Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift 2025 Preview 🇫🇷 🚴♀️
A preview for the 5th edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift, which will take place on April 12, and see the riders tackle 17 Pavé sections from Denain to the iconic Roubaix Velodrome.
Hey all! We’ve got a special guest post for Blog #18 today 😁
At this point, everyone is well aware that Zwift is the title sponsor of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. But did you know Zwift is also the title sponsor of Paris Roubaix Femmes?
The "Hell of the North" race takes place on Saturday, and given Zwift's involvement I wanted to make sure you were all prepped to watch. And because I'm wildly unqualified to do that, I've asked Joe Morgan to help. Joe's Substack is essential reading for any cycling fan. I kid you not that when I sit down to watch a race these days, I pop open the PCS live tracker and Joe's preview to accompany me. If you enjoy this preview, I'd encourage you to subscribe and do the same.
The 5th edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift will take place on April 12th 2025, a day earlier than the men’s race. The riders will set off from Denain and travel across 148.5 kilometres, including 17 Pavé sections, to the iconic velodrome in Roubaix.
Zwift is a key sponsor of the women’s version of Paris-Roubaix, and thus, the online physical training program has been included in the race’s name, Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift.
The route hasn’t been modified for the 2025 edition, so the riders will tackle an identical course from 12 months ago. In total, across the 17 sections, the peloton will cross 29.2 kilometres of cobbles, including some of the most iconic five-star sectors, such as Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre.
Organisers have stated that they consider it too dangerous to include the famous Trouée d’Arenberg pavé sector due to its proximity to the start in Denain, but have stated that they '“do not rule out that we will pass through… in the future.”
Regardless of this, the route is still one of the toughest in the women’s WorldTour and we have seen some epic battles in the previous four editions, and hopefully, we are set for another special race on Saturday.
Key Information
Date: 12 April 2025
Start/Finish Locations: Denain - Roubaix
Race Distance: 148.5km / 92.2 miles
Cobblestone Distance | 29.2km
Race Statistics
Previous Winners
2021 | Elizabeth Deignan 🇬🇧
2022 | Elisa Longo Borghini 🇮🇹
2023 | Alison Jackson 🇨🇦
2024 | Lotte Kopecky 🇧🇪
Most Top 10 Finishes
Lotte Kopecky, Pfeiffer Georgi, Marianne Vos | 3 times
Fastest Edition
2021 | 39.656 km/h
The Route
As previously mentioned, this year's edition, at 148.5 kilometres, is identical to the 2024 profile in terms of both distance and the route starting in Denain. The town of Denain has hosted the start of every edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift.
Although Paris-Roubaix is most widely recognised for its Pavé sections, the lead-up to the first section can become tense, and there have been crashes in the past before a cobblestone has even been reached. On occasion, the wind can cause issues on exposed sections of road, and riders will be vigilant about the threat of echelons coming into the race.
The peloton will steamroll onto the first pavé sector at Hornaing à Wandignies with 85 kilometres remaining. This marks the start of the 29.2 kilometres of Pavé sectors in the race, and it is the longest of the entire race, standing at 3.7 kilometres. Consequently, it has earned a four-star rating, indicating that the race could split apart even this far out. It is also at this point onwards, where the sectors come thick and fast, leaving the riders with little opportunity for recovery.
Four sectors follow before the next key point of the race, the four-star Auchy-lez Orchies à Bersée, with 54 kilometres remaining. The significance of this point of the race isn’t only the sector itself but also what follows. Quickly after comes one of the most iconic sectors in the race, Mons-en-Pévèle. Standing at 3 kilometres in length, with some of the roughest cobblestones in the race, this sector has rightly earned its status of five stars and has a reputation of being one of the most important sectors in Paris-Roubaix. Given the position in the race, with just under 50 kilometres remaining in which this sector is situated and a narrow entrance, the pace leading up to Mons-en-Pévèle is ferocious. Every rider fights to be as close to the front as possible, as it is crucial to do so on this section, as there are almost always splits on this section, and if you are caught out of position, your race could be over.
Following Mons-en-Pévèle, more tough sectors await where the front of the race is likely to be further thinned out and the riders be worn down. Sector 5, Camphin-en-Pévèle is the next crucial sector, with a four-star rating, and it is quickly followed by another iconic section of Pavé, Carrefour de l’Arbre. The Carrefour de l’Arbre is the final five-star sector of the race, and is one of the most iconic, serving as the setting for many race-winning attacks in the past coming within the final 20 kilometres of the race.
If you’re still at the front of the race exiting Carrefour de l’Arbre, the chances of victory increase tenfold, as the final three sectors of pavé are tame by Paris-Roubaix’s standards. The penultimate sector of Willems to Hem with 8.2 kilometres remaining, where the winners of the past are celebrated, is perhaps the only section of the three-way attacks are likely to be decisive.
The finish of Paris-Roubaix is on the iconic Roubaix Velodrome where the riders will complete a lap and a half. It will serve as the setting for either a solo victory parade or a tense and tactical reduced group sprint finish. One thing’s for certain is that whoever lifts their arms aloft as the winner of the race on Saturday will instantly immortalise themselves in the cycling history books by winning one of the sport’s toughest and most iconic races.
Cobble Sections
Here are the 17 cobble sectors that will feature in this year’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift in order of distance to the finish. The length of each section and the star ratings are listed. This rating is determined by the official race organisers, with five stars being considered the most difficult of tests, to one star for a town-style cobbled sector.
