Paris-Roubaix 2021 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

October 2, 2021

Paris-Roubaix 2021 WE – Denain – Roubaix : 116,4 km

The season is nearing its end but before the riders can head home and take a well-earned break they must first endure one of the toughest tests in modern bike racing – Paris-Roubaix. This year marks the first time that the women’s peloton will tackle the infamous cobblestones of Northern France and with a start list that features the likes of Marianne Vos, Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten we’re promised an epic inaugural edition. The question is, who will crown themselves the first ever Queen of ‘The Hell of the North’? Paris-Roubaix is one of the oldest, still-running races on the cycling calendar, having launched way back in 1896 and hosted no less than 117 editions since. Despite being one of, if not the most revered one-day race on the calendar, its organisers have never put on a women’s edition. That’s all due to change this weekend when, after 125 years of waiting, the cycling world will witness the best female riders on the planet battling it out over multiple iconic sectors of pavé in the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes – a race that, given its novelty, startlist and weather forecast, could possibly even eclipse the men’s event. The women’s peloton aren’t going to be eased in slowly to the cobblestone sectors which have ripped apart for the men’s peloton for over a century; this Saturday they’ll tackle a 115.6km-long route from Denain to Roubaix that features no less than 17 cobblestone sectors, amounting to 29.2km of the rough stuff in total.

Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) has put her name into the history books of cycling by winning the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes with a long attack. Deignan attacked with 82.5 kilometres to go, just before the first of 17 pavé sectors, and built a gap of up to 2:40 minutes as the peloton gradually fell apart on the cobbles behind her.

A chase group formed and eventually grew to almost 20 riders, but Deignan was still 2:16 minutes ahead at the 20-kilometre mark. Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) then accelerated away from the chase group on the Camphin-en-Pévèle sector, quickly closing the gap to 1:17 minutes at the end of the Gruson sector with 14.8 km to go. But Deignan fought back, and at the end of the last real pavé sector 6.8 kilometres from the finish she was still 1:14 minutes ahead.

The Briton covered the final kilometres without mishap and celebrated her historic victory in the wet Roubaix velodrome, crossing the line before Vos had even entered the cycling track. Finishing 1:17 minutes behind, Vos took second place while Deignan’s teammate Elisa Longo Borghini completed the podium, holding off a late charge by Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT). Marta Bastianelli (Alé BTC Ljubljana) won the sprint of a small group for fifth place.

“I feel really emotional,” said Deignan, who was initially struggling for words in the post-race interview, overcome by the magnitude of the moment. “I just, I don’t know, I’m just so happy, really proud. I can’t believe it happened.”

Having regained her composure, she continued: “Women’s cycling is at this turning point, and you saw it today, this is part of history. I am proud to be part of a team that also makes history. We are so grateful to everybody behind the scenes, all the viewers watching, because every fan who’s watching this is also making history. It is proving that there is appetite for women’s cycling and that the athletes here can do one of the hardest races in the world, and I am so proud that I can say that I am the first-ever winner.”

Deignan then explained how her race-winning solo came about: “This was really not the plan. I needed to be at the front in the first cobble section to protect my leaders. I was kind of the third rider today, actually. I looked behind after the first cobbles, there was a gap, and I thought, ‘well, at least, if I’m in the front, they have to chase me’, so I just kept going,” she said before receiving her very own cobblestone on the podium, framed by Vos and Longo Borghini.

How it unfolded

129 riders took to the start in Denain, facing 116.4 kilometres to the velodrome in Roubaix of which 29.2 km were on cobblestones, distributed over 17 different sectors. Although it stayed dry for most of the race, the previous day’s rain had left puddles behind, turning the roadsides and the worst pavé sectors into mud.

The race started with three laps of a short circuit around the start town, and the first to attack were Emilie Moberg (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur) and Nicole Steigenga (Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus) who got a 20-second advantage, chased by Elena Pirrone (Valcar-Travel & Service). The peloton reeled all three riders in again before turning towards the first pavé, the four-star sector 17 from Hornaing to Wandignies (the sector numbers are counted down).

Just before the start of the cobbles, Deignan accelerated to enter the sector in first position and got a gap on the rest of the field. Going into sector 15, she was a minute ahead, and the peloton fell apart into many groups on this sector, also due to mechanicals and crashes, leaving only 32 riders in the first chase group that emerged once the race was on the asphalt again.

Unhindered by other riders, Deignan could choose her line on the pavé and continued to increase her advantage to almost two minutes at the start of the five-star Mons-en-Pévèle sector with just under 50 kilometres to go. Behind her, the peloton broke apart on the cobbles time and again as riders crashed or suffered punctures, including pre-race favourites Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) and Lotte Kopecky (Liv Racing). Although Kopecky quickly received a teammate’s bike, the frame was too large for her, stopping the Belgian champion from playing a big role in the race.

Vos, Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx), Brennauer, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo), Bastianelli, and Aude Biannic (Movistar Team) emerged from the Mons-en-Pévèle sector as the first chase group with individual riders and small groups all over the road behind them and Deignan 1:55 minutes ahead.

