Paris-Roubaix: cycling’s ‘hell of the north’

The famous Paris-Roubaix cycling race is now in its 130th year, with the next edition taking place on the 12 April. This year, the men’s riders will cover over 258 kilometres over a “hilly course”, that takes in the famous cobblestones.

Lizzie Deignan won the first edition of the women’s race in 2021 and tells the BBC’s Matt Warwick “It’s called the hell of the north for a reason. The muscles in your fingers are so sore at the end, a bit like holding onto a pneumatic drill whist trying to go as hard as you can on a bike.”

Matt puts the race’s place in the sport into context and explains how even some of the world’s greatest cyclists are no match for the cobblestones.

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