As it happened: French megastar solos to Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2025 victory

Hello and welcome to the 2025 Paris-Roubaix Femmes. This should be an absolutely incredible day of racing as the riders head to some of the most brutal of cobbled sectors in the world. 

The defending champion, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), will be hoping she can repeat the feat but also make herself the first ever woman to do the Tour of Flanders Paris-Roubaix double. 

The 'Queen of the Classics' has always thrown up a mix of big name winners and massive surprises, even in it's short history as a women's race. How will the race go this year...

>>> Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2025 contenders - Lotte Kopecky a favourite for repeat victory, but could an unexpected winner take all at Hell of the North? 

Lotte Kopecky says that she isn't feeling any pressure coming into today after winning the Tour of Flanders for a record third time...

>>> Lotte Kopecky: 'A pressure has fallen off' for Paris-Roubaix after Tour of Flanders win 

The first ever winner of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), is the latest rider to be one of our featured riders. Have a read of how she sees her future after retirement and much more in the link below...

>>> 'I don't know who I am as not a cyclist' - First women's Paris-Roubaix winner Lizzie Deignan speaks openly about her path to retirement and beyond 

The neutral start is in just under 30 minutes. The riders begin the race by doing a lap of Denain and are due to start at 13:10 local time before taking on a larger lap around the Denain area and eventually riding north towards the cobbles and the velodrome in Roubaix. The first of 17 cobbled sectors comes after 66km of racing. 

The riders are all set after completing sign on...

There are nine riders under the age of 20 starting today's race with three 18-year-old riders lining up in Denain. 

They are Cat Ferguson (Movistar), Ilken Seynave (Lotto) and Carys Lloyd (Movistar) with the latter being the youngest in the race and the second youngest in the WorldTour. 

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) is feeling the pressure today after her superb Tour of Flanders podium and racing on home roads in France today...

Just about five minutes before the riders are due to start the neutralised zone in Denain. 

Neutral start

The riders have started the neutralised zone!

148.5km to go

The racing begins at the fifth Paris-Roubaix Femmes!

The riders have 66km of racing before they get to the first cobbled sector of the day, Hornaing à Wandignies. It is a four star sector. 

The weather is beautiful today. Lovely sunshine with temperatures currently at 21.6 °C with a gentle 6.3kph wind in North-Eastern France. 

No early moves coming just yet. 

Two non-starters today... Sofie Van Rooijen (UAE Team ADQ) and Julie Hendrickx (Lotto). Meaning 135 riders started today. 

Attack!

One rider goes clear of the peloton. 

Attacker caught. 

Crash!

Multiple riders hit the deck as the race comes back through Denain. However, all riders are quickly back on their bikes again. 

Multiple riders have tried to form a break but the peloton has a tight hold on things. 

Crash!

Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X Mobility)

Not the ideal start for the Norwegian rider. No report on her condition or whether she is riding again. 

130km to go

The peloton is still all together despite multiple attempts to form the early breakaway. 

The teams leading the peloton are, interestingly, Liv-AlUla-Jayco and Uno-X Mobility.

Attack!

A group has a gap of 10" on the peloton. 

Break caught. 

After half an hour of racing the average speed is just under 40kph. It is a very swift start to racing. 

Attack!

Another group gets a small gap on the peloton. 

Abandon

Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X Mobility)

She came down heavily in a crash earlier in the day. 

Counter attack

Carys Lloyd (Movistar)

The youngest rider in the race is trying to bridge to the lead group.

It appears that Lloyd has been caught by the peloton but the lead group has over 20" on the peloton. 

Leaders:

Quinty Ton (LIV-AlUla-Jayco)
Aurela Nerlo (Winspace-Orange-Seal)

They have a minute on the peloton. 

110km to go

The two riders in the break have just over a minute on the chasing pack. 

The leading duo are riding well but aren't getting any more of a gap on the peloton...

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot says she's all in for her Visma-Lease a Bike teammate, Marianne Vos, today. 

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100km to go

The gap is stretching for the break as they have 1'40" on the peloton. The average sped has been 42kph after an hour of racing. 