This gap increased further to 2:40 minutes at the start of sector 8, Templeuve, 33.8 km from the finish. The group had now grown to 17 riders, and Majerus, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Team SD Worx), Bastianelli, Vos, and Romy Kasper (Team Jumbo-Visma) pushed up the pace, dropping five riders including Van Dijk and Longo Borghini and finally eating into Deignan’s advantage.

The dropped riders came back on the asphalt, and the chase group entered the four-star sector 5, Camphin-en-Pévèle, 2:11 minutes behind Deignan who slid around the corners in the mud but kept her bike upright.

Vos put in an acceleration on the cobbles and was followed by Longo Borghini and Van Dijk, but the European champion crashed heavily, bringing down Majerus with her. Further down the paceline, Sarah Roy (Team BikeExchange) and Biannic crashed in the same spot.

Vos was speeding away, had opened a 50-metre gap on Longo Borghini by the end of the sector, and had reduced the gap to Deignan to 1:45 minutes when she entered the five-star Carrefour de l’Arbre. Longo Borghini lost ground when she had to put her foot down after misjudging a corner, and Vos continued to make up ground.

But after the Gruson sector, ending with 14.8 kilometres to go, Vos was unable to reduce the gap even further, and when Deignan still held a gap of 1:14 minutes at the end of sector 2, 6.8 kilometres from the finish and with only the largely-symbolic Espace Charles Crupelandt to come just before the entry to the velodrome, the victory was hers to take barring mishaps.

The Trek-Segafredo team car itself suffered a breakdown on the final kilometres into Roubaix as a drizzle began to set in, making it vitally important for Deignan not to get a late puncture, but when she finally turned into the velodrome, she could celebrate a historic victory as the first woman to win Paris-Roubaix.

Results :
1 Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 2:56:07
2 Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:01:17
3 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:47
4 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:01:51
5 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:02:10
6 Emma Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team Women
7 Franziska Koch (Ger) Team DSM
8 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
9 Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
10 Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Team SD Worx
11 Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx 0:03:03
12 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women
13 Maria Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
14 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team SD Worx 0:04:26
15 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Liv Racing 0:04:33
16 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
17 Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:04:36
18 Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:04:41
19 Maria Martins (Por) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:05:55
20 Lucie Jounier (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
21 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women 0:06:04
22 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:06:20
23 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
24 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing
25 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx 0:06:24
26 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
27 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:06:28
28 Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:06:37
29 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:07:59
30 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:08:27
31 Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) NXTG Racing
32 Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:08:32
33 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM 0:08:35
34 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:08:57
35 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:09:04
36 Marta Lach (Pol) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
37 Shari Bossuyt (Bel) NXTG Racing 0:09:08
38 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:09:25
39 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:09:43
40 Danique Braam (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:09:53
41 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:09:55
42 Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
43 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
44 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
45 Silke Smulders (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:09:59
46 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:11:32
47 Sara Penton (Swe) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:11:38
48 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team 0:11:39
49 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women 0:11:41
50 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing
51 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
52 Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
53 Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Team SD Worx 0:12:00
54 Mylene de Zoete (Ned) NXTG Racing
55 Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
56 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing
57 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
58 Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM
59 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:13:30
60 Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:13:35
61 Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:13:49
OTL Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
OTL Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
OTL Alana Castrique (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
OTL Nicole Frain (Aus) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
OTL Jip van den Bos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
OTL Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
OTL Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
OTL Teniel Campbell (TTo) Team BikeExchange
OTL Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange
OTL Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
OTL Mieke Kröger (Ger) Team Coop Hitec Products
OTL Arianna Pruisscher (Ned) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
OTL India Grangier (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
OTL Jolien D’Hoore (Bel) Team SD Worx
OTL Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing
OTL Pauline Allin (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
OTL Veronica Ewers (USA) Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank
OTL Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
OTL Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
OTL Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
OTL Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing
OTL Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
OTL Fien Van Eynde (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
OTL Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
OTL Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
OTL Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop-Hitec Products
OTL Charlotte Kool (Ned) NXTG Racing
OTL Ilse Pluimers (Ned) NXTG Racing
OTL Elizabeth Bennett (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
OTL Britt Knaven (Bel) NXTG Racing
OTL Camilla Alessio (Ita) BePink
OTL Nora Jencusová (Svk) BePink
OTL Elise Vander Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
OTL Lara Crestanello (Ita) BePink
OTL Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Liv Racing
OTL Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
OTL Pernille Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
OTL Marie Morgane Le Deunff (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
OTL Minke Bakker (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
OTL Maeva Squiban (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
OTL Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
OTL Marketa Hájková (Cze) BePink
OTL Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
OTL Manon Souyris (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
DNF Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
DNF Emilie Moberg (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
DNF Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
DNF Henrietta Christie (NZl) BePink
DNF Noemi Rüegg (Swi) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
DNF Emma Boogaard (Ned) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Nora Tveit (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Greta Richioud (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
DNF Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM
DNF Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM Racing
DNF Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
DNF Leonie Bos (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Georgia Williams (NZl) Team BikeExchange
DNF Susanne Andersen (Nor) Team DSM
DNF Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
DNF Lara Vieceli (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNF Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNF Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women
DNF Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNF Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNF Marion Colard (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
DNF Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange