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ROUBAIX

By Gruber Images

April 14^th, 2017

finally.

For years and years, I always said that Roubaix was just not one of my favorite races. This year, my feelings changed. I think Ashley's did too. There's some magic in these lonely fields.

van avermaet's chase.

There have been a few times that we've taken shots of riders in races and categorically written them off. The first real time was in Mende at the Tour de France two years ago - Bardet and Pinot were well clear of anyone else. When Steve Cummings passed me on the steep slopes of that nasty climb - I wanted him to win, but I figured there was a 0% chance of that happening. I was (thankfully) very wrong.

This happened TWICE on Sunday. The first was with Greg Van Avermaet, who was well behind before the Arenberg Forest in the dust of Haveluy - and still - right after the Forest on the cobbles of Pont Gibus. His comeback was the kind you don't often see - the stuff of a truly special day.

The other? Sebastian Langeveld. Way deeper into the race, we saw Langeveld well off the back chasing after a flat - the kind of position riders don't come back from. But again, he was on a special day - and like Van Avermaet - he not only clawed himself back into the race, he made the race.

someday.

Someday, before we're done with all of this, I hope that I can shoot from the old railway trestle above the Arenberg Forest on the day of the race. It's my main bike race shooting wish. I hope the bike race picture taking fairy is listening.

wouter

We don't often do before and after pictures (though we should!), and we didn't mean for this to happen - but it did - and it's awesome. Thanks for the pictures, Wouter Wippert!

non-stop attacking.

To the business of looking back at the race. The fastest race in Roubaix history was highlighted by a ridiculously fast first half. A break never really got clear, and all riders were subjected to some seriously hard pedaling in the normally (sort of) relaxed opening 100k.

pause, Pt. 1

Because it's not all about cobbles and dust.

in the storm.

We've been shooting Roubaix since 2011 - all editions have been dry - but nothing has been quite like the dry of this year. It was a storm of dust that followed the racers for the final 160 kilometers of 2017.