Every rider in the group knows what is coming: a small town with narrow streets and roundabouts, a corner, then another, then a mud-slicked cobbled farm road, and then a climb. A peloton of nearly 200 will charge down a four-lane road using the entire tarmac and, sometimes against the rules of the race, the adjoining sidewalks and bike paths. Slightly panicked, the riders at the front accelerate to stay near the front and hold their positions. The peloton surges as the town nears. A strong wind blows, fanning the front of the group across the road and then pushing the rest into a long thin line. At the back of the group, where the accelerations are faster and harder, riders struggle to stay in the slipstream. They are glued to the wheel in front and use every inch of the road to maximize their shelter from the wind. “Cutting the grass,” Roger Hammond, a rider who was an ace on the cobbles, would say after the peloton had lined out against the grass shoulder with shoes and cranks thwacking the plants and twigs.
In the long line, the riders can feel their directeurs eyeing them from the team car who travel in a motorcade which speeds, lurches, and skids along as it follows the peloton. The riders know that they must move up to do their job, but their legs are being seared with lactic acid as they struggle to find enough air to feed the effort. The television audience can’t recognize the pain that they feel, as all they see is the peloton flowing through the Belgian countryside between farmhouses and down lanes. The race is muted on a flat screen. From the couch, it looks so easy. The audience can’t feel the cold wind pushing at the side, the cobbles hammering the body from toe to jaw, or the fear and excitement. The peloton is a torrent of movement, speed, and emotion.
On sticky bits of tape stuck to their handlebars, top tubes, or stems the riders will have marked the kilometers at which the cobbled sectors, or other technical and decisive sections of the route arrive. They’ll view each cobbled secteur as a mid-race finish line. The goal is to be well positioned near the front in order to stay in contention for the next section of the race. It’s sometimes a slow and steady elimination process as the peloton thins with the wear of the race. Other times, the peloton will shatter decisively with a well-timed attack, a stiff crosswind, or a massive crash. The closer to the front that a rider starts a cobbled sector, the better the chances that they will emerge still in contention. Every rider prepares himself to pounce, and every directeur worries that his riders might miss the selection.
The veterans will have the route memorized. Repetition and experience are a distinct advantage, as racers will learn where to move up in the bunch, where to attack, where to relax in the slipstream, and how to avoid the crashes. Those who grew up riding and racing on the northern roads are at ease, while it takes foreigners a few years to gain the comfort and the knowledge. Days before the event, the teams will ride the courses to visualize the race and to see the conditions of the cobbles — how they may have changed with the weather. They’ll test equipment and play with the tire pressure. After all, small details can make the difference between winning and not finishing.
Races are faster than they have ever been. Training, improved clothing and bike technology and nutrition play a critical role in the jump in performance. In recent years, a massive increase in carbohydrate consumption during the race has had a direct effect on speed, especially in the longest races. The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are grueling five- to six-hour races where professionals burn anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 calories. To maintain their energy levels, riders rely on high-carb drinks, energy gels, and solid foods. The average pro will consume 90-120 grams of carbohydrates per hour, carefully balancing intake to avoid bonking while ensuring they don’t overdo it and suffer from gastrointestinal issues. Eating and drinking at the right times is as much a part of race craft as attacking on the right sector.
Today’s professionals ride bikes with wider tire clearances, allowing them to put tires much larger than traditionally used in the Classics. They’ll not only carry them across the cobbles more quickly but also more comfortably and with less chance of a puncture. In the Tour of Flanders, most opt for 700c x 28mm or 30mm tires, while for Paris-Roubaix, where the cobbles are rougher and the terrain more punishing, riders typically choose even wider 700c x 32mm or even 35mm tires. The higher volume allows them to ride at lower PSI, which improves efficiency on rough terrain and reduces the risk of pinch flats. Many teams also use tire inserts—cushions inside the tubeless tires—that provide protection against rim damage and allow a rider to continue riding on a flat tire while awaiting mechanical support. These small adaptations can be the difference between finishing and abandoning.
The sectors of cobbled road shred the peloton. It’s not only the technical and physical difficulty of the surface and terrain that separates the contenders from the rest, but also the width of the roads themselves. Every rider knows that they need to be in the first 10. Up front, they can see the road surface and can pick lines to avoid potholes, dislodged cobbles, and drunken spectators. They can also dictate the tempo and attack at will. Behind, everyone follows and flounders. In the group, one weak rider can create a gap that causes a split that’ll eventually end the race for many. Crashes create bottlenecks. To race on, riders caught behind the fallen jump off of their bikes, run through the ditches, and scamper over bodies and bikes.
Those at the back of the group know that they need to be in the front in order to help the team and to avoid crashes. But, often they’re stuck: to move up is energy-sapping, and if the wind is strong, impossible. They’ll hold their spot until the peloton relents. In those few brief seconds, every rider in the back will make a dash up the side and then push for the front. They’ll use their elbows to wiggle through gaps, they’ll skirt bollards, rub up against cars, and jump curbs to get as close as they can to the front few. Failure means eventually being spat out the back — race over. Then they’ll feel the emptiness of defeat.
Brian Holm, my team directeur for several years, told us to never relent in the Classics, even when dropped. The leaders can slow between cobble sectors to recover; the peloton can regroup. A rider dropped early in the race who battles on, can eventually find themselves in front. Classics riders embrace the extremes, deal with adversity, and race on with open wounds and damaged equipment. The best are not only the strongest and most tactically astute, but also the most passionate, tenacious, and resilient.
Yet again, a beautifully written, evocative piece. Thank you.
Superb piece. Thank you.