When not to leave the couch: the key moments in Paris-Roubaix 2026

The race starts long before the decisive moments unfold, but as always in Roubaix, everything builds toward the brutal cobbled sectors deep in the finale. So when should you absolutely be watching?

It really starts at Troisvilles à Inchy. That’s where the fight for position kicks in and the tension noticeably rises.

Around Haveluy and heading into the Arenberg Forest, the race often blows apart. It’s not just about strength there, you need luck too. One puncture or mistake and you’re out of contention.

By the time they reach Mons-en-Pévèle, it’s already the finale. The group is thinned out and this is the kind of sector where riders like Tadej Pogacar or Mathieu van der Poel can make a move to force a split.

Then come the sectors that usually decide everything. Camphin and especially the Carrefour de l'Arbre. More often than not, the winning move goes there.