Paris-Roubaix Femmes: The biggest talking points ahead of the iconic cobbled Classic

The pinnacle of the cobbled classic is finally upon us and the third edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift promises to live up to everyone's expectations on April 8.

This year's race is longer than the two previous editions at 145.4km, with the additional kilometres added onto the start in Denain. The route does not include the mythical Trouée d'Arenberg, but it does include the same 29.2km of pavé spread across 17 cobblestone sectors. 

Fans lining the route can watch the race along the five-star pair of Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l'Arbre and at the finish line at the Velodrome in Roubaix.

It will be tough to beat the first two editions won by Lizzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini, both from Trek-Segafredo, but with a race as unpredictable as Paris-Roubaix, we can all anticipate full-throttle racing from start to finish.

Cyclingnews highlights the biggest talking points ahead of the 2023 Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

Learn more about the Women's WorldTour in Cyclingnews' definitive guide for 2023, and join Cyclingnews for live coverage of the 2023 Spring Classics. Also check in after each race for our full reports, results, galleries, news and features.

Can Kopecky do the Flanders-Roubaix double?

In an early-season interview with the media, Lotte Kopecky shied away from making big statements about her Paris-Roubaix goals.

"I dream of winning Paris-Roubaix, but it's so hard to target this race because there's so much luck involved. I don't dare to say 'I want to win Paris-Roubaix," she said in January.

Then she burst onto the scene this spring with a victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Nokere Koerse. After that, among other notable performances for the rider and her SD Worx team, she went on to win her second consecutive Tour of Flanders last Sunday.

One gets the feeling that this was all a lead-up to her biggest target of the Spring Classics at Paris-Roubaix Femmes. If she pulls off the victory in the Roubaix Velodrome, she will become the first woman in history to have won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix back-to-back in the same season.

Everything seems to be coming together for SD Worx as a whole this spring, too. Signing Lorena Wiebes was the biggest transfer of the year and she has delivered three victories so far, and will no doubt win many more races. Wiebes – who aided Kopecky in her second Flanders win – has also played a role in supporting the dominance of the team which has won eight of the Spring Classics.

Kopecky's transition into a wildcard role, in light of the team's decision to build a sprint team around Wiebes, has worked out well for everyone at SD Worx. She is given the freedom in races to take risks and to use her versatility as a sprinter, rouleur and powerful climber as part of the powerful team's wider strategy within races.

The big question now is whether race favourite Kopecky can once again capitalise on these strengths to win both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in one season? The odds were never more in her favour.

Still no Trouée d'Arenberg

The men's edition of the Paris-Roubaix includes three five-star cobbled sectors – Trouée d'Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l'Arbre – with the rating determined by taking length, unevenness of the cobbles and overall condition into account. There is only one of these three five-star pavé sectors missing from the women's race, the iconic Trouée d'Arenberg.

The big talk ahead of the race from the organisers was that they had brought in a 40-strong herd of goats to clear the grass and weeds that coat the forest lane-way to reduce the risk of the men's peloton slipping during the race. There was no discussion, however, of introducing the Trouée d'Arenberg to the women's race, just an acknowledgment of its absence.

"In contrast with their male counterparts, the riders of Paris–Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift will not reap the rewards of the goats' work," organisers joked in a press statement.

The absence of the Trouée d'Arenberg from the women's race has been the subject of controversy, particularly in the first edition held in October 2021. At that time, organisers said the pavé sector was not included because it was too close to the start of the race in Denain and, therefore, potentially "too dangerous" to tackle with the full peloton.

"It wouldn’t have been feasible to start the race by going straight into this cobbled section. In the men’s race, for instance, by the time they reach Arenberg, they will have done 10 sections, and little groups will have formed, so that allows the race to be stretched out a little. But in the women’s race, we can’t just launch the whole of the women’s peloton onto the Trouée d’Arenberg as a first cobbled section," race director Franck Perque of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) explained at the time.

However, the Paris-Roubaix Femmes route once again begins in Denain, and the start of the race has been extended ahead of the first pavé sector - Hornaing to Wandignies - meaning that the total distance has increased from 124.7km to 145.4km.

Some of the riders who competed in the first two editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes said they would like to see organisers include the Trouée d'Arenberg while others noted that the route was challenging enough at that time, especially as it was newly introduced to the women's calendar.

Now, with the race is in its third year, the 20.7km extension of the length may have been just the opportunity to add in the Trouée d’Arenberg, however, it is one that has been missed for 2023 at least.

