While Paris-Roubaix is the most tiring race to cover, there’s a short window of about half an hour at the end of both the men’s and women’s races that are likely my favourite cumulative hour of work all year.
While Wout van Aert and Franziska Koch rightly take the headlines and draw the lenses, it’s everyone else flopping onto the ground in various states of discomfort that I like to focus on.
The lead group enters the velodrome in the women’s race.
Despite the threat of rain the race stayed mostly dry and even sunny.
Blanka Vas was dropped from the lead group shortly before the finish and sat alone at the end. She was not in a happy place.
Teamwork makes the dream work, though; a soothing arm from Lorena Wiebes.
Cherry juice, not blood. Many riders now drink this as a matter of course for muscle recovery after every race.
Emma Norsgaard gives an interview, though she looked a little shell shocked and likely frustrated by her teammate Lucinda Brand being taken out by a spectator.
Kathrin Schweinberger looked on the verge of tears, but I’m not sure if they were happy or sad… or just down to pure exhaustion.
After finishing, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot rode back through the crowd looking understandably stoney-faced.
Charlotte Kool had one of the best thousand yard stares of the day.
Hand inspection was a common theme.
I think this was Susanne Anderson, who required her soigneur to stretch her legs for her while she lay on the ground, clearly in some considerable discomfort.
Haribo and cherry juice: the ultimate recovery combo.
Letizia Borghesi had a lot of race etched on her face while trying to talk to the camera.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…