Paris–Roubaix today

Paris–Roubaix was underway on Sunday, April 12, with the men’s field racing 258.3 kilometers from Compiègne to the Roubaix velodrome over 30 cobbled sectors. (paris-roubaix.fr) The race started at 10:50 a.m. local time, and the official race center showed the peloton hitting the second half of the course by early afternoon. At 13:40 local time, organizers said the bunch was in the Saulzoir to Verchain-Maugré sector at kilometer 127.8. (paris-roubaix.fr 1) (paris-roubaix.fr 2) Paris–Roubaix is the cobbled Monument of the spring, with long stretches of uneven farm-road stones that turn positioning, punctures and crashes into race-defining factors. The 2026 route kept the familiar finish but added early density, with five opening sectors packed closely together and an 800-meter uphill cobbled section near Briastre. (cyclingnews.com) The decisive landmarks were the same ones riders and teams always circle: the Trouée d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre. Cyclingnews reported that the final 20 sectors, from Haveluy à Wallers through the five-star sectors late in the race, were unchanged from 2025. (cyclingnews.com) Mathieu van der Poel came in as the defending champion after winning the 2025 edition for a third straight year. A fourth win would match the race record shared by Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen. (cyclingnews.com) (domestiquecycling.com) Tadej Pogačar returned after finishing second in 2025, when Cyclingnews said he stayed with van der Poel deep into the finale before a mistake on a turn and a crash with about 40 kilometers left. That history helped frame Sunday’s race as a rematch between the world champion and the rider who has owned Roubaix in recent years. (cyclingnews.com) Mads Pedersen was also on the official start list for Lidl–Trek, alongside Jonathan Milan and Mathias Vacek, giving the team multiple options for the cobbles. The official starters list also included van der Poel for Alpecin-Premier Tech, Pogačar for UAE Team Emirates XRG, and Wout van Aert for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. (paris-roubaix.fr) Early trouble hit some of the biggest names before the race reached its most famous sectors. Cyclingnews’ live coverage reported early mechanical problems for van Aert, Pedersen and Jonas Abrahamsen on the first cobbles of the day. (cyclingnews.com) The race’s scale helps explain why those incidents matter so much. Paris–Roubaix dates to 1896, has started in Compiègne since 1977, and remains one of cycling’s most recognizable one-day races after the Tour de France. (cyclingnews.com) By mid-race, the question was still the same one Roubaix asks every year: who can survive the stones, stay upright through Arenberg and Carrefour de l’Arbre, and still have enough left for the lap of the velodrome. (paris-roubaix.fr) (cyclingnews.com)