Next in line at Trek-Segafredo

Lizzie Deignan made history as the first woman to win Paris-Roubaix in 2021 and her teammate Elisa Longo Borghini then went on to win the second edition last year, which raises two obvious questions. Can Trek-Segafredo win three in a row and who is the next in line?

Deignan will not be competing at this edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes as she is currently on maternity leave and scheduled to return to racing at La Vuelta Femenina in May. 

Longo Borghini only recently returned to racing after suffering from symptoms of COVID-19, but appears to have made a full recovery finishing 11th at Dwars door Vlaanderen and then stunning herself with a podium finish at Tour of Flanders.

Racing on instinct saw her win Paris-Roubaix last year, finishing solo in the Roubaix Velodrome with a 23-second margin over runner-up Lotte Kopecky while her teammate Lucinda Brand took third.

Eyes are probably on Longo Borghini to win a second consecutive title, but Brand is also showing promising form this spring, playing an important role in the finals at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour of Flanders.

Brand is one of the most agile and powerful riders in the peloton, and her skillset is perfect for a race like Paris-Roubaix. She has personal ambitions to win the race, and she also believes her team can win a third consecutive title. Perhaps she could be the next Trek-Segafredo rider to hoist the cobblestone trophy above her head while standing on the podium as the winner of Paris-Roubaix.

"The ambition is to try to win this race one time for myself, and anyway, the team starts with the ambition to win the race again, of course. It’s something that really lives in our group. Everybody, also in the service course, works for us to have the best equipment, to be super prepared," Brand said.

"We know the course, and we have the confidence ... I’m really confident we can aim for the win again. It won’t be easy, it never is, there’s a lot of other strong riders, but it’s great to have the support of the team."

Berteau flying the French flag

"My life is centred around Paris-Roubaix," said Cofidis rider Victoire Berteau, who grew up close to the Troisvilles, the first pavé sector of the men's race. 

Although she didn't compete in the first edition of the women's race two years ago due to injury, she finished a promising 17th last year and was the best-placed rider from France. 

'As a patriot, being the first Frenchwoman always makes me happy," Berteau said.

Surrounded by friends and family who watched from the pavé and at the entrance of the Roubaix Velodrome, she said of racing Paris-Rouabix in 2022, "It was the happiest moment of my life!"

"There was a crazy crowd. I finished in the top 20 in the greatest race in the world, and my family was waiting for me. Yes, it was a special moment."

Berteau competed on the track over the winter, but she began her Spring Classics campaign at Gent-Wevelgem. Although she didn't finish that race, she was 14th at Dwars door Vlaanderen after riding into the day's decisive breakaway. 

Crossing the finish line just behind the main field at Tour of Flanders, Berteau said that she is ready to tackle her second Paris-Roubaix this Saturday. "Everything is a go for Roubaix." 

Berteau is aiming for a top-15 this year but also knows that luck and physical and mental strength play important roles in a race where the terrain is as challenging as Paris-Roubaix.

"It's not only the physical aspect that counts in Roubaix. I think it's 50-50 with the mental aspect. If you don't have the mental strength, don't bother! It's also the fact that it's my local race. This race has always been a dream of mine. And you can dream of everything in Roubaix. You may not be the best physically, but if you are mentally superior to everyone else, nothing bad can happen to you," she said in an interview for the Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

Under the radar

Marianne Vos' second-place chase at the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes, as Deignan rode to a solo victory, was one of the most riveting performances in women's cycling.

The Jumbo-Visma rider then came into last year's edition as the overwhelming favourite but was sidelined on the morning of the race due to a positive COVID-19 test, which left her devastated.

It has been a turbulent year so far for Vos, who recently recovered from surgery to correct pelvic artery constriction, which sidelined her from defending her rainbow jersey at the Cyclocross World Championships.

She starts Paris-Roubaix, having done only three races this spring - Trofeo Alfredo Binda (20th), Dwars door Vlaanderen (3rd) and Tour of Flanders (15th). She would normally be a favourite for a race like Paris-Roubaix, but she is coming into this year's edition somewhat under the radar.

Despite the time off to recover from surgery, Vos said her preparation for Paris-Roubaix has been similar to previous editions and that she is looking forward to the racing, especially after missing out last year.

Her ambition? "To try to do a good race. I guess you also need a little bit of luck. But I think with this kind of race, all you can do is try to stay in front, try to keep the right position and then give your best. I hope to be there and play a role in the finale."