October 2 marked a major milestone in women’s cycling history: For the first time, at long last, women raced across the famous cobblestones in their own Paris-Roubaix race, the day before the men’s race on October 3.
The rainy weather over the weekend made for tumultuous racing with multiple crashes in both the men’s and women’s pelotons. In the end, two riders finished unscathed (mostly) and on top: Lizzie Deignan and Sonny Cobrelli.
Paris-Roubaix is traditionally held in April, and this year it was postponed yet again because of the pandemic and the high case count in northern France where it’s held. But it was all systems go last weekend, as the women got their own day to shine before the men’s race on October 3.
The women’s Paris-Roubaix was 125 years overdue. The UCI first announced back in May 2020 that a women’s Paris-Roubaix would be added to the WorldTour calendar. It originally hadn’t been on the calendar for 2020 and was added as a prologue to the men’s 118th edition of the race after it had to be rescheduled for later in the year due to COVID-19; both were inevitably canceled for the same reason.
But there’s still work to be done. There was a massive discrepancy between the prize purses: the men’s total prize money comes to 91,000 euros, while the women’s comes to just 7,005 euros. Trek-Segafredo later disclosed that it would make up the difference and match Deignan’s winnings with that of the men’s.
Here’s how the races went down.
Women’s Paris-Roubaix Recap
Deignan gave a commanding performance, attacking solo off the front of the race in the first section of cobblestones with 73K still to go. She grew her lead to 2:35 at one point, with a group of 13 riders in hot pursuit. Crashes plagued the chasing group, and Marianne Vos decided to chase down Deignan solo.
“Honestly, I couldn’t hear anything, my legs were cramping, and I knew that even on the last section you could lose two minutes if you cramp and blow up,” Deignan said in a post by her team Trek-Segafredo. “I really just tried to keep a regular pace. At this point in the season, I am tired, and I knew the best thing for me was to keep this steady pace and keep in front as long as I could.”
But Deignan kept everyone at bay. She rolled into the velodrome finish with a 1:17 lead over Vos, who took second place.
“I feel very emotional,” Deignan said after the race, in the blog post. “I don’t know, I am just really proud. Sorry, not the best quote, but I am just so happy. I cannot believe it happened.”
Her teammate Elisa Longo Borghini, the current Italian national champion, came in third place despite a few crashes. Crashes took out quite a few riders, including Annemiek van Vleuten, who broke her pelvis in two places and her shoulder.
“It was a really incredible Paris-Roubaix and I don’t think there is anyone who deserved it more to be on the top step of this podium,” Longo Borghini said, in Trek’s post. “[Lizzie] made history, we made history. It’s hard to acknowledge this, but it’s just an amazing feeling. There’s no better person who could be on the top step today.”
Deignan also took the win at the Tour de Suisse earlier this year, and last year she won La Course, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and a stage of the Giro Rosa.
“We didn’t have a chance to dream for so long; it’s always been a men’s race. And I am just so proud that this is where we are, that women’s cycling is on the world stage now,” Deignan said. “I am proud that my daughter can look at the [Paris-Roubaix cobblestone trophy]. She doesn’t just have to watch men on the TV anymore. We’re here and we’re representing, and it’s thanks to support from people like those in Trek-Segafredo that we’re here.”
Men’s Paris-Roubaix Recap
The weather conditions on October 3 proved even more treacherous for the men’s race, and many of the mud-caked riders have scars to prove it. A group of 31 riders escaped off the front 47K into the race, growing their lead to two minutes. The group saw numerous attacks, though none stuck until the leading trio of Cobrelli, Mathieu van der Poel, and Florian Vermeersch pulled away with 15K to go.
The three riders rode into the velodrome together and sprinted to the finish line. Cobrelli narrowly took the win, followed by Vermeersch in second and van der Poel in third.
“I’m very happy because it was a legendary Paris-Roubaix with the rain”, said Colbrelli, in a post by the UCI. “After Arenberg, I followed Van der Poel. It was super difficult. After the crash in the first sector, I stayed at the head of the group I was in. In the finale, I did a super sprint. The Lotto Soudal rider [Florian Vermeersch] surprised me but I jumped in the last 25 meters. That was close! In my dream races, the Tour of Flanders is first and Paris-Roubaix is second. This is my year. I’m very happy.”
