30-year-old was on Templeuve-en-Pévèle cobbled sector when television pictures showed the bottle hitting him in the face According to a report in Nieuwsblad nothing is known about the man’s identity but he is said to have expressed regret for his actions Van der Poel was alone off the front of the race when the bottle struck him on the Templeuve-en-Pévèle cobbled sector he managed to stay upright and the incident did not impact the outcome of the race Speaking in his post-race press conference Van der Poel described the impact of the bottle as feeling like a stone hitting his face such was the speed he was travelling at across the cobbles "It doesn’t destroy the fun I had but it’s not normal it was like a stone hitting my face," he said if they spit or throw beer it’s still unacceptable but this is different This is something we have to take legal action on." would be pursuing legal action against the spectator if the UCI did not get to them first and described the act as "attempted manslaughter" "We want something to be done about those who spoil the atmosphere for everyone," said Bert Scheirlincx secretary general of the Belgian cyclists' association "We are prepared to go all the way with our civil action as long as certain rude fans are punished and stop spoiling the spectacle that our beautiful sport has to offer." Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling you will then be prompted to enter your display name No changes for the women's route in the Hell of the North The 2025 Paris-Roubaix Femmes will take place on Saturday on the same 148.5 kilometre route as was used in 2024 The course includes includes 29.2 km of cobbles and the same final 17 sectors of the men’s race The women's Paris-Roubaix was altered slightly last year from previous editions removing a "risky" part of the course with a three-kilometre detour Five star sectors at Mons-en-Pévèle with 49km to go and the Carrefour de l'Arbre with 17km to go remain the biggest challenges for the women along the route from Denain to the Roubaix Velodrome Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) won the 2024 Paris-Roubaix Femmes in a small bunch sprint ahead of Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM-Firmenich) she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track Laura has a passion for all three disciplines When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads UCI governance and performing data analysis Following an incident during the 2025 Paris-Roubaix in which Mathieu van der Poel was struck in the face by a full bidon thrown by a roadside spectator the UCI and Van der Poel's Alpecin-Deceuninck team have issued statements saying they will pursue punishment for the man Van der Poel was riding solo en route to victory over sector 8, Templeuve - Moulin-de-Vertain, with 33km to go when the spectator tossed a Visma-Lease a Bike bidon into his path striking him with a glancing blow in the face it's broken," an angered Van der Poel said after the race on Sunday race organisers association (AIOCC) and teams association (AIGCP) the unacceptable behaviour of a spectator" The incident was a stain on what was otherwise a brilliant edition of Paris-Roubaix with World Champion Tadej Pogačar impressing in his debut nearly matching Van der Poel blow-for-blow until he overcooked a turn and had a minor spill on sector 9 The spectator in question quickly became the subject of a police inquiry and he turned himself in to the police in Waregem the man had travelled to Paris-Roubaix along with the Flemish fan club of Matej Mohorič who allowed their bus to accept non-members to offset costs "He told us that he was not himself and that he wanted to apologize to everyone "Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event" and said they "will explore in conjunction with the competent authorities all the legal channels at their disposal so that such behaviour is duly and severely punished as has already been the case in the past." Van der Poel, as one of the most prominent and successful riders in road and cyclocross, has been the subject of numerous attacks - from being spat upon last month while riding to victory in the E3 Saxo Classic having a hat thrown at him in last year's Paris-Roubaix and being doused with beer during various cyclocross races AIOCC and AIGCP promised to take similar action "in the future against any act that threatens the physical integrity of riders." Alpecin-Deceuninck are also pursuing punishment for the bidon toss calling it "a dangerous and unacceptable incident" "We will be filing an official complaint against the perpetrator to formally denounce this behaviour," the team's statement read we observe that such misconduct is either caused by or accompanied by excessive alcohol