Paris-Roubaix
April 6th, 2006 |[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q19SklmN4w k]
OK, here is the video for this week, the 1994 Paris-Roubaix.
Referred to as both the “Queen of the Classics” and the “Hell of the North”, there is no other race on earth quite like Paris-Roubaix. At 261 kilometers (162 miles), it’s not the longest race of the spring classics, but it is the most grueling.
No longer actually starting in Paris, the race starts in the northern French city of Compiegne. The course proceeds on a north eastern course on the flat terrain through the city of St. Quentin (59km). At the 99 kilometer point the race starts to get interesting as the riders encounter the first of the cobblestone sections. These cobblestones sections, called pavé, are between 100 meters and 3700 meters long and are extremely punishing to both the rider and his equipment. Crashes, flat tires, broken spokes and rims, broken handlebars and saddles, not to mention the extreme vibration fatigue that can suck the life out of a riders legs; all of these obstacles have to be beaten in an average Paris-Roubaix. But if the weather is bad, and the pavé is wet and muddy, the racing conditions will resemble your local ice skating rink and racing over stones the size of bread loafs without incident is impossible.
Paul Sherwen once said
“Paris-Roubaix is not a race where you hope to have good luck, it’s a race where you hope not to have any bad luck.”
Having stated this, there is a group of riders that will show up this Sunday morning having looked forward to the event every single day since they raced it the previous year. Some riders are just made for Paris-Roubaix. They are usually larger, stronger, older, and more experienced riders who know the course and know what to expect during the six hours of racing. Paris-Roubaix has the most beautiful finish of all World Cup races. Coming off a final section of pavé, the course sweeps through the streets of Roubaix and into the Roubaix velodrome for one and a half laps of the velodrome track. It’s the dream of all who start Paris-Roubaix to ride solo into the velodrome and be greeted by the thunderous cheers and applause of the fans lining the bleachers around the track.
Lots of fans look at Paris-Roubaix and call it a lottery because the conditions can affect the outcome of the race. Regardless of the conditions however, it takes a very strong rider to pull off victory in this event.
The 1994 edition of the race was billed as a rematch of the photo finish 1993 Paris-Roubaix. Frenchman Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle beat Italian Franco Ballerini to the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome by just a few centimeters. It was Lassalle’s second consecutive victory in the race and Ballerini, who initially said he would never return to race Paris-Roubaix again, was back for more in 1994.
Through the feed zone in the town of Merignies, with 60km left in the race, Ballerini was in the lead group with Belgian Johan Museeuw, Moldavian Andrei Tchmile and Duclos-Lassalle in another group just a few seconds behind.
The pace was easy through the feed zone as the riders loaded up their jersey pockets and bottle cages. But the attacks began quickly with Ballerini making a move off the front followed by Museeuw.
Tchmile then rolled off the front to counter Museeuw’s move just as Duclos-Lassalle was making contact with the back of the lead group. Tchmile put his head down and got to work, quickly gaining 20 seconds as those in the group continued to eat and decide who was going to chase him down.
For 5 minutes the pack cruised along and Tchmile’s lead was now up to 40 seconds. Eight kilometers later, as Tchmile’s lead approached 1 minutes, signs of life were beginning to show in the group as they realized how serious Tchmile’s move was. The charge begins in the group and at that moment Tchmile suffers a puncture.
This is the critical moment in the race. The leader on the road, Andrei Tchmile, is forced to stop and get a wheel change just as the chase group, lead by Duclos-Lassalle is driving furiously to try and catch him. The pressure from Duclos-Lassalle splits the lead group and all the team cars and Mavic neutral support cars and motorcycles are stuck behind the second of the two lead groups.
Around a right hand bend, through water half way up their wheels, three of the strongest classic riders of their day, Franco Ballerini, Johan Museeuw and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle lead what is left of the group.
Hidden under the water of the corner is a cobblestone. Ballerini and Duclos-Lassalle hit the cobblestone and both suffer rear punctures. The cobblestone surface is slippery enough with mud but no air in the tires makes it nearly impossible to maintain grip on the road. Riders in the second group pass Ballerini and Duclos-Lassalle like they are standing still. From the moment Ballerini notices his puncture, to the time it takes the Mavic neutral support to reach them, over two and a half minutes tick by.
The lead group is now completely shattered by this point and Johan Museeuw finds himself alone in the pursuit of Tchmile, who has quickly recovered from his flat tire and is again driving at the front of the race. Museeuw pushes on in hopes of reaching the front and gets as close as 5 seconds from joining Tchmile. But Tchmile, knowing that he is not as fast as Museeuw in a sprint finish, keeps the steam on and forces Museeuw to chase.
Museeuw does chase and for nearly 15 minutes the two of them are separated by just a handful of seconds. But Museeuw alone is no match for Tchmile on this day and, when Museeuw cracks, Tchmile solos into to the finish in Roubaix.
Ballerini would go on to win Paris-Roubaix in 1995 and 1998 and Museeuw would take victory in 1996, 2000 and 2002. But this race was Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle’s swan song, he would never again make it to the podium in Roubaix, and would retire in 1995.
Paris-Roubaix is a very special race. Theo de Rooy, now a team manager for the Rabobank team, was asked what he thought of the race after he was forced to abandon in 1985:
“It’s a piece of shit this race! You’re working like an animal, you don’t have time to piss, so you piss in your pants. You’re riding in mud like this, you’re slipping, it’s a piece of shit…”
de Rooy was then asked if he would ever ride it again.
Not hesitating for a second de Rooy answered: “Of course!! It’s the most beautiful race in the world!!!”
Who will win this year? Assuming he’s stays out of trouble and is in the right place at the right time, it would be lunacy to bet against Tom Boonen. But staying out of trouble and being in the right place at the right time is what bicycle racing, and Paris-Roubaix in particular, is all about.
9 Responses to “Paris-Roubaix”
What is a “swang” song?
You should know there Big Swang!
How come I don’t have any of that good salsa no more?
Is this the year that Tchmil does a completely smooth curb-hop at speed over the median coming into Roubaix? It was damned impressive after all those miles and abuse to be able to do that.
Affirmative. The team car went around the median however.
I know he irritates more people than not, but I have a weakness for Duffield.
He’s a lot less irritating than Liggett.
I got this tape from Smithers this winter and it’s one of my favorites. I prefer Duffield over Ligget or Sherwin any day of the week. Tchmil rocked. Besides the obvious pick of Boonen, who else to win? Hushovd?
hushovd will be isolated after the first set of cobbles when all of his pussy french teammates drop out.
if anyone other than bonin’ (as Phil and Paul would say) my money is on fabian cancellara, with pvp as an outside shot.
Wow, you called it!
Should I think about replacing my Bontrager stem? Is there anything sadder than a sad George? What kind of a sporting event stops for trains?
All in all, kind of a bummer of a Roubaix.