A solitary raid of more than 80 kilometers by Elizabeth Deignan in 2021, a decisive attack by Elisa Longo Borghini in 2022, and suspense until the end in 2023. The women's Paris-Roubaix book currently only counts three chapters, but each of them reserved a different scenario for the spectators massed on the roads of the "Hell of the North".
On Saturday April 8, the breakaway resisted the return of the favorites until the end and it was finally the Canadian Alison Jackson (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) who had the most strength to win the sprint on the velodrome of Roubaix, ahead of the Italian Katia Ragusa (Liv Racin TeqFind) and the Belgian Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck).
At 34, the Canadian thus achieved the most prestigious success of her career, although she was not one of the favorites, nor even of the main outsiders, in the morning at the start. With seventeen other runners, she had taken her chance after forty kilometers of effort by leaving in a breakaway notably composed of the French Eugénie Duval (FDJ-Suez), Marie-Morgane Le Deunff (Arkéa) and Marion Borras (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93).
“I wanted to be at the front, in this kind of race you have to avoid bad luck to win. It's unreal, I have no words," the Canadian said with tears in her eyes minutes after the finish. "There will be more general fatigue in the final," predicted Paris-Roubaix director Franck Perque before the start of the race. The fault in particular of a course lengthened by 20 kilometers compared to the previous edition. During the 147 kilometers – including 29 of cobbled sections – the breakaway was often on the verge of breaking, but, in the wake of Alisson Jackson, resisted until the end the return of the favorites, not spared by the twists of fate on this edition of Paris-Roubaix.
The famous bad luck the Canadian was talking about hit them hard. The first to have suffered was the Dutch star Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), victim of a puncture at the 72nd kilometer and who paid dearly for her efforts to try to recover her place. She finally returned to the hunting group thanks to … a massive drop in favorites.
The breakaway on a wire all the race
At the 37th km, Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) thus fell violently on the cobblestones, dragging with her all the riders around, starting with the favorite of the day and recent winner of the Tour of Flanders Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx). An incident that left traces on the bodies, and wasted precious time for the unfortunates.
At 10 kilometers from the finish, the gap was only ten seconds after the formidable cobblestone sectors of Camphin-en-Pévèle (1.8 kilometers) and the Carrefour de l'Arbre (2.1 kilometers), but never went lower, allowing the valiants of the morning to fight for victory in the Roubaix velodrome. Specialist in track racing, the Frenchwoman Marion Borras tried her luck from a distance, even took the lead on a few meters, but finally bowed to the return of her opponents, Alison Jackson in the lead.
“I wanted to try everything for everything, but I should have waited to launch, admitted the French runner on arrival. Unfortunately it didn't make it to the podium, but it's still a nice 5th place. Physically I can't take it anymore, and mentally it was hard, because you never had to let go. She finally finished just behind her compatriot Eugénie Duval, fourth.
The French Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) finished far from the first places, crossing the line in 35th position. A disappointment for the one who finished 8th in the first edition of Paris-Roubaix, in 2021. But being at the finish – and even at the start – of the race was already a victory in itself for her.
Victim of a stroke in September 2022, the 33-year-old French champion has then multiplied the misadventures in recent months. She had to join formation B first
