PeloPics: PEZ photographer, John Thomson, is missing Roubaix and Paris. Who can blame him? What could be better than snapping the top riders on the cobbles of Roubaix and the top models at the couture shows in Paris. Here os John’s ‘alternative’ Paris-Roubaix ‘photo-shoot’.
View from the Arc de Triomphe
John says: “In normal times I would probably not combine photos of Paris Roubaix and Paris Fashion Week in the same gallery. But a little distraction in these times may be welcome. This gallery is an homage to the great city of Paris and the cobbled Hell of the North. Maybe in October we will get the first wet edition in almost 20 years! Huge thanks to Richard and Al for their editorial approval.”
Gilbert and Sagan, still the last two winners of Paris Roubaix
Arrival at Valentino during Paris Fashion Week
Beautiful cobbles in Hem
Chanel rain gear
Tom came close to a 4th win in 2016
Olivia Culpo on the wet cobbles outside the Louvre at Louis Vuitton
Matthieu Ladagnou was a madison junior world champion in 2002
Parisian street style
Le champion de Belgique Oliver Naesen
Classic Chanel at the Grand Palais
Terpstra won in 2014 and Lampaert was 3rd in 2019
More rain at Chanel
Adrien Petit has a roadside supporter as well as two top 10 finishes in PRB
Courreges models waiting for the outdoor show to begin
Kristijan Koren is currently on suspension after Operation Anderlass
Lili Reinhart arrives on the cobbles at Miu Miu
Boy van Poppel was junior world cyclo-cross champion in 2006
View from the Montparnasse Tower
Parisian pooches on parade
Marco Haller in 2017, has made a great comeback from a tough 2018
Devon Windsor at Redemption
I love Sagan, but for a photog, the ski goggles are brutal. Notice the toe covers on a cool day in 2019
Sagan is molto meglio at Strade Bianche
A bit of wind at Valentino
Lock and chain in the cobbles of Hem
Multi talented Janelle Monae at Valentino
Traffic gridlock from an open top tourist bus
Van Avermaet with Teunissen, Stybar, and Naesen
Eva Longoria at Balmain
French horses in the countryside
Nicky Hilton Rothschild at Valentino
Now retired Yoann Offredo was 14th in 2017
Top model Kaia Gerber after Stella McCartney and on a moto to be whisked off to the next show
A few tongues out and going for the finish in 2016
Parisienne and Bunuelian icon Catherine Deneuve on the cobbles at Celine
Wout battled hard in 2019 and is not a bad bet to win PRB one day
Carla Bruni former First Lady of France at Celine
Davide Ballerini won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this year
British star Rita Ora at Miu Miu
GVA won in 2017 and had another great podium at Flanders this year
Doutzen Kroes at Isabel Marant
Tommeke at his last PRB in 2017 and was thinking about a comeback in 2019
Elsa Hosk at Isabel Marant
La Tour Eiffel
Christophe Laporte won the Tro-Bro Leon in 2018 and was almost a top ten at Flanders this year
Italian glamour at Valentino
Italian style of Elia Viviani on a smooth road in 2017
Olivia Culpo arrives at PFW
Paparazzi feeding frenzy
European champion Matteo Trentin in 2019
View from the Eiffel Tower
Police outrider is ready for anything
Gilbert and Politt heading for the finish in 2019
Notre-Dame on April 13th 2019, two days before the fire
Cigarette smoke from a paparazzo standing next to me at Tommy Hilfiger
Florian Senechal distancing Stefan Kung in 2019 and was 9th at Flanders this year
“I found a gold ring” trickster caught in the act
Marco Haller did a great job for Nils Politt in 2019 and shows the scar above his knee from the 2018 accident
Rainstorm in Paris
Mitch Docker has a special appreciation for Paris Roubaix and the cobbles
Top model Evie Harris at Valentino
Drucker with Petit, Moscon, Hayman and Wout
French Bulldog at Palais de Tokyo
Ian Stannard was 3rd in the previous year 2016
Well protected at the start in Compiegne
Jonas van Genechten and Marcus Burghardt in 2017
Elle Fanning arrives on the cobbles at Miu Miu
Edvald Boasson Hagen at the finish in 2018, was 5th in 2016
Not a hardcore sector, but a farm track in Hem
Eddy Boss in 2019. The kids in toques and scarves on a cold day in April
Pink Citroen
Celebrity prankster Vitalii Sediuk grabbing Justin Timberlake at Louis Vuitton show at the Louvre
14 year pro Stijn Vandenbergh riding his last Paris Roubaix
French cows in the countryside
Andre Greipel gives his butt a rest after a long day on the cobbles
Heinrich Haussler with no dark glasses is gold for a photog
A goat at Chanel outside the Grand Palais
The closest I will ever come to shooting the GOAT riding the cobbles
Felice Gimondi won in 1966. Photo by Jacques Papon. (A few magazines from my collection)
Jacque Anquetil was heading for the win in 1958, but punctured with 3 km to go and finished 14th
Eddy Merckx won in 1970. I love the camera guy on the moto
Roger Rosiers won in 1971. Sadly a bygone era of great cycling photography with a close shot from a moto and no ski goggles in sight
Eddy Merckx had his last win in 1973. L’Equipe magazine photographers Robert Legros, Marcel Guerard and Christian Rochard
# Another great collection from John Thomson, we hope you enjoyed this ‘alternative’ view of Paris and Roubaix. If you want to see more of John’s work, have a look HERE. Thanks John. #