Calm before the storm
The Alps are reached with a fairly straight forward run through the ruggedly beautiful Drôme region to Gap. The overall contenders will be happy to save themselves for three much-tougher days to come, which all but guarantees a break going early and staying clear all the way to the finish. The road rises steadily all the way until the main difficulty of the day, the 2nd-category Col de Manse. At almost 10km, this climb is long enough to split the lead group. The drop from it into the finish takes in the Rochette descent where Joseba Beloki memorably came to grief in 2003.
-
UCI, Alpecin-Deceuninck to pursue bidon thrower 'so that such behaviour is severely punished'
Mathieu van der Poel's team: 'misbehaviour of a few individuals can have far-reaching consequences' -
'Without you, I would probably have stopped my career' – Remco Evenepoel thanks wife Oumi in emotional post ahead of return from 'dark period'
Olympic champion primed for first race since October at Friday's Brabantse Pijl after 'the hardest battle of my life so far' -
What's next for Paris-Roubaix's protagonists? – Van der Poel ends Classics campaign as Pogačar heads to favoured terrain in the Ardennes
Dutchman and world champion not set to face off again until Tour de France in July after historic trio of one-day duels -
Sigrid Haugset finished Paris-Roubaix with fractured hip after crash with 60km to go
'When you’re in a race, you want to finish' says Norwegian after riding 59km, including 18km of cobbles, with injury