The first of 17 cobbled sectors, Hornaing à Wandignies, is just 20km away. 

The break has been let go. They have a gap of 2'20" over the bunch and it appears to be expanding all the time. 

The riders ride back through Denain for the final time as the race finally heads towards the main part of the race and the cobbles which are now just 10km away. 

The gap has stabilised at 2'40" between the break and the peloton...

First cobbled sector

Onto the opening sector of cobbles, the four star Hornaing à Wandignies which is 3.7km long, the longest of the whole race. 

Puncture

Floortje Mackaij (Movistar)

Awful timing just before the peloton hits the first sector of cobbles. Lidl-Trek lead onto the cobbles with former winner, Lizzie Deignan, on the front. 

Several riders going out of the back with mechanicals and punctures. 

80km to go

The break have just over two minutes on the peloton that are flying on the cobbles. 

Puncture

Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez)

Nightmare moment for one of the French squad's leaders. 

The break complete the first of 17 cobbled sectors. 

Deignan leads the peloton off the first cobbled sector. 

Puncture

Goergia Baker (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Megan Jastrab (Picnic-PostNL)
Alexandra Volstad (EF Education-Oatly)

Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly) is being dragged back to the peloton after an issue. She finished 6th in the Tour of Flanders last weekend. 

Second cobbled sector

Onto the three star Warlaing à Brillon which is 2.4km long. 

Crash!

Marjolein van 't Geloof (Arkea-B&B Hotels)

She is back on her bike but looked frustrated. 

Carnage at the back of the peloton. At the front, it is still Deignan leading the way for Lidl-Trek as she glides over the coblestones. Just over a minute and a half between the bunch and the break. 

Puncture

Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck)

The Belgian rider got a podium here before but she is out of the back early on here. 

Attack!

Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek)

The first big move by one of the favourites comes with over 70km to go! Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) tries to chase. 

Third sector of cobbles

The sector of Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières now. The break have just over a minute on Van Dijk and a minute and a half on the peloton. 

Visma-Lease a Bike and SD Worx-Protime are leading the chase of Van Dijk with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Blanka Vas leading the way. 

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) just missing a split on the Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières. Van Dijk is causing some serious damage and panic in the peloton. 

Kopecky now makes it into the first split of the peloton. 

Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) is well out of the back. She has just gone by a Movistar rider on the floor, looked like it may have been Cat Ferguson. 

Human Powered Health and Visma-Lease a Bike have a lot of numbers in the leading part of the peloton. 

Fourth cobbled sector

Now time for Beuvry-la-Forêt à Orchies. A three star sector. The break has 32" on Van Dijk and 45" on what remains of the peloton. 

Mechanical

Charlotte Kool (Picnic-PostNL)

Not great timing for the Dutch sprinter as Visma-Lease a Bike hit the front en masse. 

Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) joins Quinty Ton (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Aurela Nerlo (Winspace Orange Seal).

Fifth cobbled sector

Onto the Orchies sector and Ferrand-Prevot hits the front hard with 18" up to the break. 

Mechanical

Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL)

The British national champion had her team car with her but she has a lot to do now. 

Nerlo has been dropped from the break thanks to the pace being set by Van Dijk. 

Aurela Nerlo has been caught by the peloton. 

Crash!

Alison Avoine (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)

Plus a rider from Coop-Repsol. 

Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime) leading the peloton now. Georgi is almost back behind the race jury car but there's still lots of groups ahead of them. 

The wind has shot up to 24kph and it is causing some issues on top of the cobbles. Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime) is now working on the front of the peloton. 

Van Dijk and Ton lead. The peloton are just 14" down on them with Georgi 42" down. 

Quinty Ton just went pop on the bike. She cant't follow the pace of Ellen van Dijk after a long time out front. 

There are around 25 riders left in the peloton as Ton is caught by the SD Worx-Protime led peloton. 

Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) and Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) are off the back with Pfeiffer Georgi. 

Crash!

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Lily Williams (Human Powered Health)
Linda Riedmann (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime)

Attack!

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)

They join Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) as Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) a tries to join.

Sixth cobbled sector

Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) trying to get across the gap with Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) on the four star Auchy-lez-Orchies à Bersée sector. 

