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Next to the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix might well be the most famous cycling race in the world. The one-day race takes riders from Paris, through the cobbled roads of northern France, and eventually into the legendary Roubaix velodrome.
The cobblestones are not only physically taxing to ride over, but they’re also difficult and dangerous, with riders at risk of flying over their handlebars if they hit one at the wrong angle.
Every year, the race produces a laundry list of injuries, from abrasions to concussions and broken bones. But this year’s race could be even more dangerous after thieves recently stole cobblestones from the famed Trouée d’Arenberg sector, turning it from dangerous to “life-threatening” according to race director Thierry Gouvenou.
2026 Edition Of Paris-Roubaix Could Be Even More Dangerous
Gouvenou recently explained to Dutch newspaper Het Nieuwsblad that fans are showing up and digging up cobblestones, leaving large holes in the course that riders could hit and send themselves flying
“This is something we’re seeing more often,” Gouvenou told Het Nieuwsblad. “What people are doing here can be dangerous.
“What those people are doing can be life-threatening. Imagine what happens if a rider hits one of those holes. They ride over these sectors at 50 kilometres an hour.
“We want to see a great race,” he continued. “But it has to be on a course that is intact. The race is already hard enough.”
The Arenberg, a 2.3-kilometer-long sector, is the most famous and one of the most difficult cobbled sectors in the race. But it can be difficult to maintain, with volunteer groups even calling in help from local animals to clean it prior to the race every year.
This year, however, it seems they’ll need even more help to keep the race not only entertaining but also safe.