PeloPics from Hell: Paris-Roubaix is probably the one-day race everyone looks forward to, except maybe some of the riders. This Sunday sees the return of cobbled Classic, the ‘Hell of the North’ and so we have put together a collection of some of the best photos from Cor Vos (plus some from John Thomson and Matt McNamara) covering the race from the late 70s through to 2023. Iconic pictures that maybe don’t need descriptions, but we try to tell the story.
# You can see the ‘PEZ 2024 Paris-Roubaix Preview’ HERE. #
Two of the top men in the Hell of the North – Eddy Merckx and Roger de Vlaeminck, seven Paris-Roubaix wins
Raymond Poulidor was more of a Grand Tour rider, but he still rode the cobbled Classics – Times have changed
Joop Zoetemelk was a Tour winner – he also rode the Classics
It’s not just the riders who crash on the road to Roubaix
Wallers/Arenberg is not a good place to puncture
Roger de Vlaeminck – The King of Roubaix
De Vlaeminck was 2nd in Roubaix’79, but he did win Milan-Sanremo and Het Volk that year – Here followed by 1976 Roubaix winner, the late Marc Demeyer. Further back, Britain’s Phil Edwards is behind Gregor Braun, next to Didi Thurau. Jean Luc Vandenbroucke is on the far right
Triple Roubaix winner Francesco Moser had the flattest back in the peloton
World champion Bernard Hinault won in 1981 ahead of De Vlaeminck and Moser – The Frenchman said: “Paris-Roubaix is bullshit!”
It was muddy in 1983 and there were plenty of crashes
Hennie Kuiper dropping the hammer on the cobbles during the 1983 Paris-Roubaix. Kuiper crashed twice, somehow maintaining his position within the lead grop, before having another setback with 6 kilometers to go. At 6km, Kuiper punctured, but his team manager was able to quickly bring him a new bike. Kuiper would enter the velodrome in Roubaix alone
Kuiper and Moser with Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle behind them
Hennie Kuiper waiting for his new bike with 6K to go
Adrie van der Poel (father of Mathieu) and Ferdi Van den Haute on the cobbles of Wallers
Alain Bondue and Gregor Braun – Teammates off the front
Sean Kelly would win the 1984 Paris-Roubaix. The decisive move that would allow Kelly to win came with 45 kilometers to go. Kelly chased down Gregor Braun and Alain Bondue, who had both broken away earlier. Rudy Rogiers joined Kelly and they eventually shed Bondue and Braun. Once the duo entered the Roubaix velodrome, Kelly easily out-sprinted Rogiers
Sean Kelly – Two time Paris-Roubaix winner
Sometimes there are surprise winner in Roubaix – Jeanmarie Wampers in 1989. Happy birthday Jeanmarie for the 7th of April
Steven Bauer and Eddy Planckaert in 1990 – The Belgian went on to win, Bauer second
A hard race for the photographers too
No peace for the winner – Andei Tchmile 1994 winner (more pics HERE)
Three Mapei on the podium in 1998 – Tafi, Ballerini and Peeters
George Hincapie always wanted to win Paris-Roubaix – 6th in 2000
Dust in 2000
Andrei Tchmile and Andrea Tafi – Two Roubaix wins between them
Johan Museeuw and his repaired knee win the 2000 Paris-Roubaix
After the dry 2000, wet and muddy conditions for 2001
Who is the rider? Leon van Bon
Two hard men – Ludo Dierckxsens and Steffen Wesemann
Johan Museeuw, Romans Vainsteins and George Hincapie
Servais Knaven 2001 wet winner
Tom Boonen burst on the scene in 2002 and finished 3rd
Johan Musseeuw took his third Roubaix win in 2002
No mud in 2003
Not a good day on the cobbles for Van Heeswijk and Ivanov
Dust and wind in 2003
2003 was probably Peter Van Petegem’s best season – Roubaix and Flanders in the spring and then third in the World championships in autumn
You could say Magnus Bäckstedt was a surprise winner in 2004, but he was a big strong rider made for the Hell of the North
Roger Hammond led-out the sprint in the Roubaix velodrome
Bäckstedt got the better of Roger Hammond, Tristan Hoffman and Fabian Cancellara
Not much fun for Australian Allan Davis in 2005
Tom Boonen’s first win in Roubaix ahead of Hincapie and Flecha
2005 was quite a year for Boonen, World champion by the end of the year
Plowing their way to Roubaix
Fabian Cancellara’s first win of three
It wasn’t plain sailing for 2007 winner, Stuart O’Grady
Another Roubaix win for CSC
Treacherous as always – Trouee d’Arenberg
Not an easy race for the team cars either
On the way to his second Roubaix win in 2008 – Tom Boonen
Boonen won solo in 2009
The race was soon down to the last few riders
Two in a row and Roubaix No. 3 for ‘Tommeke’
Fabian Cancellara took the second of his three wins in 2010
Roger Hammond out-sprinted Tom Boonen for fourth place
World champion Thor Hushovd should have won a Paris-Roubaix – The race suited his style
Johan Vansummeren – Surprise winner in 2011? Well deserved
A nice day for the 110th Paris-Roubaix
Tom Boonen last win in Roubaix in 2012
2013 was another dry day
Fabian Cancellara got the better of Sep Vanmarcke
Not a great day for Alexander Kristoff
The chase was on, but Terpstra had the win in the bag
Niki Terpstra added to his palmarès
No repeat for Terpstra in 2015
Degenkolb in 2016
Matt Hayman spoiled the day for Tom Boonen
2016 could have been history in the making
Good-bye Tom
It was dry in 2017
Greg Van Avermaet had his day
The big win for the Olympic champion
Dillier was the ‘Star of the Day’
Not a great Roubaix for Kristoff
Naesen – An outside bet
Arenberg in 2018
Gilbert and Sagan
Peter Sagan and Silvan Dillier
A very happy World champion
2029: Looking for win No. 2 in Roubaix
Bike change for Wout Van Aert
And a wheel change for Stybar
The Gilbert fans were out
‘Man of the day’ Nils Politt
The winning tandem – Gilbert/Politt
2019 Roubaix came down to a sprint
Maybe an easy bet for the win
2019 podium – Lampaert, Gilbert and Politt
# Sadly, Paris-Roubaix wasn’t run in 2020 due to covid. #
Roubaix’21 was wet and muddy
Crash-fest
Van der Poel was up there, but Colbrelli wanted his biggest win
Colbrelli deserved his win, especially considering what happened to Colbrelli
The biggest win of his career
It’s hard to lift that cobble after hard day
Dry and dusty in 2022
It was a good day for a BBQ
And a great day for the fans
Not Van Aert’s day again
The BIG Two
Van Baarle went solo through the dust
Van Baarle was a bit of a surprise – That’s why we love Roubaix
Solo in Roubaix – The best way to win
The sprint for the podium
Another dry Paris-Roubaix
The ‘Break of the Day’
Vermeerch through Pont Gibus
I think we have seen this shot before?
Van Aert through Gibus
Alpecin-Deceuninck had the numbers
It was only a matter of time before Van der Poel went solo
The job was nearly done for the day
The (first?) win in Roubaix for Mathieu van der Poel
# Keep it PEZ for more Paris-Roubaix. #
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