50km to go

The riders now head to the first of just two five start sectors, Mons-en-Pévèle. 

The chase group joins the leaders making a group of about 10. 

Attack!

Jelena Eric (Movistar)

Superb ride so far by the Serbian national champion. She is dragged back, though. 

Leaders:

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek)
Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)
Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly)
Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health)
Jelena Eric (Movistar)

Seventh cobbled sector

The sector of Mons-en-Pévèle now. The first of two five star sectors. 

The group containing Ferrand-Prevot is 25 seconds behind the leaders. 

Attack!

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)

Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health) and Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) distanced after that acceleration. 

Attack!

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Immediately after Mons-en-Pévèle finished the move was launched. Alison Jackson (EF Edcuation-Oatly) very nearly made the bridge as well, but she didn't quite have enough. 

Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) leads the chase and is dragging everyone back to the leading duo. 

Dygert drags Vos and Kopecky back again and is is a group of six riders again. 

Eighth cobbled sector

Mérignies à Avelin quickly done and dusted. 

40km to go

The chasing group are just 17" behind the six leaders. 

There are 12 riders in the chase with Lidl-Trek and FDJ-Suez doing the work. 

Ninth cobbled sector

Onto Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin. The chase group appear to be coming back unless something dramatically changes. 

Attack!

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)

And now everyone else is coming with the attack of the world champion but her teammate, Lorena Wiebes, has been dropped! 

Alison Jackson and Jelena Eric are just struggling to hold onto the leaders and make it back just as they finish the ninth cobbled sector. 

The pace slackens and Lorena Wiebes makes it back into the leading group. 

Chase group:

Elisa Balsamo (LTK)
Ellen van DIjk (LTK)
Emma Norsgaard (LTK)
Pauline Ferrand-PRevot (TVL)
Sophie Von Berswordt (TVL)
Elise Chabbey (FST)
Marie Le Net (FST)
Jade Wiel (FST)
Zoe Backstedt (CSZ)
Chiara Consonni (CSZ)
Letizia Borghesi (EFO)
Maria Giulia Confalonieri (UXM)
Lara Gillespie (UAD)
Romy Kasper (HPH)

The chase group joins the lead group with 37km to go. 

Attack!

Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly)
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Sophie Von Berswordt (Visma-Lease a Bike)

That is quickly dragged back. 

Attack!

Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly)
Emma Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek)

Again, swiftly brought back under control. 

Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) rejoins the peloton after a brilliant effort. 

Attack!

Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek)

Multiple riders go with her. 

Tenth cobbled sector

The Templeuve sector with Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly) trying to get away. It comes in two parts, this sector. 

Now the riders have just under 6km of asphalt riding. 

Attack!

Emma Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek)

The Danish rider goes solo as the pace stalls in the peloton. This is a very dangerous move by the powerful rider. 

The pace has completely gone from the group of favourites. This could be an amazing opportunity for Norsgaard. 

30km to go

Norsgaard has a gap of 32" on the favourites group and it is growing. 

Eleventh cobbled sector

Norsgaard leads with a 28" gap onto the Cysoing à Bourghelles sector. Sophie Von Berswordt leading the favourites group for Visma-Lease a Bike. 

Kopecky leads the favourites group with Vos just locked onto her wheel. She is almost acting as the world champion's shadow today. 

Norsgaard has lost a good chunk of her gap on that sector as she now has 20" on the chasing group led by Kopecky. 

Attack!

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)

The riders behind are desperately chasing. Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) leads the chase. 

Twelth cobbled sector

Onto Bourghelles à Wannehain as Ferrand-Prevot is now 15" off Norsgaard. She also has 10" on the favourites group. 

Ferrand-Prevot joins Norsgaard with 23km to go. They have 18" on the chasing group of favourites. 

Just 17 riders left in the group of favourites led by Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto.

20km to go

FDJ-Suez and Human Powered Health join the chase in the group of favourites. 

Thirteenth cobbled sector

Onto Camphin-en-Pévèle go Ferrand-Prevot and Norsgaard with a gap of 30" on the favourites group. 

