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Paris-Roubaix gallery: Oh my god it’s a double rainbow all the way
The final tango for the cobble Classics specialists came this weekend at the men’s and women’s 2024 Paris-Roubaix. In the one-day race most steeped in cycling folklore, the Queen of the Classics certainly lived up to its name. As the goats return to the Trouée d’Arenberg and the cobblestone roads trade cyclists for tractors, let’s cast our minds back on this Weekend in Hell.
As we battle against the emotional hangover of yet another action-packed weekend of cycling, let us allow James York and Matt Grayson to take you through this year’s Paris-Roubaix with the best images from the rainbow roads of Northern France.
Lotte Kopecky demonstrates pure ciclismo with her white shorts.
Cafés are often closed on the weekends in France. This one, at least, has a good excuse.
The calm before the storm.
The white shorts, the gloveless approach, the effortless poise…hang it in The Louvre.
Reigning champion Alison Jackson shows off her goofy aero helmet.
Zoe Bäckstedt on her yearly family holiday to Paris-Roubaix.
Just keep pedalling, just keep pedalling…
They’re Marianne Vos’s biggest fans.
Cool as a cucumber.
We all need someone as loyal as Ellen van Dijk in our lives.
In the splash zone.
‘He doesn’t jump, I promise.’
It’s last orders at the bar for Paris-Roubaix glory.
Pandemonium turns to ecstasy for Lotte Kopecky.
No rider has ever been happier to finish in third place.
Endorphins, serotonin and fatigue.
At one with Mother Nature.
That’s why you should wear gloves, kids!
Those gloves will need a good wash.
Sometimes, you just need some alone time.
Lying down on concrete never felt so good.
‘I want to go home now.’
This is what it means to finish the Queen of the Classics.
I stand corrected, no one has been happier to finish in 27th place.
Another piece of bespoke decor acquired for Lotte Kopecky’s living room.
Mathieu van der Poel was front and centre at the sign-on in Compiègne.
After winning Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel will be eyeing up Paris Fashion Week.
Josh Tarling (right) soon found himself on the naughty steep after taking a very sticky bottle.
The Cees Bol Fan Club out in force.
Disaster strikes for a couple of riders from Q36.5.
Nothing’s ever easy in Paris-Roubaix.
Obligatory obscenely large doll image.
In chaos, there is beauty.
All together now.
All that talk about the chicane and he’s still out in front.
There’s no place quite like Arenberg.
After the storm.
The people’s princess, Stefan Küng.
Tom Pidcock got stuck in on his Paris-Roubaix debut.
For health and safety reasons, we don’t recommend taking your hands off the bars on Arenberg.
Some splatters of mud were added to the Decathlon-AG2R fuelling strategy.
Blink and you’ll miss it.
What could have been for Groupama-FDJ’s Laurence Pithie.
John Degenkolb back at Paris-Roubaix. We love to see it.
Brown made an unwelcomely addition on the British national jersey.
Bringing home the bacon.
That’s how it’s done.
Look mum, no hands!
Believe it or not, this is before anyone else had even finished the race.
Now, how do you beat Jasper Philipsen in a sprint…
…it’s bloody difficult.
The look of a man (Gianni Vermeersch) who turned himself inside out for his teammates.
A sigh of relief from Connor Swift.
More John Degenkolb appreciation. It’s what the people want.
The riders came home in dribs and drabs, with some a little more torn up than others.
Some riders had less to celebrate about than others.
Through fire and flames. It’s a familiar podium.
This is what it’s all about — a very special lump of rock.
Each winner of Paris-Roubaix has their own engraved shower at the Roubaix Velodrome.
A bottle of Alpecin Caffeine shampoo — other shampoos are available — makes a cameo in the Alpecin-Deceuninck riders’ victory shower.
It’s like a school reunion in the changing rooms of the Roubaix Velodrome.
OK, here’s one last John Degenkolb photo.
Want more? Here’s every Mathieu van der Poel Monument performance ranked
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