‘Cycling doesn’t get tougher than this,’ Gregg Wallace almost once said. He was right. The 2023 Paris-Roubaix races were confirmation of the Hell in the North’s place as the sport’s greatest one-day race, not that it needed confirming.
The women’s and men’s race showed the contrasting ways in which the Queen of the Classics can be won, in Cluedo form: Alison Jackson from the early breakaway in a sprint at the velodrome; Mathieu van der Poel off his nemesis’s attack on Carrefour de l’Arbre thanks to a puncture.
And that’s just the winners. There were heroes strewn across the ground at the Roubaix velodrome who didn’t taste victory but etched themselves in this historic race’s annals as part of what makes Hell heaven for many cyclists.
It’s also heaven for a photographer, with dirt, pain faces, all kinds of emotions and more than a smattering of colour. It doesn’t get better than Roubaix. So here are our favourites of the legendary Ashley and Jered Gruber’s photos from an incredible weekend. Sadly we can’t post all 750+ images. Sorry.
Paris-Roubaix women’s 2023 highlights
Little did Alison Jackson know what was just about to happen…
And so it was, the race winning move that no one saw. Seriously it’s 2023, just turn the cameras on from the start for goodness sake.
These tyres wide enough?
Horse well and truly bolted.
It was a hair-raising spectacle and a close shave at the finish.
Where we’re going we don’t need have roads.
Daniek Hengeveld went off the front of the break for a stretch but was eventually pulled back and dropped, finishing 36th.
Trek-Segafredo were looking to keep their title as the only winners of the women’s race on these very fetching Trek Domane SLR bikes.
It’s not often Lotte Kopecky has produced a pain face this Classics season, but it’s Paris-Roubaix.
Jackson spent plenty of time pulling on the front, shedding most of the 18 in the breakaway.
Safe to say they were shifting.
It came down to seven in the velodrome.
Six.
But there could only be one.
Cue High School Musical music.
This was the moment Alison Jackson’s dreams came true.
Imagine how that must feel.
Definitely dancy-worthy.
Legendary.
Behind, the GOAT Marianne Vos managed to salvage tenth from a race that threw up disaster after disaster.
Lifeplus-Wahoo’s Margaux Vigie was four places behind Vos, and was met by her fan club while others were still finishing.
It’s not all about winning.
It’s not all about winning.
It’s not all about winning.
There is no ‘I’ in team…
… But there are five in ‘individual brilliance’.
Where can we get this hat please?
No but seriously cycling is a team sport. A big team.
And it is not all about winning. This is history.
Zoe Bäckstedt approves.
One of the all-time Roubaix shower photos.
Paris-Roubaix 2023 men’s highlights
Mathieu van der Poel probably did expect what was coming.
‘Cam get ya wheels, two f’ra paand’.
These are renaissance paintings.
The calm before the storm.
Gold, every time.
‘What are ye doing in maa swamp?!’
No wonder Wout didn’t win, those clothes aren’t aero!
The storm approaches.
The most iconic road in cycling.
Iconic.
Only the biggest engines thrive.
And so the front group formed.
The only bridging the bridge has seen recently is bridging gaps, am I right?
John Degenkolb and Jasper Philipsen arguably put in the day’s two most impressive rides.
Not that these lot didn’t put a good shift in.
‘Good shift’ being a massive understatement. Mathieu van der Poel was relentless in his attacks.
Sometimes a bit too relentless. Something something cyclocross skills.
The corner. Spot the puncture.
Woah sick air dude.
The moment.
Not the sight Van Aert wanted to see coming out of Carrefour de l’Arbre.
When reality hits.
Historic. An incredible image.
A true Monument man.
Bruce Forsyth? Is that you?
Once he saw his teammate take the win, there was no way Philipsen would lose the sprint for second.
Jumbo-Visma super team? These lot might have something to say about that.
Jonas Rutsch has seen things.
Degenkolb. Hero.
Greg Van Avermaet with the heartwarming image of the day.
Iván García Cortina will win something big soon.
Ouchies.
A very impressive display from Max Walscheid to finish eighth.
Duality.
No race is safe, Wout will get revenge.
‘Right Mathieu come on take it off, I’ve got the shampoo.’
10/10. Flanders-Baloise’s Ruben Apers had a good time post-race.
Thanks to Ashley…
… And Jered for the pictures.
What’s next? More Classics.