It might not sound like a big deal, but moving the women’s Paris-Roubaix race to the same time as the iconic men’s race, and reducing its TV time, is most certainly a regression.
The Paris-Roubaix race for men has a long and illustrious history, so when the ASO launched the women’s race just a few short years ago (it started in 2021, after a hiccup caused by COVID in 2020) it was a really big deal. The women’s pro peloton was thrilled, and many of the one-day specialist-type riders were over the moon and immediately started training on the rough cobbled roads.
The inaugural race (and the races from 2022 to 2025) was held on a Saturday, the day before the men’s race, which meant fewer roadside spectators but three hours of coverage on our screens. For comparison, the entire men’s race is shown from rollout to the podium presentation.
This year, the women’s race was moved to Sunday and overlapped with the men’s race, but followed it. By UCI decree, the women’s race is shorter, so it started further along the course and well after the men’s race start. This meant that much of the women’s race took place while the men were racing. The race organisers said it was to maximise roadside crowds, but I suspect it was simply a cost-cutting exercise. It would be nice if they could admit that.
Some may argue that if the event costs are so high and the women’s race viability is on the line, it is better to have the same-day arrangement than no race at all. In fact, most other Spring Classic races are run this way.
From a TV spectator’s point of view, I watched the entire men’s race and was completely absorbed from start to finish. I’m a big Wout Van Aert fan, so I was very happy when he won. He was a very deserving winner. The TV coverage then cut over to the women’s race, and they had just 58 km to go of the 143 km race. I felt ripped off. They’d already completed seven of the 20 cobbled sectors, which is the highlight of the racing. I missed all that lead-up and felt way less invested in the ‘story’ because it was already more than halfway through. In fact, many riders were never seen on screen because the group had been significantly reduced by the time the cameras arrived.
I still loved watching the race and, as a Marianne Vos fan, was very disappointed for her with her very close second place, but I still felt ripped off. It wasn’t just my own disappointment. I also felt upset for the riders who worked so hard to prepare for, and perform in this race.
Frankly, it’s insulting. No matter which way the ASO chooses to spin it. The women’s Paris-Roubaix might only be six years old, but it’s a big deal for women’s professional road cycling, which I wrote about when it launched.
I know I’m not the only person who has written about this subject. I decided to join the bandwagon to make sure the race organisers, the ASO, best known for the Tour de France, hear the message loud and clear.
It’s not good enough to quietly downgrade the exposure and worldwide media coverage of this race. Please rethink it for next year’s edition. The women deserve more.