'Life-threatening' - Race director hits out at cobble theft ahead of Roubaix
Concerns are mounting ahead of Paris-Roubaix after sections of the iconic cobbled sectors were deliberately damaged in recent days, prompting a strong reaction from race organisers.
On one of the most notorious stretches of the course, the Trouée d’Arenberg, multiple cobblestones have been removed or disturbed, leaving visible gaps in the surface. According to Paris-Roubaix race director Thierry Gouvenou, the situation is becoming increasingly problematic in the build-up to the race.
“This is something we’re seeing more often,” he said to Het Nieuwsblad. “What people are doing here can be dangerous.”
Riders pass over these sectors at high speed, and even small irregularities can have serious consequences.
“What those people are doing can be life-threatening,” Gouvenou added. “Imagine what happens if a rider hits one of those holes. They ride over these sectors at 50 kilometres per hour.”
The Arenberg Forest is widely regarded as one of the most crucial sectors of Paris-Roubaix, often shaping the race long before the finale. Its already brutal surface has now been further compromised, raising concerns among organisers tasked with ensuring rider safety.
In response, local teams have been working to restore the damaged sections in the days leading up to the race, repeatedly filling gaps and checking the sectors as part of their daily preparations. However, the damage appears to return just as quickly as it is repaired.
The vandalism is not the only unusual challenge facing the race this year. Wildlife has also been spotted on the course in recent days, with animals disturbing parts of the terrain overnight.
“Those animals feel at home in the forest,” Gouvenou said. “They take leaves and branches onto the sectors.”
Still, organisers are clear that human interference remains the primary concern. Removing cobbles not only damages one of cycling’s most historic race routes, but also introduces unnecessary danger.
Paris-Roubaix, one of cycling’s most revered one-day races, is defined by its unforgiving terrain. For Gouvenou, that challenge should come from the course itself, not from external disruption.
“We want to see a great race,” he said. “But it has to be on a course that is intact. The race is already hard enough.”
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