2021 Paris–Roubaix Femmes Explained

2021 Paris-Roubaix Femmes
Series:2021 UCI Women's World Tour
Race No:16
Season No:18
Date:2 October 2021
Stages:1
Distance:115.6
Unit:km
Time:2h 56' 07"
First:Lizzie Deignan
First Nat:GBR
Second:Marianne Vos
Second Nat:NED
Third:Elisa Longo Borghini
Third Nat:ITA
Next:2022
Previous:2020

The 2021 Paris–Roubaix Femmes was a French road cycling one-day race that took place on 2 October 2021. It was the first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes and the 16th event of the 2021 UCI Women's World Tour. The race was won by Lizzie Deignan of Great Britain, who attacked solo at the beginning of the first cobbled section, with more than two thirds of the course remaining. The winning move went so early, live pictures had not yet begun to be broadcast.[1] Already an historic event as the inaugural women's Roubaix, Deignan's solo victory was later described by commentators as one of the greatest Roubaix rides, male or female, of all time. With the victory, Deignan became the first rider to win all three women's monuments - Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Women's Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes.

Route

The first women's edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes started in Denain and finished on the velodrome in Roubaix covering .[2] It featured of cobblestones, spread out over 17 sectors. The women covered the same final 17 sectors as the men's race.[3] [4]

Summary

The Paris–Roubaix weekend was wet and rainy, for the first time for nearly 20 years.[5] The race was held in October, having been postponed from its original April date due to a French COVID-19 lockdown.[6]

The much delayed, and much anticipated, first edition of the women's version of the 'Queen of the Classics' was won by Great Britain's Lizzie Deignan racing for Trek–Segafredo. Attacking on her own at the first pavé section at Hornaing, Deignan went clear across the first cobbled section, and then soloed for the last 80 kilometres of the race as the peloton splintered behind her, building a lead of 2:40 across all 17 pavé sections, before entering the Roubaix Velodrome alone, over a minute in front of Marianne Vos.[7] Elisa Longo Borghini held off a fast closing Lisa Brennauer for third place, and completed the first podium of Paris-Roubaix-Femmes. Deignan's attack and solo victory was described by commentators as one of the greatest Roubaix rides of all time.[8] [9]

Cobbled sections

Cobbled sectors in Paris-Roubaix Femmes[10]
NameDistance fromLength
(km)
Difficulty
Start
Finish
17Hornaing to Wandignies3.7
16Warlaing to Brillon2.4
15Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières2.4
14Beuvry to Orchies1.4
13Orchies1.7
12Auchy to Bersée2.7
11Mons-en-Pévèle3.0
10Mérignies to Avelin0.7
9Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin1.4
8Templeuve - L’Épinette0.2
7Cysoing to Bourghelles1.3
6Bourghelles to Wannehain1.1
5Camphin-en-Pévèle1.8
4Carrefour de l'Arbre2.1
3Gruson1.1
2Willems to Hem1.4
1Roubaix0.3

Teams

All nine UCI Women's WorldTeams and 13 UCI Women's Continental Teams made up the 22 teams that participated in the race.[11],, and were the only teams to not enter a full squad of six riders; these three teams each entered five riders. Of the 129 riders to start the race, 61 riders finished while a further 44 riders finished outside of the time limit (8 percent after the winning time, or + 14' 05").[12]

UCI Women's WorldTeams

UCI Women's Continental Teams

Notes and References

  1. News: Warwick . Matt . 2 October 2021 . Lizzie Deignan takes sensational Paris-Roubaix win in first women's event . . 2 October 2021.
  2. Web site: A rite of passage on the cobblestones. Paris–Roubaix Femmes. Amaury Sport Organisation. 24 September 2020. 24 September 2020.
  3. Web site: Such a long wait. Paris–Roubaix Femmes. Amaury Sport Organisation. 14 September 2021. 15 September 2021.
  4. Web site: Paris-Roubaix Femmes first-edition route to include 17 cobbled sectors. Stephen. Farrand. CyclingNews. 14 September 2021. 15 September 2021.
  5. Web site: 2022-04-12 . Paris-Roubaix forecast: No repeat of last year's mud-fest . 2022-04-16 . VeloNews.com.
  6. Web site: Paris-Roubaix 2021 officially postponed until October . 2022-04-16 . Cyclist . April 2021 . en.
  7. News: Blood on the bars: Lizzie Deignan's Paris-Roubaix win & a landmark for women's cycling . BBC Sport . 6 October 2021.
  8. Web site: Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2021 One day race results. 2021-10-02. www.procyclingstats.com.
  9. Web site: Knöfler. Lukas. 2021-10-02. Lizzie Deignan solos for 82km to win inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes. 2021-10-04. cyclingnews.com. en.
  10. Web site: The race - Denain > Roubaix - Paris–Roubaix Femmes 2021. Paris–Roubaix Femmes. Amaury Sport Organisation. 15 September 2021.
  11. Web site: The first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2021 - Preview. Kirsten. Frattini. CyclingNews. 28 September 2021. 2 October 2021.
  12. Web site: Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2021 - Start List. CyclingNews. 2 October 2021. 2 October 2021.