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Who are the favourites for Paris-Roubaix 2024?
The beauty of Paris-Roubaix often lies in its unpredictability, with the dreaded cobblestones always playing a major role in upsetting the expected order of proceedings. In 2024, the men’s race will face the largest stretch of cobbled sectors seen in the last 30 years – 55.7km – with the women’s peloton taking on 29.2km of pavé.
Leaving that aside, some haven’t had the easiest ride to the Paris-Roubaix start line this year, crashes and injuries having arrived at an unfortunate time for many of those hoping for glory in the Queen of the Classics. With that said, let’s check out the contenders for this year’s men’s and women’s races…
Men’s Paris-Roubaix 2024 favourites
Mathieu van der Poel
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is enjoying the form of his life right now. Last weekend, clad in the resplendent rainbow bands of the World Champion’s jersey, he rode away from his competitors on a 45km solo attack to Tour of Flanders glory. In doing so, he notched a record-equalling third win in the Monument, joining Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw, two riders who also know the trials and tribulations of the Roubaix cobblestones pretty well.
We would all have loved to see Van der Poel battle alongside his eternal rival Wout van Aert in Roubaix, but the Visma-Lease a Bike rider will not take to the start line after suffering multiple broken bones in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Van der Poel will still face some stiff competition, however.
Jasper Philipsen
Alpecin-Deceuninck have a decent 1-2 punch in the form of Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, albeit not for too much longer with Philipsen looking set to depart the squad. Winner of Milan San-Remo, Philipsen outlasted all his competitors over the draining 288km, beating Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the sprint finish, and he then went on to win Brugge-De Panne. The chaotic nature of Paris-Roubaix means you have to adapt to the road on the day, and if Van der Poel is detached, Philipsen is there to shine. He finished second to Van der Poel last year, will he go one better in 2024?
Stefan Küng
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) is gaining momentum at the right time to be a strong podium contender, finishing third at Dwars door Vlaanderen. When it comes to Paris-Roubaix, he has been consistently there or thereabouts at the Roubaix Velodrome, on the podium in 2022 and fifth last year. Should he make the right moves and utilise his experience on the cobbles to navigate some of the impending chaos, there’s no doubt he will be right up there once more, hoping to lift the cobblestone at the end of the race.
Oier Lazkano
Oier Lazkano (Movistar) is a man being mentioned more and more as the Classics season progresses. The Spanish national champion seems to possess this unrivalled spirit of ciclismo that has fans rooting for him and causes him to stand out despite his last podium coming at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in February. Lazkano was making moves at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic as well as just last week on the penultimate ascent of the Paterberg at the Tour of Flanders with Van der Poel initially on his wheel. He managed to bridge back when the World Champion left everyone behind. He’ll also have a strong teammate in Iván García Cortina – who had also tried attacking at Flanders, flying ahead only to be halted by the punishing Koppenberg.
Lidl-Trek
While there’s no doubt the Lidl-Trek team across the men’s and women’s pelotons has been entertaining throughout the Classics, the men’s squad is hindered by injuries sustained in the Dwars door Vlaanderen crash. Jasper Stuyven is out and Mads Pedersen is banged up. Fortunately, the Dane has no broken bones, but it doesn’t feel as though he’s operating on 100%. They still have Jonathan Milan in tow and ‘El Tractor’ Tim Declerq, who is always a trusty man to rely on in these big races.
Dark horses
There’s also the experienced Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) and his in-form teammate Nils Politt, and keep an eye on Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) too. Also, Ineos Grenadiers’ Josh Tarling, who looks set to lead his team in Hell at just 20.
Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2024 favourites
Marianne Vos
Marianne Vos is indeed boss, having reached the dizzying heights of 250 career wins with her victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen last month. With SD Worx-Protime not dominating like usual and Tour of Flanders winner Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidk-Trek) targeting the Ardennes over Roubaix, the door is open – not that she needs it – for a vintage Vos ride and gigantic cobblestone prize in the race on Saturday 6th April. Vos finished second to Lidl-Trek’s Lizzie Deignan in the inaugural edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2021 and a positive Covid test thwarted her participation in its second year. Last year, Vos placed 10th. If anyone can win over the unpredictable cobbles in 2024, it’s her.
Lotte Kopecky
Paris-Roubaix Femmes is a Monument that has surprisingly evaded the SD Worx-Protime team for the past three editions. Lotte Kopecky has come out swinging this season, winning the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Nokere Koerse and racing to second place at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Kopecky is a phenomenally strong rider who excels in these punishing conditions and named Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the Olympics as her main goals this season. Who would put it past her?
Lorena Wiebes
Kopecky is joined by teammate Lorena Wiebes who has been sniffing out wins wherever possible this season – including Ronde van Drenthe, Gent-Wevelgem and the recent Scheldeprijs, of which she is the only winner in the race’s four-year history. Should she make the decisive group in the velodrome, her power will no doubt help propel her to the line.
Elisa Balsamo
Lidl-Trek has been the dominating team at this race, winning back-to-back editions with Lizzie Deignan and Longo Borghini. Neither will be racing the 2024 edition, but Elisa Balsamo will. Victorious at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Classic Brugge-De Panne last month, Balsamo is one to watch over the 148.5km ride to the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux. She also won’t make the same mistake of being disqualified in 2022 due to a sticky bottle.
Dark horses
Defending champion Alison Jackson (EF Education-EasyPost) will be looking to repeat her success as the fast women of Charlotte Kool (DSM-firmenich PostNL) and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) also line up in Denain. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) has been building a strong Classics season too, third in Dwars door Vlaanderen and ninth at Flanders. Don’t forget star Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) either, fierce on the road and on the track, which conveniently, both feature in Paris-Roubaix Femmes.
For all the details on this year’s races, check out our full Paris-Roubaix guide
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