17 | Hornaing à Wandignies - 3.7km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (82.5km to go)
16 | Warlaing à Brillon -2.4km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (75km to go)
15 | Tilloy à Sars-et-Rosières - 2.4km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (71.5km to go)
14 | Beuvry-la-Forêt à Orchies - 1.4km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (65.2km to go)
13 | Orchies - 1.7km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (60.1km to go)
12 | Auchy-lez Orchies à Bersée - 2.7km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (54km to go)
11 | Mons-en-Pévèle - 3km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (48.6km to go)
10 | Mérignies à Avelin - 0.7km ⭐️⭐️ (42.6km to go)
9 | Pont-Thibault à Ennevelin - 1.4km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (39.2km to go)
8b | Templeuve (L’Epinette) - 0.2km ⭐️ (33.8km to go)
8a | Templeuve (Moulin-de-Vertain) 0.5km⭐️⭐️ (33.3km to go)
7 | Cysoing à Bourghelles - 1.3km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (26.8km to go)
6 | Bourghelles à Wannehain - 1.1km ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (24.3km to go)
5 | Camphin-en-Pévèle - 1.8km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (19.9km to go)
4 | Carrefour de l’Arbre - 2.1km ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (17.1km to go)
3 | Gruson - 1.1km ⭐️⭐️ (14.8km to go)
2 | Willems à Ham - 1.4km ⭐️⭐️ (8.2km to go)
1 | Roubaix (Espace Crupelandt) - 0.3km ⭐️ (1.4km to go)
Contenders
(Based on an incomplete provisional start list on Tuesday 8 April, so could be subject to change.)
Team SD Worx-Protime won this race twelve months ago, and the goal will simply be to defend their title. The defending champion, Lotte Kopecky, returns to the race brimming with confidence after winning the Tour of Flanders last Sunday for a record 3rd time. It was another remarkably impressive performance for the world champion, who will have a strong team alongside her, providing other options to play. Kopecky will thrive on the cobblestones as arguably the strongest rider in the peloton on this type of terrain. In a reduced group sprint, as illustrated many times, Kopecky is also lethal and will be the favourite for Saturday.
The fastest rider in the peloton right now is undoubtedly Lorena Wiebes, who has had a stunning start to 2025 with seven victories already in 2025. The European champion should be better suited to Paris-Roubaix than the Tour of Flanders, as demonstrated by a 7th place twelve months ago. The pressure won’t be solely on Wiebes this weekend due to some very strong teammates, so the European champion will be able to focus on trying to follow the wheels all day because if Wiebes is in the front group coming into the Roubaix Velodrome, it will be trouble for everyone else. Blanka Vas and Mischa Bredewold could be set to play a key role in this race, too, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if either pulled off a major performance.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike has two of the most decorated riders in the sport lining up this weekend in Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Both have come close to major victories and Milan San-Remo and the Tour of Flanders this season, respectively. If they can anticipate the moves of the standout favourites by working with one another, or with Vos’s fast finish, could stand a major chance of victory this weekend. Young British rider Imogen Wolff has also had an impressive start to her first full season as a professional and could help in terms of playing the numbers game.
Another team who are expected to bring a stacked team to the race are Lidl-Trek. With former world champion Elisa Balsamo in their ranks, the team have one of the best sprinters in the world, who will give them a great chance of success if she can make it to the velodrome. After winning Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, the Italian has illustrated that she is ready for Roubaix.
Beyond Balsamo, Ellen van Dijk proved to be one of the strongest riders in the Tour of Flanders last Sunday finishing 8th. As a three-time former world champion in the individual time trial, Van Dijk has a huge engine and is one of the most powerful riders on the flat, and could time trial away from the rest if given the chance. Lucinda Brand, Emma Norsgaard and Anna Henderson will all be great cards to play if they are on the start line too.
Canyon // SRAM zondacrypto on paper has a team very well suited to Paris-Roubaix with two standout riders. Both Chloé Dygert and Zoe Bäckstedt are two of the strongest riders over flat terrain in the peloton and should thrive in the chaos. For Dygert, this is set to be a debut appearance at the race, and for Bäckstedt, the aim will be to improve on last year’s 16th place. Chiara Consonni could also be a great option, as there aren’t many riders faster than the Italian in a sprint.
Puck Pieterse, as always, has been super consistent in 2025, finishing in the top 10 in all eight races the Fenix-Deceuninck rider has started this year. However, it could be argued that Pieterse isn’t firing as sharply as twelve months ago, but if anyone is going to thrive in a chaotic race like this, it’s Puck.
Other top 10 contenders to look out for include; Kimberly Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), Pfeiffer Georgi and Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL), Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team), Amber Kraak and Elise Chabbey (FDJ-SUEZ), Letizia Paternoster (Liv Alula Jayco), Alison Jackson, Noemi Ruegg and Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly). These riders are all suited well to the flat and cobblestones that will feature in Paris-Roubaix and could be the type of riders who sneak into a move which finds itself fighting for victory come the finish, as Alison Jackson did in 2023.
Elisa Longo Borghini suffered a nasty crash on Sunday in Flanders and is set to miss out this weekend. In her absence, UAE Team ADQ could turn to Sofia Bertizzolo or Lara Gillespie for a good result.
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Longo not being in the shape she was on is like missing Pogi. We need her so bad in the relatively passive races…