I rode the Trouée d’Arenberg two years ago, whilst taking part in the Paris-Roubaix challenge, the amateurs’ chance to experience the brutality of Paris-Roubaix. The Arenberg was the first sector of pavé we covered, and it left a lasting impression on me. I could not believe how rough that stretch of road was, and I have been fascinated by it ever since.
The Arenberg, or to give it its official name, the Drève des Boules d’Hérin (the ‘ball avenue’ of nearby town Hérin) was first included in the race in 1968 after being suggested by legendary French cyclist and former miner Jean Stablinski. The Arenberg uses ancient cobblestones and was originally laid in the late 18th century.
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I’ve ridden the Arenberg once, and I’ve walked the length of it, and I just stare at the stones. The angles they sit at, the profiles, the gaps between them, and how a bike’s tyres will travel over them. If you haven’t been there in person, you can’t understand how rough it is when you watch footage of Roubaix on TV. There are gaps between some of the stones you can place a cycling water bottle or your fist into. The edges of some cast their own shadow in the sunshine.
I watched pro riders recon Arenberg on Thursday, and they were moving at a pace, but I could still see how rough it was for them, how the bikes moved underneath them and the way they were holding their handlebars. If you think the front of the race is impressive to watch on TV, let me tell you: the lead group is absolutely flying over the cobbles at Arenberg. It’s one of the most impressive moments of the pro cycling year for me, especially when you see how rough parts of it really are.
I rode the Arenberg in 2024 on 28mm tyres and inner tubes, and luckily had no problems, but it wasn’t the fastest setup I could have used. A part of me wanted to experience the route on a more traditional road bike, and I got…
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