Paris-Roubaix 2017 – photos and Strava data for ten of the toughest stretches of pavé

The cobbles – or pavé if you’re that way inclined – are the lumpy perineum-pummelling heart and soul of Paris-Roubaix.  But how bad are they and how long is each stretch? Here are some photos and Strava data to give you a feel for things ahead of Sunday’s Hell of the North.

This year’s Paris-Roubaix features 55km of cobbled roads because apparently last year’s 52.8km simply wasn’t enough.

There are 29 sectors in all, ranging from the short benign stretch in Roubaix itself to the three five-star rated sections of Trouée d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre.

This year those three sectors will also have a black gantry over the start to remind the riders just how horrifying they are. Yellow, blue, orange and red gantries will denote two, three and four-star sectors respectively.

The ten stretches below – a selection of the four and five star (red and black) sectors – should give you a flavour of the joys in store for the riders this coming weekend.

Trouée d'Arenberg

KOM: Jon Mould (3:00)

Speed: 45.1km/h

QOM: Louise De Waal (4:19)

Speed: 31.3km/h

Mons-en-Pévèle

KOM: Niki Terpstra (4:31)

Speed: 39.7km/h

QOM: Andrea Rodriguez (6:04)

Speed: 29.6km/h

Carrefour de l'Arbre

KOM: Taylor Phinney (3:18)

Speed: 37.0km/h

QOM: ANNE SOPHIE MARTIN (4:42)

Speed: 26.0km/h

Quiévy - Saint-Python

KOM: Stijn Steels (5:38) / Pro (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)

Speed: 39.6km/h

QOM: Alie Mulder-schilder (7:35)

Speed: 29.4km/h

Haveluy - Wallers

KOM: R W (3:28) / Pro (Lotto–Soudal)

Speed: 43.6km/h

QOM: Christina Marchand

Speed: 30.7km/h

Hornaing - Wandignies-Hamage

KOM: Maarten Tjallingii/Maarten Wynants (5:15)

Speed: 42.5km/h

QOM: Lizca Crazy Canuck (6:04)

Speed: 36.8km/h

Auchy-lez-Orchies - Bersée

KOM: Oliver Naesen (4:02)

Speed: 39.8km/h

QOM: Andrea Rodriguez (5:40)

Speed: 28.4km/h

Cysoing - Bourghelles (1st part)

KOM: Marcus Burghardt (1:19)

Speed: 43.5km/h

QOM: Gwenno Hughes (1:46)

Speed: 32.4km/h

Cysoing - Bourghelles (2nd part)

KOM: Etienne Fabre (0:59)

Speed: 43.8km/h

QOM: Gwenno Hughes (1:21)

Speed: 31.9km/h

Camphin-en-Pévèle

KOM: Paolo Albonetti (2:20)

Speed: 46.5km/h

QOM: Gwenno Hughes (3:48)

Speed: 28.5km/h