Embed from Getty Images Plenty happened in Paris-Roubaix but after the news of the death of Michael Goolaerts last night, writing about Peter Sagan, the tactics of Quick Step or sharing anecdotes about Silvan Dillier all seems a bit flat, mere side stories. Condoleances to his family, friends and colleagues.

The One And Only

Paris-Roubaix is this Sunday and it’s a race like no other. While most of the Flemish classics and semi-classics seem to be merging into one settled format looping around the Flemish Ardennes and VIP tents, Paris-Roubaix’s route barely changes these days.

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Paris-Roubaix Preview

Paris Roubaix 2017 podium

The best for last as the cobbled classics come to an end this Sunday in the Roubaix velodrome. Former race director Jacques Goddet described this race as “the last act of madness” and his decision to use tiny farm tracks with rudimentary cobbles has created a legendary and exceptional event.

Once again it’s everyone against Quick Step with the star riders caught in a collective tactical trap, they must combine against the Belgian team to win but start working and their rivals will sit tight and beat them in the finish. It’s live on TV from start to finish.

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Pro Race Calendar Reminder

Loyal readers might be familiar with the calendar but with the season in full swing there are many more readers so if you missed the posts about it during the off-season, here’s a reminder you can get a pro cycling calendar for your organiser, phone or computer diary with all the major UCI men’s and women’s pro races around the world included. Below there’s a quick explainer on how to subscribe, the meaning of the UCI labels and more.

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Prize Money

Prize money in cycling rarely makes the news. Sometimes when people see how much the men collect they’re surprised it’s so low… until they see how little the women get. But what do the riders actually collect? The net sum received by the winner is often a tiny fraction of the headline prize for first place.

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