Paris-Roubaix, lost to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and postponed until an oddball October date in 2021, finally returns to its proper April weekend in 2022. From the dust-covered riders to the typical Roubaix velodrome finish, this race is filled with iconic images that make it worth watching. Serious cycling fans have had the date circled on the calendar for months, but even casual watchers recognize the cobbles, the dust, and the signature cobblestone trophy awarded to the winner.
This event challenges riders and equipment alike, as team mechanics swap in specialty wheels, tires, and other gear in an attempt to handle the terrain. Occassionally it works, but broken bikes are still incredibly common, and riders need both fitness and a bit of luck to have a chance to win. Ready to watch?
Paris-Roubaix 2022 Live stream
For readers in the USA, it's time to fire up your Peacock Premium subscription, because NBC still has the Paris-Roubaix streaming rights. You won't find this one on the GCN+ or FloBikes packages.
Amazingly, as of March 6, 2022 Peacock still doesn't have a public cycling calendar of events - but rest assured they do in fact have broadcast rights for races you'll want to watch, including Paris-Roubaix, even though they aren't doing a good job with the marketing side.
Peacock offers month-to-month subscriptions so you can sign up for a short period and then cancel; perhaps after the Spring Classics or at the conclusion of the Tour de France (Peacock has those rights as well.)
History
This is one of the oldest bike races in existence, dating back to the 1800's! Prior to the pandemic, Paris-Roubaix had only stopped for WWI and WWII, and was held every other year.
The 2022 edition starts in the town of Denain before winding its way to the Roubaix velodrome for the distinctive finish.
What about the Paris-Roubaix women?
The first-ever Paris-Roubaix for women (Paris-Roubaix Femmes) took place on the re-scheduled October 2021 race weekend last Fall. Sadly, the TV coverage was sorely lacking - viewers didn't get to see very much except for eventual winner, Lizzie Deignan in time trial mode - the coverage simply started too late in the race to capture the critical decisive moments.
Hopefully 2022 will offer more thorough coverage of the women's race. The events are held on separate days, so the men's racing running concurrently just isn't a good excuse. Zwift, the connected indoor trainer platform, just announced a new sponsorship of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, so hopefully more ad dollars can yield better coverage on the live stream.
When is the 2022 edition?
Paris-Roubaix Femmes is Saturday, April 16, 2022, with Paris-Roubaix Men on Sunday, April 17, 2022.
Paris-Roubaix 2022 favorites - Men
Anything less than making the lead selection at Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders would have to be seen as a disappointment for Wout van Aert, having skipped the second half of the 2021/22 cyclocross season (in which he was dominant!) specifically to prepare for the 2022 road racing season with Jumbo-Visma. He already won the 2022 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in commanding fashion and looked good.
The last winner, Sonny Colbrelli, can never be counted out, while Mathieu van der Poel remains a question mark; out as he recoveries from a back injury and is riding, but not yet racing.
Paris-Roubaix 2022 favorites - Women
Paris-Roubax Femmes only has one winner, Lizzie Deignan, and she won't start, having announced that she'll miss the 2022 season due to pregnancy. Thus, it's wide open and a new winner will be crowned.
Riders to watch? Marianne Vos, who took the most recent cyclocross World Championship, Lotte Kopecky, the 2022 Strade Bianche winner are two who have proven their ability on challenging terrain.