consumption What occurred on Sunday represents an escalation of earlier incidents with Mathieu van der Poel not being the sole target "We have also noted that during other races - both in CX and on the road - the misbehaviour of a few individuals can have far-reaching consequences overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts and diverts attention from the sporting achievements." "Cycling is one of the few sports that offers such proximity between athletes and the public during events both for the riders themselves and for the spectators this particularity implies an increased responsibility for spectators at an event whose behaviour can not only influence the course of the event but also endanger the physical integrity of the riders." Alpecin-Deceuninck said they will "monitor the legal process internally so that this misconduct does not receive more attention than it warrants" and called for "dialogue and cooperation among all involved parties - riders and government authorities - to implement measures that prevent individuals with bad intentions from infiltrating cycling events and to take proactive steps at known critical points" Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our 2025 Spring Classics coverage. Don't miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from all the Cobbled Classics from Opening Weekend to Paris-Roubaix. Find out more Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Caley Fretz breaks down each sector of cobbles in Paris-Roubaix comfortable stretches to tire-eating holes between stones Each pavé sector is a chapter in the 113-year tale of Paris-Roubaix which exist on a scale from merely difficult to hellish and on race day there is no escape — barriers and crowds line the route and cut off access to the dirt paths and concrete gutters that one can glide onto any other day of the year Each stone tells a story of tires flattened ripping a sidewall or sending a wheel skittering sideways like a frightened cat and all the pavé comes in its latter two-thirds — the first 98km are smooth and placement of each sector within the race determine its importance to the race narrative France are the backdrop upon which the early breakaway will play Each team wants to be in the move; the smaller teams because it’s their only shot at a bit of glory and the larger ones because it’s a way to have a domestique lying in wait when the race gets tough But the size is less important than composition — without any pavé to break up the race naturally the move that sticks is the one with the right riders from the right teams and the battle for position commences in earnest The race cannot be won on these early pavé A flat or mechanical issue here won’t leave a rider off the back all day but it will cost precious energy to return to the bunch Domestiques will push as hard as possible to bring their leaders into each sector near the front of the group “There’s cobble sector after cobble sector so you just have to stay calm,” UnitedHealthcare’s Chris Jones said “There’s gonna be some point during the race where you’re in the wrong spot on the cobbles you’re never going to be there in the finish.” these kilometers are home to vicious attrition rather than searing attacks until only the day’s true protagonists remain the only place that is consistently rideable at Arenberg sees its share of half-dislodged stones and deep dips caused by abandoned mines running underneath the road The top of each stone is well polished by years of use though the trench sees no vehicle traffic today A street sweeper is run over the sector before each race and are guaranteed to be slick as ice when wet The Arenberg does not pick Roubaix’s victor but it does create a group from which the winner will be selected The first two sharp turns are to the right Riders drop into Mons-en-Pévèle with speed and the first few hundred meters are at a slight downhill But the sharp right hander and flatter second half sap the legs This is one of the most difficult sectors on the course The field has been whittled down to just a handful of strong riders the race switches from attrition to attacks and every move must be covered; teams with more than one rider will begin to play the tactical game as it’s an opportunity to regain some speed Those who can stay on the gas as they exit Carrefour will enter Gruson with an advantage Those already struggling are doomed to lose contact in the acceleration Everybody knows the Arenberg and Carrefour de l'Arbre but these unsung sectors of pavé are worth knowing about The cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are a bit like a greatest hits album There are a handful of songs – or in this case Then you've got those songs that are like the two-star rated (out of a maximum