) continues to lead. Her advantage had been coming down now, but she's now 1.10 ahead.

100km to go

Elisa Balsamo is now back in the peloton after her puncture.
Former winner, Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) also punctured, but the Canadian champion is back in too.

What a ride from Rosa Klöser, she's 1.30 ahead approaching the next cobbled sector.

Onto the first 4 star pavé sector, Haveluy à Wallers. This is a toughie, 2.5km long with big stones to tackle.
Now Klöser's lead is coming down, the peloton have taken time out of the German rider, they're only 55 seconds behind her. EF Education-Oatly lead the chase.

90km to go

Off the stones and Klöser is being shut down quickly now. Liv-AlUla-Jayco and UNO-X Mobility are doing the work behind as Klöser is back on tarmac with only 40 seconds of a lead.

Klöser is the image of power and composure out there today. We have another 4 star sector coming now, Hornaing à Wandignies is even longer at 3.7km. Can she survive?

Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.

82km to go and onto the Hornaing à Wandignies sector and it's Lidl-Trek's turn to lead the chase, they bring the gap back down again as other riders suffer punctures.
Klöser leads by only 20 seconds.

Cobbled sector #17

Halfway across this sector and the lead is as little as 10 seconds, Klöser has put up a brave fight whatever happens.

Off the stones and Klöser is hanging on despite the work from Lidl-Trek.

And just off the the fourth pavé sector Klöser is caught and the bunch the bunch is together with the next actor coming very soon.

Now we're on the Warlaing à Brillon sector and the bunch is together, but it's stretched out on this 3 star sector which is another leg one, at 2.3km long.

Off the cobbles and there have been some crashes and some mechanicals, but the peloton is still largely together at the front of the race.

78km to go

The next sector is almost here, it's relentless. Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières is next up and it's a brute!
Another 4 star sector, it's 2.4km in length and begins with 71.6km to go.

The first 5 star sector is coming soon, but first we have two more sectors to deal with.
NExt? The 3 star Orchies sector, which comes with 60km to go. It's 1.7km long and finishes only 4km from the next big one.

We've been going for more than two hours and the average speed is more than 40km/h.

Onto the Orchies sector and the peloton is still together, with SD Worx-Protime now leading a stretched out bunch.
Unfortuneately we've had a big crash with a number of rdiers down.

60km to go

Julia Kopecký is on the front for SD Worx, both her brothers rode the men's race for Unibet-Rose Rockets.

The next set of cobbles is the Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée sector. It's a 4 star and 2.7km long.
We've got a big group on the front but there's a significant split in the race now, with much of the FDJ United-SUEZ squad chasing on.

More bad luck for Elisa Balsamo, the Lidl-Trek rider has suffered another puncture but is chasing back to the main group.

Chabbey had suffered a mechanical but her group has just reached the front bunch again and the Swiss rider is battling back to the front as they reach the Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée sector.

Dutch rider Daniek Hengeveld (Visma-Lease a Bike) is turning over a huge gear at the front of the race as the sector drags uphill slightly. the race stays together though.

Hengeveld is performing a masterclass of powerful riding, Ferrand-Prévot is on her wheel as they jink left and right across the cobbles and the bunch opens out.

Off the cobbles now and though the there's a big leading group, the 5 star Mons-en-Pévèle is coming very soon and the pace is high leading onto it.

50km to go

Mons-en-Pévèle is 3km long and is sure to have an effect on the bunch.
Plenty other groups are chasing behind, with Balsaamo still not back on as the front of the race flies towards the cobbles.

SD Worx take to the front of the race with Femke Markus, but once again Visma-Lease a Bike take over and take control.

Mons-en-Pévèle

Visma-Lease a Bike have been bossing the cobbled sectors in the middle part of the race.

As the race leaves the cobbles Fraziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) puts the hammer down, but that brings an attack from Ferrand-Prévot, the defending champion leading a group of four away.
Visma-Lease a Bike team mate, Marianne Vos is also there with Koch and Blanka Vas (SD Worx).

It's Vos alone! Someone drops the wheel and she has a gap, though that's brought back as they reach pavé sector #10, Mérignies à Avelin.
The leading quartet have 22 seconds on the peloton.

Vos, Ferrand-Prévot, Koch and Vas lead by 38 seconds and there's aa fair bit of looking about in the chase. Could this be the winning group?

40km to go

More cobbles, this time the 3 star Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin sector. Ferrand-Prévot is putting in a huge effort here, while team mate Vos is sitting on the back.
Vos might have won most things, but she's not won Paris-Roubaix, her best finish coming in 2021 when she was second.

The two Visma riders have a chat on the front while Vos takes over on the front.
Koch comes through too, but Vas is sitting on, she has Lotte Kopecky in a chasing group about 30 seconds back.

The Templeuve sector is two in one the first a 1 star sector, the second is 2 star, but the four leaders are now 50 seconds ahead. has the race already been won?

Off the cobbles again the Ferrand-Prévot continues to do much of the work on the front. SD Worx are leading the chase, but the gap is at 55 seconds!

Vos, Ferrand-Prévot, Koch and Vas still lead with only Vas not rolling through. The lead is out to 1.10 now

30km to go

More cobbles and we're getting to the business end of the race now. Cysoing à Bourghelles leads almost straight onto the Bourghelles à Wannehain sector, they're only 3 star but they're not easy.
Ferrand-Prévot is on the front and the gap is now 1.27,

Vas is now taking turns in the leading group, so it's all in from each of the four leaders, though there's a fair bit of looking around... And Ferrand-Prévot attacks in the same place as she made last year's winning move.
It's all back tohether though.

