Paris Roubaix/Challenge 2017 (and a bit about the Pro Race)
Treadstone Assassin
Posts: 52
Having just returned from this amazing adventure,I thought I would post up my experience which might answer a few questions for people considering this in the future. I couldn't find answers to many questions I had before going,as the website is a little light on some practical info,so hopefully this will help others. We travelled to Roubaix to take part in the "Challenge" (Full 170km route) and then watch the race itself on Sunday.
Arrived in Roubaix on Friday evening with the intention of an early night given the early start on Saturday. But by the time bikes were built out of the bike bags and taken for a test run,dinner was had and kit readied,it was midnight before lights were out.Alarm set then for 3.50am!! (yes,three fifty in the morning!!). We had paid for the official transport from Roubaix to the start in Busigny,so instructions were to be at the pick up point at 5am. The pick up point was in a supermarket car park about a 10/15min ride from the hotel. We had allowed plenty of time to cover any punctures etc,on the way. (We originally thought about driving over,but the website states that there is no parking at the pick up point,but there is,loads of it. On arrival at the pick up,there were hundreds of riders already there,with bikes being loaded into trucks,and riders boarding buses. We had intended to "sign on" at the start in Busigny,however it seemed the majority of riders had numbers already on (numbers could be collected earlier on Friday at the Velodrome). Trucks and coaches were numbered and each rider had a ticket which allocated them a particular truck/coach.These had been issued with the number card for your bike. We didn't have one! After a bit of faffing about,we were pointed to an official car,where from they were issuing numbers and tickets.(and a sticker for your top tube with the cobble sector distances on them). So panic over and we're on the coach. The coach didn't actually leave until after 6am. The journey to Busigny was about 1hr 30mins. So plenty of time to have the breakfast that we had brought with us on the coach.
The only thing I would do differently here would be to wear something warmer,it was cold! Whatever you wear can be left at the bag drop area at the start,which is then brought back to Roubaix for you. Would probably sign on at the velodrome if we had arrived in Roubaix at on time,which would have avoided any confusion/panic about which bus to get on.
Arriving in Busigny,we were greeted with thick fog.It was now seriously cold! The forecast was good however,so it was a case of just of toughing it out until the sun came through.Bikes were unloaded at the side of the road and we pedalled a few hundred metres to the start area. Music was pumping,there were hundreds of riders around,a shop/café was open for business which seemed to be selling croissants/bananas at the very least,and there was a good atmosphere. Free tea/coffee and biscuits were provided at a tent beside the start line. Plenty of portaloos provided for the inevitable pre event release! The start was from 7.00am,it was an open start so it was just go when you are ready. Under the start banner,over the timing mats (number cards are chipped) and we're riding Paris Roubaix! (in thick fog!).
Within a few minutes of riding,the blood was pumping and the cold wasn't so much of an issue.The sun came out on Sector 28 (2nd section of cobbles) and it was a dustbowl thereafter. However not long after the start there were some poor buggers at the sides of the roads already,changing punctures and we hadn't even seen a cobble yet! The first section of cobbles seem to arrive very quickly and I was totally unprepared for it. If,like me,youve ridden down a "cobbled st" in your town,thinking "this is not too bad" I can assure you,it is not cobbled in the Roubaix sense. No description I could give you would even come close to giving you anything accurate. It was ridiculous,and this sector was 2.2km long and only rated as 3 stars!! TV does not give any idea of what these sectors are like,and it further puts into perspective just how good the pros are. Think trail centre black run rock garden on a road bike! The gutters do provide a bit of a breather although they are by no means like riding on a flat surface.Just to give me a reminder of where I was,Sector 29 handed out an early puncture,laughing in the face of my newly acquired 30mm Challenge tyres. Only 10km done,it was going to be a long day! Or not as it turned out!
Things to do differently next time? Tubeless tyres for me.
