Fans and riders both obsessively scan weather apps, one hoping to see the rain droplet icon appear, the other wishing it away.
Gruber Images
It’s the Friday before the Hell of the North. As the weekend looms, there is one thing fans and pro riders racing will be doing in tandem: frantically refreshing their four weather apps for an updated forecast. They open, scroll, close, and reopen in a matter of seconds. Each time the app opens, one hopes to see the rain droplet appear. The other wishes it away. If there’s one thing more thrilling than Paris-Roubaix, it’s a wet one. It’s a rarity, with only five truly biblical wet editions in the last thirty years. But who really wants a wet Roubaix?
For the spectators, they are left with a gleaming smile, spread wide across their faces. Thoughts race through their mind as they prepare their Sunday viewing. Watching the race from start to finish. Because they know that it will be pure chaos. And unpredictable racing makes for great viewing experiences. Think crosswinds, at Ronde Van Brugge this year, or Stage 11 of the 2016 Tour de France with Peter Sagan, Geraint Thomas, Maciej Bodnar and Chris Froome flying le coup. Or – on brand – the last time it rained at the elite Paris-Roubaix in 2021, that everyone surely remembers, simply due to its iconic visuals and brutal racing on a filthy Sunday in September after COVID-19 forced a move from its usual April date.
Did we do a good job with this story?