Georgi leads onto the cobble but now Dygert surges through to the front to keep the pace high. Multiple riders are starting to struggle with several of them losing touch. 

Ferrand-Prevot pushing hard ans Norsgaard is struggling to follow her on Camphin-en-Pévèle. But she is managing to just about stick around. 

Now the elastic snaps and Norsgaard can no longer follow Ferrand-Prevot. She is absolutely flying on the cobbles. 

Ferrand-Prevot is the first off the Camphin-en-Pévèle sector and has 40" on the chasing group of favourites. 

Fourteenth cobbled sector

The second and final five star sector, the Carrefour de l'Arbre. The absolute worst of the worst cobbles on the route. Ferrand-Prevot has 48" on the chasers but she still needs to be careful of mechanicals and punctures. 

Jelena Eric of Movistar is pushing hard on the front of the chasing group with Marianne Vos locked onto her wheel. 

Ferrand-Prevot finishes the Carrefour de l'Arbre and has 52" on the main group with 15km to go. 

Fifteenth cobbled sector

The Gruson sector now for Ferrand-Prevot and she has over a minute on the chasing group. Norsgaard is in the gap and is 20" down on the leader. 

Just two cobbled sectors to go for Pauline Ferrand-Prevot as Lotte Kopecky is leading the chasing group for Lorena Wiebes. 

10km to go

Visma-Lease a Bike's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has 25" on Emma Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) and 1'00" on the Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) led chasing group. 

Sixteenth cobbled sector

The penultimate cobbled sector, Willems à Hem, comes now with Farrand-Prevot holding 53" on the chasing group who are about to catch Norsgaard. 

Emma Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) caught by the chasing group. 

Attack!

Jelena Eric (Movistar)

Multiple riders able to follow. 

Crash!

Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL)

It really is not her day, today. 

Still just under a minute for the mountain bike world and Olympic champion, Ferrand-Prevot. 

Just one cobbled sector left and it is the very gentle town cobbles just before the right turn onto the velodrome. 

5km to go

Unless something shocking happens, it looks like Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is riding to victory here in her first attempt at Paris-Roubaix Femmes. She has 55" gap on the chasing group. 

This is an incredible moment for the French rider. There has never been a French winner of the women's Paris-Roubaix and there hasn't been a French winner in the men's race since 1997!

Attack!

Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Kopecky has been dropped and now Wiebes is all on her own. 

Chabbey and Vos are joined by Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly) and Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Uno-X Mobility) as Dygert, Jackson and Wiebes try to rejoin. 

Into the final 2km and Ferrand-Prevot continues to hold 58" as the chasing group comes back together but without Kopecky. 

Seventeenth cobbled sector and Flamme Rouge!

Onto the Roubaix (Espace Charles Crupelandt) sector with Pauline Ferrand-Prvot turning onto the velodrome now. 

Attack!

Chabbey tries again but she is pegged back immediately. 

Ferrand-Prevot hits the velodrome to a gigantic roar from the crowd as she rides to victory. 

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of Visma-Lease a Bike wins Paris-Roubaix femmes 2025! And incredible return to road cycling for the megastar Frenchwoman. 

Attack!

Letizia Borghesi (EF Educaton-Oatly)

The young Italian is riding to a superb second place. 

Borghesi takes an absolutely phenomenal second place for EF Education-Oatly.

It's a photo finish for third between Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos but it appears that the European champion has taken the third spot. 

Top 10

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA) Visma-Lease a Bike 3:40'07"
2. Letizia Borghesi (ITA) EF Education-Oatly +58"
3. Lorena Wiebes (NED) SD Worx-Protime +1'01"
4. Marianne Vos (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike
5. Alison Jackson (CAN) EF Education-Oatly
6. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA) Uno-X Mobility
7. Elise Chabbey (SUI) FDJ-Suez
8. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto
9. Elisa Balsamo (ITA) Lidl-Trek
10. Chiara Consonni (ITA) Canyona-SRAM-Zondacrypto all S.T.

Make sure to have a read of our post race report with all the reaction from today's fantastic day of racing in northern France...

>>> Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Massive solo attack lands Pauline Ferrand-Prévot stunning victory in debut at home race