Paris-Roubaix Weekend
Never has Paris-Roubaix been meaner or more brutal than this year’s edition through the rain, wind and mud of Northern France. It truly was hell, a fantastic feast of cobbled racing that was well worth the 2.5-year wait since the last edition. And with women competing for the first time ever, we got a double dose of cobbled racing. On this week’s episode, OJ Borg is joined by Peter Cossins and Jeremy Whittle, with an appearance by Sophie Smith, still in lockdown at home in Melbourne, to discuss this epic edition of the Hell of the North. With the weather so severe, there were doubts over whether the race would even be run this time around. But the whole point of the race is the extremeness of it, and it went on as planned. The October date, away from its usual April slot, made for a unique flavor of the race. Should it stick around at the end of the season? Or return to its traditional slot? Plus there’s plenty to discuss about the racing itself. And this weekend a revamped Giro Il Lombardia boasts a star-studded cast including recently crowned world champion Julian Alaphilippe, along with GC racers like Chris Froome, Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and more. The final monument of the season should present an exclamation point to the season. Listen to the episode for the full discussion!