You don’t really understand Paris-Roubaix until you ride the cobbles yourself

Paris-Roubaix is one of those races you think you understand — until you actually ride the cobbles yourself.

intro shot by the legend: https://www.instagram.com/hrrypwll/

I came all the way from South Africa to Lille for Roubaix weekend. On Saturday I rode the Paris-Roubaix sportive over 80km of brutal cobbles, and on Sunday I watched the pros from the velodrome. And honestly, after feeling those roads in my own hands and legs first, I saw the race completely differently.

This video is less about a perfect race recap and more about what Roubaix actually feels like when you stop just watching it and start experiencing it.

Thank you Van Rysel for this weekend (advertisement)

🧠 What’s in this video:
• arriving in Lille for Paris-Roubaix weekend
• picking up my loaner bike at the Van Rysel / Decathlon HQ
• riding the Paris-Roubaix sportive over the cobbles
• behind the scenes of Roubaix weekend
• watching the pros in the velodrome on Sunday
• why Paris-Roubaix makes more sense once you’ve ridden it yourself

📍 Location:
Lille / Roubaix, France

🚴‍♂️ Event:
Paris-Roubaix sportive + Paris-Roubaix weekend

📲 Follow along:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/gerritknein
Strava → https://www.strava.com/athletes/74182628

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 intro
01:12 arriving in Lille / bike pickup
03:54 sportive day
12:15 fitchecks and stuff
13:33 race day / velodrome