difficulty of five) sections at Saint-Python and Templeuve: they're the lesser hits worthy of a place towards the end of a compilation buried in the middle are those hidden gems that are often overlooked for their higher-profile counterparts And just because they don't lack the status of the Arenberg or Carrefour de l'Arbre they are among the toughest along the race's 253.5 kilometres Cycling Weekly celebrates those challenging yet under-appreciated sectors of Paris-Roubaix Hornaing – sector 16, 3.7km, four-star ratingTackled 10 kilometres after the Arenberg Forest (KM170.5), Hornaing is the longest sector of the race. It begins with some large cobbles and either side of it features some unpleasant gravelled and broken-tarmacked areas. After a level crossing and right turn, the cobbles become notably smaller, but the crest becomes more pronounced and both sides of it transform into uneven and unpredictable paths of travel that could easily puncture tyres. Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières – sector 14, 2.4km, four-star ratingSector 14 has featured in the Tour de France's last two cobbled stages: in 2010 it was the scene of Frank Schleck's race-ending crash, while last year CW got caked in mud here standing on the roadside. It's only respite comes on the small stretches of newer cobbles that are included in the sector, the rest of it is an uneven and unpredictable stretch that features some sizeable cobbles along the way. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Nick Bull is an NCTJ qualified journalist who has written for a range of titles as well as being a freelance writer at Beat Media Group which provides reports for the PA Media wire which is circulated to the likes of the BBC and Eurosport His work at Cycling Weekly predominantly dealt with professional cycling and he now holds a role as PR & Digital Manager at SweetSpot Group which organises the Tour of Britain.  Paris-Roubaix se dispute ce dimanche 7 avril sur un parcours difficile d’une distance de 259,7 kilomètres avec un profil affichant 29 secteurs équivalant à 55,7km de pavés irréguliers et de routes dégradées Nouveauté sur ce tracé 2024 de l’Enfer du Nord avec une chicane à l’entrée de la Trouée d’Arenberg en attendant Mons-en-Pévèle ou encore le Carrefour de l’Arbre Départ de Compiègne dans l’Oise et arrivée à Roubaix dans le Nord Découvrez le parcours complet et détaillé de cette 121e édition Le parcours 2024 de Paris-Roubaix est plus court de 3,1 kilomètres que l’itinéraire 2023 Et ce sont aussi 55,7 kilomètres de secteurs pavés à franchir contre 54,5 l’an passé Mais également 29 secteurs à franchir cette année contre 30 l’an dernier Commenter et suivre en direct la saison cycliste 2024 : Cliquer ici et terminait accessoirement premier français à l’arrivée blessé à la clavicule et aux côtes Paris-Roubaix 2024. La liste des coureurs engagés et favoris Le parcours de ce 121e Paris-Roubaix va s’élancer de Compiègne Il faudra attendre le 96e kilomètre de course pour voir les coureurs engagés sur l’Enfer du Nord franchir le premier secteur pavé les secteurs pavés vont se succéder les uns aux autres avec différents niveaux de difficultés Mons-en-Pévèle et le Carrefour de l’Arbre sont de loin les portions pavées les plus difficiles classées 5 étoiles tandis que ce sont les secteurs de Quiévy à Saint-Pyton et celui de Hornaing à Wandignies qui sont les deux plus longs avec à chaque fois 3.700 mètres pavés à franchir Le dernier secteur pavé du jour sera franchi à quelques hectomètres du vélodrome et de la ligne d’arrivée Au terme des 29 secteurs pavés franchis les coureurs qui franchiront la ligne d’arrivée auront avalé 55,7 kilomètres de pavés et parcouru 259,7 kilomètres entre Compiègne et Roubaix Une distance supérieure à 250km qui fait de cette épreuve WorldTour un véritable Monument du cyclisme le troisième de la saison après Milan-Sanremo et le Tour des Flandres Paris-Roubaix 2024. A quelle heure et sur quelle chaine voir la course ? C’est à 11h10 précises que le départ fictif va être donné par les organisateurs Après un court défilé neutralisé le peloton va arriver au kilomètre à zéro à 11h25 et le départ réel sera donné direction le Nord et Roubaix les premiers coureurs devraient franchir la ligne d’arrivée aux alentours de 17h Lire aussi : Le calendrier UCI WorldTour 2024 Lire aussi : Qui a remporté les 5 monuments du cyclisme ? Lire aussi : Toute l’actualité du cyclisme sur route 2024 email et site web dans ce navigateur pour la prochaine fois que je commenterai Ce site utilise Akismet pour réduire les indésirables. En savoir plus sur la façon dont les données de vos commentaires sont traitées Envie de rejoindre notre rédaction ? Contactez-nous : contact@todaycycling.com 🧑‍💻 Site internet codé par Alex