Some exciting changes are coming for 2026 for the toughest one-day race in the world. Next year, cycling fans will see both the men’s and women’s Paris-Roubaix races on the same day: Sunday, April 12 . According to race organizers, the ASO, there’s several reasons for the change.
Thierry Gouvenou, race director, explained the new format to DirectVelo. “Bringing everything together on the same day makes it easier to organize security. Setting up the course once for both races is far less demanding for law enforcement. There are also budgetary considerations,” the former pro said.
Previously, the women’s race had taken place on Saturday, which complicated arrangements across the Lille metropolitan area. Blocking roads for two consecutive days created challenges for local communities. Gouvenou acknowledged that combining the events will make the logistics more complex: “It will require more vehicles and additional staff,” he noted.
Despite the extra planning, the director hopes the joint schedule will shine a bigger spotlight on the women’s race. Tour de France Femmes Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won in the most recent edition, after switching from a decade of MTB to the road. (And, of course, Alison Jackson took a terrific win back in 2025.)
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“On Saturday, it already had decent attention, but now people will watch the men’s race first and then follow the women’s event,” Gouvenou said. He hopes this scheduling will give the women’s race more visibility. By finishing after the men, the race can capture spectators who are already in place — some fans who might not normally watch professional women’s races may discover just how exciting they are. This mirrors the approach taken in several other WorldTour events.
April 12 will also feature four races in total. The under-23 and juniors, organized by VC Roubaix-Lille Métropole, will once again run before the professional events. Gouvenou explained that these under-23 and junior races will start about 30 to 45 minutes earlier than they did in 2025.
By aligning all editions on a single day, ASO aims to highlight both men and women, while managing security and resources more efficiently, creating what Gouvenou hopes will be a more seamless and widely viewed Paris-Roubaix experience.