On the Bourghelles à Wannehain sector Ferrand-Prévot goes hard, then Koch attacks with Vos on her wheel. The pair have an instant gap, Vas doesn't seem to be able to close it down.
German champion Koch has been string all season and is looking good.

23km to go and it's all change ahead of the Camphin-en-Pévèle sector. Koch and Vos still lead while Ferrand-Prévot has dropped Vas.
It's gone wrong for SD Worx, who have set Lorena Wiebes and Julia Kopecký to work in what remains of the peloton.

Onto the 4 star Cmaphin-en-Pévèle sector and Ferrand-Prévot is with her Visma-Lease a Bike team mate Vos and Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ).
Meanwhile Vas has sat up and is waiting for the group.

20km to go

Koch attacks on the pavé, dropping Ferrand-Prévot, though the French woman gets back on and it's advantage to Visma-Lease a Bike again.
Meanwhile Vas is back on it at the front of the chasing group. Too little too late?

Off the cobbles again and Koch is throwing some huge punches, gapping Ferrand-Prévot again. But she's back again!

The three leaders have 1.12 on a Lotte Kopecky led chase group.
This is a 5 star sector and often decisive. Koch goes again!

Carrefour de l'Arbre

Ferrand-Prévot is back again. Koch is doing a lot of work here. She drops her rivals but when they come back, she stays on the front. Could this be her undoing?

Koch resists a move from Marianne Vos and Ferrand-Prévot is back on the front. Lotte Kopecky is with Megan Jastrab (UAE Team ADQ) one minute down after Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) hit a spectator and crashed.

15km to go

The Gruson sector is done now, it's the last hard one and we're heading towards the finish in Roubaix.
Marianne Vos is surely in the box seat here. Koch has tried to separate the two Visma riders, but they're stubbornly together and can play off each other to beat the German champion.

Jastrab and Kopecky are riding for their lives but they're not closing the gap at all.
Ferrand-Prévot is doing the work in the front, giving Koch a rest as they appraoch the Willems à Hem sector, which is a 2 star sector of pavé.

Into the final 10km and it's no change. Ferrand-Prévot said before the race that she would work for Marianne Vos and she's certainly doing that.
Along with Koch they lead Kopecky and Jastrab by 1.12.

10km to go

Onto the final real cobbles at Hem and still Ferrand-Prévot leads.
This is a fascinating tactical position for Koch, but she's not just powerful she's clever.
Her first pro win was at the Boels Ladies Tour where she exectuted a very clever sprint from the breakway. But could she really out think Vos?

Koch has her hand up looking for her team car. It would be unkind if she has a mechanical.

The car never arrived for Koch. She sits in between Ferrand-Prévot and Vos, who's behind in the perfect place to spring a surprise.

5km to go.

Koch attacks on an uphill but Vos is stick to her wheel. Ferrand-Prévot is dropped but how much work has she done, is there anything left for her?

Koch is now stranded on the front, Vos not coming through despite Ferrand-Prévot being fairly conclusively out the back.
3km to go.

2km to go and still Koch works, they're on the final one star cobbled sector now, Ferrand-Prévot clawing her way back.

Flame rouge! 1km to go.
Ferrand-Prévot is back on the front!

Into the velodrome now, who'll take the sprint, surely Vos has too much after all the work Koch has done?

Koch goes high, Vos with her, but they swing back down to Ferrand-Prévot's wheel.
Koch sprints from the front and it's a photo finish!

It's Franziska Koch!
The Germain champion takes the win for FDJ United-SUEZ. That's an incredible win.
Other than national championships she only has that 2019 win before today and now she's won Paris-Roubaix.
Just brilliant.

That was a brilliant ride from Koch. She has shown exceptional form helping team mate Demi Vollering to victory, including at the Tour of Flanders last week, but hen she was finally allowed to ride for herself she paid her team back with a powerful, mature performance.
FDJ United-SUEZ have been on fore this year and Koch is part of the reason why, Sunday's win is just reward.

"It's kind of hard to believe," Koch said after the race. "I've been dreaming about it, I've been really hoping that it would work out, but Paris-Roubaix is a race where everything can happen, then in the end it worked out it's like a dream.

"I think we did a really good job with the team we knew that positioning in the beginning is really key. It's like a war basically going into the cobble sections and we were fully committed to invest early in the race and I managed to stay out of the trouble, like always be in the top 10 into the cobbled section, then after Mons en Pévèle we knew that we wanted to make the race hard and I ended up in the perfect move I would say."

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) was clearly upset after finishing second by a bike throw. In the final kilometres it seemed as though she and the team held every card, Ferrand-Prévot rode tirelessly, leaving Vos to save energy, but so did Koch.
Sport is the ulitimate meritocracy, but such has been her career perhaps she deserved to add the race to her palmarès, but Koch was the best rider on the day.

With Vos's team mate in third, for the second week running Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) was left to take fourth place.
While last week she was found wanting on the Oude Kwaremont, on the cobbles of northern France she was a victim of circumstance. When the winning move went her team mate Blanka Vas went with it creating a pause and indecision and by the time Vas was dropped the leaders' advantage was too big the get back.

Whether it be the men's or women's race, Paris-Roubaix rarely disappoints and the 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes was no different.
Gnarly, dusty and brutal it was also beautiful, full of action and finishing with the most intriguing tactical situation.
Maybe if Visma-Lease a Bike had attacked Koch more they might have taken the spoils, as it was Koch played the situation to her advantage and was crowned the winner.
Long Live the Queen of the Classics.
Thanks for joining us, see you next time.