"Three hours in, you’re wasted and you have no idea how you’re going to finish": American neo-pro survives Roubaix trial by fire

Every year, the Paris-Roubaix sees a number of debutants with various fates. In 2026, an entire one quarter of participants had taken on the French Monument for the first time, with many of them without any prior experience with the Roubaix cobbles from under-23 and junior categories. The latter wasn't quite the case for Cole Kessler who finished a modest 42nd place in the Espoirs version last year, but the main race of the Roubaix Sunday doesn't quite compare; with its length, speed and Trouée d'Arenberg.

For his debut, Kessler set out an ambitious goal for himself - to join the morning breakaway. "I was trying to go for the break for two hours. Over 50k an hour… nothing went," Kessler told Domestique about the dozens of attempts by riders to get up the road before the big names would make their move, hoping to sneak as far into the finale as possible.

But soon, it became apparent that there will be no breakaway on Modern Adventure Pro Cycling's debut: "I had to refocus when I realised the break wasn’t going," he admitted.

Despite having done a number of races before, it's been in the first half of Roubaix that Kessler collected one milestone in his Strava palmares: "I did my fastest 100 miles ever… over 50k an hour average."

So, it's all out for two or three hours, and that's merely an intermezzo before the race truly kicks off. "It is sketchy, man. You’re locking up brakes, skidding, sliding, avoiding stuff," the young American described the race without filters. "Three hours in, you’re fucked and you have no idea how you’re going to finish. You come around again… you feel good… then bad again. It’s a rollercoaster."

Kessler makes it through the early sectors in the front group, but his efforts to join breakaway from the gunshot eventually catch up to the American who begins to struggle.... and eventually loses contact.

And then, the nature of the race shifts as whatever is left of the peloton at this point of race enters the Paris-Roubaix's most iconic cobbled sector; the Arenberg forest.

But Roubaix doesn’t end when you lose contact with the front. Riders at the front and at the back share one thing - that it's an endless sufferfest. Only the motivations differ. Yet every rider dreams of reaching the Velodrome, some even without the care for time limit.

While riding 15 minutes behind the head of the race, it'd be often easier to simply step away from bicycle... but the cheering crowds won't let you: "The fans were crazy. My ears are still ringing," Kessler described the final two hours of the race as "the most incredible experience of my life."

And then, at the end of it all, there is the Velodrome. After hours of noise and compression, it opens up, wide and final, a space where the race slows just enough for everything to catch up with you. "The moment you realise your dream has come true… it’s pretty cool," he admitted.

His parents are there. He hears them before he sees them. And for a brief moment, the race gives something back. "Yeah… maybe I shed a few tears."

Kessler crossed the finish line in 108th place, more than fifteen minutes behind winner Wout van Aert. More important than the result is the first-hand experience with cobbles. Of course, Kessler would prefer a nicer result, but he already looks forward to coming back in the future with the aim to chase the elusive success at the Hell of the North.