As cycling fans
gear up for the 2025 edition of
Paris-Roubaix, there’s no better time to look
back on the most iconic moments from a race that, outside the grand tours, is often
the race fans look forward to the most.
That’s likely
because the fans don’t have to ride the cobbles…
Known as The
Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix is cycling’s toughest one-day race, with its
bone-rattling cobblestones, brutal crashes, and legendary finishes. Here are
six of the greatest editions in the race’s history, and let’s explore whether
we can learn anything from them ahead of this weekend’s show down.
1. 1968 –
Merckx’s first win
Eddy Merckx was
already building a reputation as one of the sport’s future greats, but it was
his victory at the 1968 Paris-Roubaix where he showed just how good he could
be.
Still just 22
years old, Merckx was up against Herman Van Springel, in a race that will be remembered
for its horrendous conditions and punctures for some of the big names.
Riding for the
Faema team, Merckx tackled the cobbles with surgical precision, but what truly
stunned his rivals was his endurance. He simply refused to fade, even when the
wind and cobbles punished the rest of the peloton. Merckx was able to beat his
Belgian rival Van Springel in the velodrome, with Walter Godefroot completing a
Belgian sweep of the podium places.
This was his
first of three Paris-Roubaix victories, and was the year he won a grand tour
for the first time, as the Giro.
Could another
grand tour winner get his first Paris-Roubaix win this weekend?
2. 1985 –
Marc Madiot
Paris-Roubaix
1985 was defined by the kind of conditions that make legends. Rain soaked the
roads, the cobbles turned slick with mud, and crashes were constant. It was
pure hell, and Marc Madiot thrived.
The Frenchman
rode like a man possessed through the race, seizing control in the latter
stages and powering away solo with just under 30km to go. The scenes on the
Arenberg Forest were apocalyptic: riders covered in mud, mechanics scrambling
to clean bikes, and fans lining the roads screaming encouragement in a storm.
Madiot was able
to survive the carnage, and beat his countryman and teammate Bruno Wojtinek,
with Sean Kelly of Ireland rounding out the podium.
This race
should be on everyone’s mind if the weather on Sunday sees the heaven’s open.
The race is already hellish and brutal even on the best of days, and a little
rain can make it a true battle of attrition.
3. 1994 –
Andrei Tchmil
No one expected
Andrei Tchmil to win Paris-Roubaix in 1994. The Moldovan was a strong rider,
yes, but the cobbled classics were usually won by the likes of Museeuw,
Ballerini or Duclos-Lassalle. But on that cold, windy April day, Tchmil changed
everything.
Attacking with
60km to go, Tchmil launched what looked like a suicidal move. But while others
hesitated or crashed, he held his gap through sector after sector, maintaining
his composure on the brutal five-star cobbled sections. As the kilometres
ticked down, the realisation grew: he might just pull this off.
Behind him, the
chasing group was disorganised. Museeuw, Ballerini and Moncassin all looked at
each other too long. Tchmil, meanwhile, buried himself. He entered the Roubaix
Velodrome alone, the clock still ticking as the chasers closed. When he finally
crossed the line he was utterly spent, but a champion of the cobbles.
It was one of
the gutsiest rides ever witnessed in Paris-Roubaix. Tchmil’s victory wasn’t
just unexpected; it was inspirational, and shows that an underdog can still win
against the odds in Roubaix.
4. 2001 –
Servais Knaven
The 2001
Paris-Roubaix was not just a victory for Servais Knaven, it was a clinic by the
Domo-Farm Frites team. The Belgian squad managed to place four riders in the
top five, completely dismantling the race and suffocating every rival with
numbers and strategy in the 99th edition of the race.
Knaven, a
reliable but not flashy rider, got in the early break and played his hand
perfectly. Behind him, his teammates Johan Museeuw and Romans Vainšteins
shadowed every chase, forcing others to do the work. By the time Knaven hit the
final sectors, the gap was unbridgeable. He soloed to the velodrome for the
biggest win of his career.
Museeuw, often
the team’s go-to man, finished third, but he didn't mind.
This edition of
Roubaix was remarkable not for its mud or crashes, but for its surgical team
execution. Domo-Farm Frites didn't just win, they dominated, shutting down the
race and neutralising the favourites. Knaven’s solo was brave, but it was the
perfect storm of teamwork, patience, and timing that made 2001 unforgettable.
We’ve seen
plenty of teams try to replicate this performance, which is truly the blueprint
of how to master the cobbles as a team.
5. 2016 – Matthew
Hayman
Mathew Hayman
wasn’t even supposed to be in the race. Five weeks earlier, he had broken his
arm at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and was expected to miss the spring entirely.
Instead, he trained on Zwift, recovered faster than expected, and made it to
the start line.
Then came the
miracle.
The 37-year-old
Australian had ridden Paris-Roubaix countless times before, often in a support
role. In 2016, he got into the early break and stayed away. As the race entered
its brutal final 60km, the big names, Tom Boonen, Ian Stannard, Sep Vanmarcke, started attacking. But Hayman kept going.
When the final
selection was made, Hayman was still there. And when they entered the
velodrome, he was one of five riders. Against all odds, he outsprinted Boonen,
a four-time winner, to take the biggest win of his career. His stunned face and
overwhelmed tears in the velodrome remain one of Roubaix’s most emotional
moments.
It was a
victory that celebrated the journeyman, the underdog, the rider who rarely wins
but always works. “I can’t believe it,” Hayman said afterward. “This is a
dream.” Roubaix, more than any other race, has room for dreams like his.
6. 2021 – Sonny
Colbrelli
Paris-Roubaix
2021 was historic before it even started. After COVID cancelled the 2020
edition, fans waited 903 days for the race to return. And when it did, the
skies opened. For the first time since 2002, Roubaix was raced in torrential
rain.
It was chaos.
Crashes marred every sector. Mud coated bikes and faces. Riders hit the deck in
the Arenberg, slid out on corners, and crossed the finish line unrecognisable.
In the midst of it all, Sonny Colbrelli shone.
The Italian
national champion had never raced Roubaix before, but he handled the conditions
like a veteran. When the race broke apart, he stayed calm, following every
dangerous move. He made the final selection with Florian Vermeersch and Mathieu
van der Poel, and in the velodrome, he timed his sprint to perfection.
Colbrelli
collapsed on the ground, covered in mud and tears. It was the ultimate example
of adaptation and mental strength. “I don’t have words,” he said post-race.
“This is a dream come true.”
Sadly, it would
also become one of his final career highlights before heart issues cut his
career short. That rainy day in Roubaix became even more significant in
hindsight, a moment of beauty in the mud.
The man who was
third on the podium in Roubaix that day, Mathieu van der Poel, is the current
two-time defending champion. The question is, can the Dutchman make it three in
a row on Sunday. Or can Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert, or someone else spoil the
party?
These six
editions show the full spectrum of what Paris-Roubaix represents: courage,
pain, surprise, heartbreak, and incredible possibility through chaos.
Whether it’s
Merckx’s dominance, Hayman’s fairytale, or Colbrelli’s emotional breakthrough,
every era has its legend born on the cobbles. Who will have their chance to
shine on Sunday?