I watched the extended highlights of both the men’s and women’s Paris-Roubaix races, and I gotta say the women’s race looked much tougher this year. It had rained before the women’s race, so the course was much messier and consequently more dangerous. The competition was also much tighter for the women, and there were indeed more falls, pileups, and crashes. In the women’s race, there was a bunch-up entering the velodrome, and even a crash. The first finisher in the men’s race was so far ahead that he was all alone.
In both races this year I noticed a lot of side tracking in the cobble sections, more for the men than the women since the men’s course was dry, but there was still some on the women’s race. This felt like cheating the spirit of the race, which is meant to be on the cobbles. But, choosing the side track wasn’t without risks: it could end abruptly and the rider would have to hop a small curb back onto the uneven cobblestone road, or the friction might be even less of a given.
There were more punctures and flats shown the men’s race highlights than the women’s. That might be because there were actually a lot more crashes to show in the women’s highlights.
I don’t typically read any reporting on the cycling races, I’m just here for the spectacle, so I don’t really know anything about the factual accuracy of my observations above. Take that as you will.
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