The Hell of the North — French Views

A violent explosion … Paris-Roubaix … ‘The Hell of the North’ … the iconic one day, spring classic, second only to Le Tour de France in its infamy blasted through the Forest of Arenberg!

There is a slight downhill, high-speed run (70km/h) into the forest to be ‘safely’ at the front of the peloton. The problem is that the road narrows significantly at the entry to the forest.

Slight downhill, high-speed run into the forest

But the road narrows significantly upon entry to the cobbles

It was an icy cold morning when Chris and I set off from our hotel to the Fôret d’arenberg to be part of the Paris Roubaix supporters in 2019. Chris has enjoyed watching this race on the television for years. For him, it heralds the start of bike racing in Europe. It’s a thrilling race set right up on the northern border of France with Belgium. The possibility of rain can make it treacherous for the riders on the slippery cobbles and mud. He knew exactly which section of the course he wanted to be.

I had chosen the Campanile Hotel in Petit Fôret, which is part of a commercial area in the very north of France. It is definitely not our typical type of accommodation when in France. It was basic and clean with a couple of eating options close by. We reminded ourselves that we were staying here for a good reason and the hotel was chosen for its proximity to the part of the race we wanted to see … definitely not for its ambience.

Our drive to our chosen spot was just a few kilometres away. We were rugged up with layers of jackets, beanies and gloves. We were able to park quite close to the entrance to the forest and we set off to peruse the area, taking time to walk a section of the famous cobbles in the forest and pausing to take photos. It was relatively quiet but more people started to arrive. We decided to head back to the van to collect our camping stools and supplies for the day.

Chris chose us a spot that he thought would give us a good view. We settled in for the long wait. The weather in the forest was cold and the dampness in the air seeped into us, chilling us to the bone. We took turns going for a walk back to the start of the cobbles where the beer tents, souvenir stands, jumping castles and porta loos were set up for the crowd.

9am sausage sizzle and beer at 1 degree Celsius

Hours later, many more people had arrived. Unfortunately, as at most cycling events we have been to, there is little respect for personal space and no regard for the fact that you have been there for hours and late comers just push in and take over. We find this incredibly frustrating and I always wish I had better command of the language so that I could assert myself. Chris is a photographer and he gets a good spot ready to take those shots, only to find someone arriving late squeezes in and blocks the view … oblivious enthusiasm. Still, it’s a fabulous experience.

Paris-Roubaix-French-Views-Chris-Handel-Photography-1584.jpg — The tension builds

The atmosphere was building. Groups of Dutch and Belgian cycling fans, complete with BBQs and boomboxes, are a part of the spectacle. They chant and sing, increasingly loudly as the day progresses, and the alcohol flows. The temperature of the day seemed to decrease rather than increase.

Spares … wide tyres, maybe 28mm for extra cushioning

Mavic neutral service staff assist when team cars are not near when needed

Eventually, the race arrived with a cloud of dust and a clatter of bikes flying past us. They rode so fast that it was hard to believe that they could ride like that over the extremely lumpy, slippery and famous cobbles. As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. It was exhilarating and definitely a must for cycling fans to come and experience.

Peter Sagan, ex-world champion, near the front

https://cyclingtips.com/2016/04/preview-what-you-should-know-before-watching-the-2016-paris-roubaix/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris–Roubaix

Paris-Roubaix began in 1896. It started in Paris for the first 60 years but, after that, from Chantilly, north of Paris, and now from Compiegne, 85km north-east of Paris.

The 27 cobbled sectors are rated from one to 5 stars, depending upon their level of difficulty. Arenberg is the most famous sector and has a well-deserved 5-star rating. It has often been said that you can’t win Paris-Roubaix here but you can definitely lose it.