10 outsiders who could surprise at Paris-Roubaix 2026

Axel Huens comes into Paris-Roubaix as one of the leaders of Groupama-FDJ, with the 24-year-old admitting to France 3 about his desire to race on the cobbled brute: “If I had to choose just one, it would be this one. It’s sublime to watch, but it’s also sublime to ride.”

Huens’ form in 2026 has been on the cusp of a breakthrough, finishing just outside the top ten in races such as In Flanders Fields and Dwars door Vlaanderen. His most impressive performance this season came in the ‘mini Roubaix’, Grand Prix Denain, where the Frenchman finished 7th after an attacking display on several cobbled sectors, at one point even leading the race.

Huens has previously competed once in Roubaix, finishing 27th in Unibet Rose Rockets colours, and he will be aiming to use that experience on Sunday. We believe Huens can finally break into the top ten.

Cole Kessler is the perfect Paris-Roubaix rider; a 2-meter-tall guy with a huge diesel engine. He's part of the new Modern Adventure Pro Cycling team, a really interesting team that offers chances to mainly American riders. The team directly got a wildcard for Paris-Roubaix, very impressive. That probably has something to do with the fact that George Hincapie is the general manager of the team, who has always performed well in the race.

However, back to Kessler. As said, he has the perfect profile for this race. He also loves a breakaway, which could really work out here. The break has been kept on a tight leash the last few years, but you still stay ahead of the chaos like this. If you get over Arenberg, you could really ride a nice result. Take a look at Jonas Rutsch (6th) and Markus Hoelgaard (8th) last year, for example. It seems like that's the way to go for Kessler here.

Søren Wærenskjold is already a Classic winner and has taken a top ten at Paris-Roubaix before, which came in 2024. The 90+kg watt machine will look to utilise that weight on the four and five-star sectors, where he will have a clear advantage over more lightweight riders in the peloton.

Wærenskjold’s season so far has been steady, with several high-placed finishes, but Paris-Roubaix is a different challenge altogether. He will be joined in the Uno-X Mobility lineup by Jonas Abrahamsen, and the two Norwegians could form a strong duo.

Johan Jacobs is a pure Paris-Roubaix rider. He is the perfect type for the race. He has a huge engine, and he loves a breakaway; exactly what one needs for this race. He always performs in this race, but luck is never on his side. In 2024, he was on his way to a top ten when his saddle broke. He was still in the running for a nice place of honour when he then endured a flat tire. Both physically and mentally completely broken, he finished the race in 38th place, but his love for the race wasn't gone.

In 2025, a top-15 finish was a certainty only 1 km from the finish, with a top-10 still an option. But then, he followed De Bondt, and they took the diversion for the cars by accident. Mistakes like that happen when you are empty. According to him, he was only seeing stars in the final. Chance on a top ten gone again. Hopefully he'll be luckier this year.

A young, talented rider from Estonia, Madis Mihkels, has already taken a top ten in Paris-Roubaix, finishing 10th after being part of a 73-kilometre breakaway. His 2026 season has been mixed so far, but the Estonian can certainly fly under the radar heading into the race, operating in a free role within the EF team.

If Mihkels is part of a small group entering the Velodrome in a fight for the top ten, you can expect him to come out on top, with the 22-year-old possessing a strong sprint.

There are, however, question marks over his last two race appearances, where he recorded DNFs in both E3 and In Flanders Fields.

Cedric Beullens also has the perfect profile for Paris-Roubaix. In 2024, he was in the running for a top ten finish, but then crashed really hard. 

This spring, he has been in really nice shape, however, under the radar, but that's exactly why he's in this article. He's also really fast, certainly after a tough race? With the way De Lie has been performing, Beullens will also definitely get his own chance.

The man who simply loves Roubaix. The 2015 Paris-Roubaix winner consistently flies under the radar in this race, with the experienced German regularly placing himself in the top ten.

Picnic PostNL need a big result here after what can only be described as a bleak season, with no notable results so far in 2026, and Degenkolb has the potential to change that based on this race alone.

After missing the 2025 edition due to injury sustained at the Tour of Flanders, Degenkolb will be aiming for a fairytale ending to his career, with the 37-year-old set to retire at the end of the season. Expect him to be in the mix and finishing inside the top ten.

Max Walscheid is an absolute unit of a rider; 2m tall, 90+kg, huge watts. In the Tour of Flanders, from the first Oude Kwaremont until the finish line, he put out 380 watts average, and a normalized power of 442 watts, for more than 3 hours! With that kind of power, you can really have a lot of fun in Paris-Roubaix.

However, he has the argument against him that he also has Mads Pedersen in his team, who isn't known to hand out gifts. However, also for Pedersen, it would be a good idea to put Walscheid in the break, for example. Like that, with his profile, he could get really far. And like that, he could race for his own result, or also help out Pedersen in the final, if possible.

Another rider who could be considered underrated in the men’s peloton is Jordi Meeus. The 27-year-old Belgian comes into the race full of confidence after strong results this season, including a win at Le Samyn.

Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe have the depth to support him, though it remains to be seen how the team will approach the race and whether Meeus will receive full backing. If he is, he can certainly challenge for another top ten in Roubaix, having already achieved that in 2024.

Brent Van Moer is a rider who has gone under the radar in the last few years, but he really has it in him to get there. However, he has had some trouble meeting those expectations. It does seem like his transfer to the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team did him good; in the Tour of Flanders, he was really good, showing his engine. 

With his length and weight, plus the fact that he excels at breakaways, one would think that Paris-Roubaix is an even better race for him.