Paris-Roubaix 2021

The 118th edition of Paris-Roubaix looks to be set for Sunday, October 3, 2021, after having moved from two dates in 2020 and then rescheduled from its April calendar slot earlier this year. The Monument, held in northern France, signals the culmination of the cobbled Classics season, especially now being in fall, and is arguably the most recognisable event in the sport after the Tour de France.

The route, one of the longest of the year at 257.7km, will run from south to north from Compiègne to Roubaix over the most brutal roads the peloton will experience all year. There are 30 cobbled sectors this year, which account for 55 kilometres of the route, the surviving riders make it to the smooth velodrome in Roubaix.

The 2019 edition of the race saw Philippe Gilbert of Deceuninck-QuickStep, now with Lotto Soudal, triumph after making an elite move in the final 50 kilometres, later outsprinting Nils Politt of Katusha-Alpecin, now with Bora-Hansgrohe, in Roubaix.

Favourites for this rescheduled October edition of Paris-Roubaix include Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), 2019 road race World Champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), 2014 winner John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal), AG2R Citroën’s Classics specialist Oliver Naesen and 2018 winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).