Every sector is littered,with bidons (some still attached to the cages!),pumps,bags,which are just getting thrown off bikes,with the battering they are taking. Riders fixing punctures at every hole in the hedge. The next sectors were ticked off without incident,along with the picturesque countryside and villages,all in glorious sunshine. The route was really well marshalled,with traffic being stopped at every major junction to let us ride through. All the signs are up for the pro race marking the route. So next stop was the first feed station at about 45km. This was well stocked,and really with hindsight I could have carried a lot less food,as there was plenty here. Big tanks of water and Etixx energy drink as well. Gap to the next feed station was another 60km or so.
Unfortunately,two sectors later,my day was done. Inner tube falls out of saddle bag,which had worked itself open (I clearly I hadn't closed properly earlier,after my puncture),into cassette,rear mech,chain,spokes! Demolition job. A long walk off that sector was ahead of me. And all for the benefit of you readers,so that I could tell you how the broom wagon works!
A kind photographer gave me a lift back to the feed station where there were mechanics,although they only confirmed what I already knew. Over and out! So I joined 3 other riders waiting for the broom wagon. A telephone number is on the back of your race number,so after telling them we needed rescuing,we waited patiently in the glorious sunshine......for 2 hrs! Eventually it showed up,with a trailer,and it was about a straight 1hr drive up the motorway to the velodrome in Roubaix. I thought I was unlucky,however one of the other guys had road rash from head to toe down one side,with all his kit shredded which was the result of his titanium bike having broken in two! It was held together by the rear brake and shifter cables! Remember kids,dont bring titanium to Roubaix!
Once at the Velodrome,it was open to all,so it was a case of just heading in and waiting it out for my club mates to arrive in. The place was packed with riders who had already finished,with a constant stream of finishers entering the velodrome over the next few hours. If you left a bag a Busigny,you can pick it up here. All that remained was to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a burger/frites (superb quality) and a beer,thinking of what might have been.You can get up on the pro podium,which was set up,as many were doing for a photo op. There was a great atmosphere around with music,a few stalls,a guy interviewing finishers etc. A few sorry looking faces/bodies lying on the grass,showing each other their blistered hands. So after my mates arrived,it was back to the hotel to plan our Sunday. (Hopefully someone can add in what the other 120km were like,but fairly brutal was the general message)
Ill keep this brief as its not strictly about the sportive,but all l'll can say is ignore all other forum posts that tell you to avoid the Arenberg Forest due to crowds. It was epic. Easy to get to (c40min drive) by heading straight down the A23 to Valenciennes. Junction 4 or Junction 6 will take you to the Arenberg Forest. J4 is at the end of the cobbles.J6 takes you to near the entrance. I had read that J5 would take you to the middle,however there is no J5 exit on the southbound motorway. You would have to be coming in the opposite direction from Valenciennes to get off at J5. The slip road off J6 takes you to the gates of the forest,you couldn't possibly get lost. Car park of course is full,but parking on the road isn't a problem. Its maybe a 15min walk from there through the forest,which takes you right under the famous bridge on the cobbles,which is just a few hundred metres from the entrance. Watch the race anywhere along here if you can find a good spot,which we luckily did. What an experience. At the entrance there is a large area with tables and chairs for hundreds,with a big screen,bar and burger vans. (we brought plenty of food and water ourselves.I didn't see any water for sale). Yes its bunged,but the atmosphere is fantastic,with the crowds cheering any move by anyone in a Quick Step jersey. After the riders have gone through we stayed here and watched the rest of the race. Highly recommended. I would add that we got to the forest entrance at about 1pm.The pros were due to come through at about 2.40pm. If anything Id get there a little earlier to give you the chance to pick your spot. Much later and getting a decent spot would be difficult. There had been signs up at the Motorway junctions about,road closures,so get there too late and you may not be able to exit the motorway at all.
Hope this is all useful to someone. Ill be back next year for sure.
