A Saturday in Hell

It's the most brutal race of the year - 29.2km of the worst cobbles northern France has to offer, over 17 agonising sectors, starting in Denain and finishing in the iconic Roubaix velodrome. For the men, it's referred to as a Sunday in Hell, but for us, hell comes a day early.

I have raced all four Paris-Roubaix Femmes, each with very different conditions and very different outcomes. From a muddy slip and slide to a dry, dusty edition, and solo victory to unexpected breakaway win, our short history has covered a lot. This year again brought new circumstances with a surprise April heatwave of 25°C, as well as high winds, making it a very fast, nervous race.