Shorter than usual for Paris-Roubaix in 2026

The organizers of the Paris-Roubaix, which from this year will officially be called “Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France,” presented the route of the 123rd edition, scheduled for April 12. The route remains fairly traditional: 30 cobbled sectors totaling 54.8 kilometers, starting in Troisvilles, over a total distance of 258.3 kilometers: almost one kilometer less than the 259.2 kilometers of 2025.

The most obvious change concerns the order of the first sectors. The route has been shifted slightly eastward to include the Briastre area. In this way, the first four sectors follow one another with almost no asphalt sections, creating a very high concentration of cobblestones. Also included at the end of this sequence is the rarely tackled sector number 26, which features 800 meters uphill and could make further selection.

In addition to the 18 World Tour teams, ASO has invited Cofidis, Modern Adventure, Pinarello Q36.5, Flanders Baloise, TotalEnergies, Tudor, and Unibet Rose Rockets.

As for the women’s race, now in its sixth year, it will be run for the first time on the same day as the men’s race. The course will start in Denain and will be five kilometers shorter than in 2025, but will include three more cobblestone sectors. The traditional boucles around Denain have been eliminated to move the race further south and increase the amount of cobblestones. Also among the new features is the Haveluy sector, which Gouvenou says could prove decisive.