Arrived in Roubaix on Friday evening with the intention of an early night given the early start on Saturday. But by the time bikes were built out of the bike bags and taken for a test run,dinner was had and kit readied,it was midnight before lights were out.Alarm set then for 3.50am!! (yes,three fifty in the morning!!). We had paid for the official transport from Roubaix to the start in Busigny,so instructions were to be at the pick up point at 5am. The pick up point was in a supermarket car park about a 10/15min ride from the hotel. We had allowed plenty of time to cover any punctures etc,on the way. (We originally thought about driving over,but the website states that there is no parking at the pick up point,but there is,loads of it. On arrival at the pick up,there were hundreds of riders already there,with bikes being loaded into trucks,and riders boarding buses. We had intended to "sign on" at the start in Busigny,however it seemed the majority of riders had numbers already on (numbers could be collected earlier on Friday at the Velodrome). Trucks and coaches were numbered and each rider had a ticket which allocated them a particular truck/coach.These had been issued with the number card for your bike. We didn't have one! After a bit of faffing about,we were pointed to an official car,where from they were issuing numbers and tickets.(and a sticker for your top tube with the cobble sector distances on them). So panic over and we're on the coach. The coach didn't actually leave until after 6am. The journey to Busigny was about 1hr 30mins. So plenty of time to have the breakfast that we had brought with us on the coach.
The only thing I would do differently here would be to wear something warmer,it was cold! Whatever you wear can be left at the bag drop area at the start,which is then brought back to Roubaix for you. Would probably sign on at the velodrome if we had arrived in Roubaix at on time,which would have avoided any confusion/panic about which bus to get on.
Arriving in Busigny,we were greeted with thick fog.It was now seriously cold! The forecast was good however,so it was a case of just of toughing it out until the sun came through.Bikes were unloaded at the side of the road and we pedalled a few hundred metres to the start area. Music was pumping,there were hundreds of riders around,a shop/café was open for business which seemed to be selling croissants/bananas at the very least,and there was a good atmosphere. Free tea/coffee and biscuits were provided at a tent beside the start line. Plenty of portaloos provided for the inevitable pre event release! The start was from 7.00am,it was an open start so it was just go when you are ready. Under the start banner,over the timing mats (number cards are chipped) and we're riding Paris Roubaix! (in thick fog!).
Within a few minutes of riding,the blood was pumping and the cold wasn't so much of an issue.The sun came out on Sector 28 (2nd section of cobbles) and it was a dustbowl thereafter. However not long after the start there were some poor buggers at the sides of the roads already,changing punctures and we hadn't even seen a cobble yet! The first section of cobbles seem to arrive very quickly and I was totally unprepared for it. If,like me,youve ridden down a "cobbled st" in your town,thinking "this is not too bad" I can assure you,it is not cobbled in the Roubaix sense. No description I could give you would even come close to giving you anything accurate. It was ridiculous,and this sector was 2.2km long and only rated as 3 stars!! TV does not give any idea of what these sectors are like,and it further puts into perspective just how good the pros are. Think trail centre black run rock garden on a road bike! The gutters do provide a bit of a breather although they are by no means like riding on a flat surface.Just to give me a reminder of where I was,Sector 29 handed out an early puncture,laughing in the face of my newly acquired 30mm Challenge tyres. Only 10km done,it was going to be a long day! Or not as it turned out!
Things to do differently next time? Tubeless tyres for me.
Every sector is littered,with bidons (some still attached to the cages!),pumps,bags,which are just getting thrown off bikes,with the battering they are taking. Riders fixing punctures at every hole in the hedge. The next sectors were ticked off without incident,along with the picturesque countryside and villages,all in glorious sunshine. The route was really well marshalled,with traffic being stopped at every major junction to let us ride through. All the signs are up for the pro race marking the route. So next stop was the first feed station at about 45km. This was well stocked,and really with hindsight I could have carried a lot less food,as there was plenty here. Big tanks of water and Etixx energy drink as well. Gap to the next feed station was another 60km or so.
