The Hell of the North
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Does exactly what is says on the tin.
This weekend we took part in the Paris Roubaix challenge and sampled the race weekend atmosphere before an epic day of pro racing which saw a win for the people's champ Wout van Aert and a fabulous women's race won by Franziska Koch.
Whilst the pro racing was incredible - full of stories of bad luck, suffering and immense human performance - we were blown away by the organisation of the Roubaix challenge and the brilliant atmosphere that surrounds the event.
As a Le Shuttle Tour Operator we are really keen to grow our portfolio of cycling holidays in Northern Europe. Like all responsible tour operators, we felt the best way to deliver a 5* trip is to try it ourselves first.
The event
We opted for the 170km discovery ride, including every cobbled section and a very early start! There are also 140km and 70km options available and all are a significant challenge.
Our day started with a 0315 alarm to get to the Auchan Leers car park for 4am. After bikes were 'gently lobbed' into a truck, we were bussed down to the start line at Busigny. After a little snooze, a couple of delays and some 0730 start line Euro disco beats - we were off!
We were lucky to have a tailwind for much of the early stages, but it was not long before we hit the first secteur at Troisvilles. It is hard to describe how cycling on the cobbles feels, we know they each have a ranking, but rest assured that whether they are 2* or 5* they are tough - both physically and mentally. It was not long until we were hoping onto the dusty verges praying for a smoother moment.
Whilst the first 10 secteur's were tough. It was number 19 that was looming large - The 5* Arenberg trench. This stretch of a little over 2km is a cycling abomination. It is genuinely horrendous - trying to maintain any type of momentum is incredibly challenging and I could tell whether my bike was going to fall apart or my shoulders pop out - or both. However, the feeling of elation at completing it is wonderful and you feel like you are really part of the race weekend at this point.
There are plenty more iconic moments over the remaining 90km and much of the French countryside is beautiful. However, as your hands start to become sore, arms and legs begin to tire - you hit the 2nd 5* secteur at Mons en Pevele - I found this to be the hardest of the event as the last uphill drag is a real killer on very rough cobbles.
The last 30km are great as you can sense the end is nearing. We had done secteur's 8 to 4 the day before so had an idea of what to expect. on these sections there was a good crowd of people who had parked up for the next days races, and more cyclists as all 3 routes are heading to the Velodrome - this made for some good groups to roll with and a super supportive atmosphere.
Entering the Velodrome is a genuine privilege - with a mixture of relief and elation that the ordeal was over. After 54km of cobbles I have a new appreciation and respect for any one who rides them and I am in awe of those who race over the.
Lastly, this event is on open roads, however the army of volunteers and clear signing meant that it was a super smooth and fun experience and compares favourably to closed roads events we have done. We cannot wait to head back (once my hands have healed)
Our thoughts for 2027
The bike - I rode a Trek aluminium frame cyclocross bike with a 1x set up and GRX groupset. The 32mm tubeless tyres did well, though I might be tempted to have a larger chainring on the front (I only had a 48) and tighter cassette as I only used 4 or 5 sprockets.
Hotel- we stayed 11km from the velodrome and 6km for Lille centre. We will stay there again as the hotel is lovely, the area safe and easy to access at only 1 hour 20 mins from the tunnel.
Logistics - The 170km route was great, but is an early start and makes eating tricky. The 140km route might tempt us in the future and the 19 secteurs it takes in are the truly iconic ones and still represent a mega challenge. For 2027 we will drive 5 guests down to the start at Busigny to save them money and time!
The build up to the event is special, with pro teams doing their final prep rides and various hosted free events (the Van Rysel one was awesome) we will definitely host a couple of support rides on the Thursday afternoon and Friday morning pre-event,
Will we go back?
Hell Yes and we would love you to join us.
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