How to Ride the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Sportives

The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are the two most brutal one-day races in cycling, and you can ride both of them. Each one has a sportive the day before the pros race, on the same cobbles and climbs. Here's what to expect, which sections to look out for and how to set up your bike so you enjoy it rather than just survive it.

The Tour of Flanders: We Ride Flanders

The Tour of Flanders sportive, now called We Ride Flanders, takes place on the Saturday before the pro race in early April. Several distances are on offer: the longest follows the pro route from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, and shorter loops start and finish in Oudenaarde and pack in the famous hills. Thousands of riders take part, and the atmosphere in the Flemish Ardennes is unlike any other cycling event.

The climbs you'll remember

Oude Kwaremont: about 2 km of cobbles, gradual but long, and it seems to go on forever. The pros climb it three times.
Paterberg: short, very steep and cobbled, with pitches around 20%. It comes just after the Kwaremont, so your legs are already tired.
Koppenberg: only about 600 m, but with slippery cobbles and a maximum gradient over 20%. Even pros sometimes have to walk it when riders ahead of them stall. Stay seated and keep your weight back so your rear wheel doesn't spin.

Leave time afterwards to visit the Tour of Flanders museum (Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen) in Oudenaarde, and have a Belgian beer in the market square.

Paris-Roubaix: the Paris-Roubaix Challenge

The "Hell of the North" has its own sportive the day before the pros. There are several distances, from a short loop to a long route covering most of the famous cobbled sectors, and they all finish the same way the pros do: with a lap of the old outdoor velodrome in Roubaix. The 2026 pro race had 30 cobbled sectors and almost 55 km of cobbles. The cobbles here are much rougher than in Flanders: big, uneven stones with gaps between them, on flat farm tracks.

The sectors you'll remember

Trouée d'Arenberg: 2.3 km of rough cobbles through a forest, slightly downhill at the start, so you hit it fast. It's the most famous stretch of road in the race.
Mons-en-Pévèle: long, rough and exposed to the wind. It's rated five stars for difficulty, like the Arenberg.
Carrefour de l'Arbre: the last five-star sector, close to the finish, where the pro race is often decided. There's a café at the crossroads, and it's a great place to watch the race the next day.

After the ride, take a shower in the famous velodrome showers, where each cubicle carries the name of a past winner.

How to ride the cobbles

Go faster, not slower. Momentum carries you over the stones. Riding slowly means you drop into every gap.
Use a bigger gear. A slightly higher gear and a lower cadence keep you steadier and stop you bouncing on the saddle.
Relax your grip. Hold the tops of the bars loosely with your elbows bent and let the bike move under you. A tight grip sends every bump into your shoulders.
Find the smoothest line. The crown of the road is often smoother, though the gutter or the dirt edge can be faster when it's dry. Watch for riders stopping suddenly ahead.

Set up your bike

Wider tires, lower pressure. Most riders now use 30–32 mm tires or wider for the cobbles, at much lower pressure than on smooth roads. Our tire pressure calculator gets you close: choose the "Rough or chip seal" or "Gravel" surface, then adjust by feel.
Double-wrap your bar tape or add gel pads. Your hands will thank you.
Check everything is tight. Bottle cages, saddlebags and computers shake loose on cobbles. Use cages that grip your bottles firmly.
Carry two spare tubes or a tubeless plug kit. Pinch flats are common.

What to wear

April in northern Europe can bring anything from sunshine to sleet, often on the same day. Bring arm and knee warmers, a wind vest and a rain jacket, and decide on the morning. The most important piece of kit is a good pair of bib shorts with a quality chamois: hours of vibration find any weakness in fit or padding. Our what to wear tool checks the forecast in Oudenaarde or Roubaix and builds your layers for you.

Planning the trip with your club? Turn up in matching kit and you'll stand out in a crowd of thousands. Design yours in our Kit Designer, or browse our jerseys.