The Tour of Flanders is the "Way of the Cross" and Paris - Roubaix is "the Hell of the North." I feel like I'm reading Dante. The forecast calls for rain, which means the cobbles will be muddy and slippery. Bad for the riders, good for the fans. It looks like it just might live up to its reputation as the most savage classic of them all.
Stuart O'Grady is the defending champ. But the oddsmakers don't seem to like his chances for a repeat victory:
CN's preview is a good place to start. Don't miss their rating of all the sectors of pave. VN's preview is shorter, but the Graham Watson gallery is worth a peek. Pez has a preview and a book review of Paris - Roubaix: A Journey Through Hell, as well as a layperson's perspective of the cobbles that helps keep it all in perspective. I've paged through the book at McNally-Robinson. The pictures are stunning and it looks fairly well-written, but I'm still not going to buy it. PdC rates the contenders, explores the best sections from which to launch the winning move, and chimes in with a book review of its own. And finally, steephill.tv supplies a list of classic PR footage.
Official website here; startlists here; live video options here.
Finally, this is as good an opportunity as any to watch the trailer for The Road to Roubaix, a full-length and beautifully shot documentary that's due out soon if it's not available already. I can't wait to see it.
OTT: Teitur, I Run the Carousel
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