Unfortunately,two sectors later,my day was done. Inner tube falls out of saddle bag,which had worked itself open (I clearly I hadn't closed properly earlier,after my puncture),into cassette,rear mech,chain,spokes! Demolition job. A long walk off that sector was ahead of me. And all for the benefit of you readers,so that I could tell you how the broom wagon works!
A kind photographer gave me a lift back to the feed station where there were mechanics,although they only confirmed what I already knew. Over and out! So I joined 3 other riders waiting for the broom wagon. A telephone number is on the back of your race number,so after telling them we needed rescuing,we waited patiently in the glorious sunshine......for 2 hrs! Eventually it showed up,with a trailer,and it was about a straight 1hr drive up the motorway to the velodrome in Roubaix. I thought I was unlucky,however one of the other guys had road rash from head to toe down one side,with all his kit shredded which was the result of his titanium bike having broken in two! It was held together by the rear brake and shifter cables! Remember kids,dont bring titanium to Roubaix!
Once at the Velodrome,it was open to all,so it was a case of just heading in and waiting it out for my club mates to arrive in. The place was packed with riders who had already finished,with a constant stream of finishers entering the velodrome over the next few hours. If you left a bag a Busigny,you can pick it up here. All that remained was to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a burger/frites (superb quality) and a beer,thinking of what might have been.You can get up on the pro podium,which was set up,as many were doing for a photo op. There was a great atmosphere around with music,a few stalls,a guy interviewing finishers etc. A few sorry looking faces/bodies lying on the grass,showing each other their blistered hands. So after my mates arrived,it was back to the hotel to plan our Sunday. (Hopefully someone can add in what the other 120km were like,but fairly brutal was the general message)
Ill keep this brief as its not strictly about the sportive,but all l'll can say is ignore all other forum posts that tell you to avoid the Arenberg Forest due to crowds. It was epic. Easy to get to (c40min drive) by heading straight down the A23 to Valenciennes. Junction 4 or Junction 6 will take you to the Arenberg Forest. J4 is at the end of the cobbles.J6 takes you to near the entrance. I had read that J5 would take you to the middle,however there is no J5 exit on the southbound motorway. You would have to be coming in the opposite direction from Valenciennes to get off at J5. The slip road off J6 takes you to the gates of the forest,you couldn't possibly get lost. Car park of course is full,but parking on the road isn't a problem. Its maybe a 15min walk from there through the forest,which takes you right under the famous bridge on the cobbles,which is just a few hundred metres from the entrance. Watch the race anywhere along here if you can find a good spot,which we luckily did. What an experience. At the entrance there is a large area with tables and chairs for hundreds,with a big screen,bar and burger vans. (we brought plenty of food and water ourselves.I didn't see any water for sale). Yes its bunged,but the atmosphere is fantastic,with the crowds cheering any move by anyone in a Quick Step jersey. After the riders have gone through we stayed here and watched the rest of the race. Highly recommended. I would add that we got to the forest entrance at about 1pm.The pros were due to come through at about 2.40pm. If anything Id get there a little earlier to give you the chance to pick your spot. Much later and getting a decent spot would be difficult. There had been signs up at the Motorway junctions about,road closures,so get there too late and you may not be able to exit the motorway at all.
Hope this is all useful to someone. Ill be back next year for sure.
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Comments
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Bad luck, some rookie errors though... Roubaix is a belt and braces race... I remember taping the saddle bag under the saddle with gaffer tape for extra safety and wrapping a sock around the bottle so that it gripped tighter
Hope you had a good weekend nonethelessleft the forum March 20230 -
Thanks for the report!http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....0
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Ouch! Feeling your pain and disappointment. And the same for the owner of the wrecked Ti bike.0
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im envious, would love to try this one day but know I struggle over long distances0
