The brutal cobbles and chaos of Paris-Roubaix Femmes is second to none when it comes to one-day Classics on the Women’s WorldTour calendar. 20 sectors of pure granite, there’s only one goal in mind – to finish in Vélodrome André-Pétrieux, the greatest colosseum in cycling, at the end of the athletes’ epic odyssey.
On Sunday, Human Powered Health took to the pavé with this objective in mind. With two riders atop beautifully designed Factor MONZA bikes from Belgian artist VEXX, the team made its way to Roubaix. It was not the intended end result, but we will be back to once again battle for the crown.
History was made on the way, though. At 18 years and 221 days old, Jente Koops finished her first Hell of the North as the youngest rider inside the time limit in both the women’s and men’s elite races.
“My first Roubaix felt really special. It was my first monument in my first year as a professional,” she said afterwards. “Before the race, I really wanted to make it to the velodrome. I was super happy when I arrived within the time limit.”
A name for the future, any rider who wishes to perform here must get at least one under their belt first.
“I really like racing the cobbles. The combination of pushing hard and searching for the best technique is something I enjoy,” says Koops. “Riding the cobbles with the perfect Factor MONZA made it even better.”
From Denain to the finish, relive the day in our exclusive gallery. Photos from Getty Sport and Communications Manager Oskar Scarsbrook.
With the cobbles now behind us, attention swings towards the Ardennes. Starting on April 19 with the Amstel Gold Race, followed by La Flèche Wallonne Féminine on April 22 and then culminating with La Doyenne, ‘the old lady’, Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 26.
