“Françoise, you are part of the legend of Paris-Roubaix”. So reads one of the messages on the wall of Chez Françoise, a humble café in Troisvilles that sits at the gateway to the Hell of the North, just around the corner from the opening cobbled sector of this storied Classic.
It was written by ‘Les Flecheurs du Tour de France’ – the ‘arrowmen’, who go around fixing the directional signs all along the course for both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour. They’re always sure to pop in for a coffee, a beer, or even something stronger as they go about their work in the build-up to Roubaix. In fact, the rest of the sign reads: “The flecheur who does not stop to say hello to Françoise ahead of Paris-Roubaix is not a true flecheur’.
They’re not the only ones for whom the place has become a rite of passage. Raymond Poulidor, Bernard Hinault, Joop Zoetemelk, Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle, Jean Stablinski, Magnus Backstedt, Johan Vansummeren, Thor Hushovd… the walls are adorned with photos of famous faces who’ve stepped inside.
Magnus Backstedt bused a bunch of his mates over to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Roubaix win in 2014. Even now, it’s a well-trodden stop for pros on recon – either to get warm or simply snap a selfie from the roadside.
Every Tuesday before Paris-Roubaix, the race directors from the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) hold the ‘official’ Paris-Roubaix reconnaissance. It always starts with breakfast at Chez Françoise, and the meal is always an omelette, maintaining a tradition that now stretches back more than 30 years.
“Omelette was what I served the old directors of the race when they turned up one day in 1992,” the eponymous Françoise says as she welcomes us in on the Friday before the 2026 Paris-Roubaix.
“They were out looking for new cobblestone sectors, they were hungry, and they called in to ask if I had any sandwiches. I didn’t have any bread, but I have always kept chickens, so I had plenty of eggs. My husband had made some rabbit terrine, so I served that and some cornichons up alongside the omelettes.
“Before leaving, they introduced themselves as the organisers of Paris-Roubaix, tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘we’ll be back’.”
And so a legend was born. The race officials, true to their word, have been back for their omelettes every year…
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