Thanks to a combination of historical resonance, unpredictable conditions, and aggressive racing, Paris-Roubaix Femmes has rapidly cemented its place as one of the most compelling one-day races in women’s cycling. First proposed for 2020 before being postponed due to the pandemic, the inaugural edition in 2021 immediately delivered the kind of drama and iconic imagery associated with its men’s counterpart.
Lizzie Deignan etched her name into the history books with a commanding solo effort, attacking early and navigating the mud-slicked cobbles with total commitment. Behind her, the race disintegrated, with crashes and mechanicals wreaking havoc across the field, but none could match Deignan’s daring gamble. A year later, Elisa Longo Borghini followed in her teammate’s footsteps with a similarly long-range attack. Jumping away from the lead group with 38km remaining, she quickly established a meaningful gap and powered all the way to the velodrome alone, unchallenged. That 2022 edition didn’t produce the close-quarters sprint finish that many associate with the men’s race, but it did reinforce that solo moves could still stick at Roubaix—even in dry conditions.
Then in 2023, the race delivered its most unpredictable outcome yet. Alison Jackson emerged victorious from a chaotic breakaway, the remnants of an early move that somehow held off the favourites. On a redesigned course that included a longer southern loop before hitting the first cobbled sectors, the race encouraged earlier action—and got it. Jackson’s win was one of the most surprising in modern classics racing, a reminder that Roubaix can reward daring, luck, and positioning in equal measure.
By 2024, the script reverted to something more expected, though no less thrilling. Lotte Kopecky finally took the victory many expected from her, outsprinting Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos from a lead group of six inside the velodrome. After years of near-misses and tactical experiments, the Belgian delivered the perfect mix of patience and punch to win it from the front group. Her victory came in a dry edition that hinted at the kind of fast, attritional racing we might expect again in 2025.
This year’s race is set up perfectly for speed. The weather forecast points to warm temperatures—around 23°C—and a helpful southerly tailwind for most of the pavé sectors. With almost no rain in the days leading up to the race, the cobbles are expected to be dry and dusty. These conditions should produce fewer crashes, a faster average speed, and a strong likelihood of a larger group reaching the velodrome together—shifting the advantage back toward the sprinters. In a race that has already delivered long solos, breakaway drama, and group sprints, 2025 could be one of the fastest and most tightly contested editions yet.
Previous Winners
2024
Lotte Kopecky
2023
Alison Jackson
2022
Elisa Longo Borghini
2025 Paris Roubaix Femmes Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Saturday 12th April 2025
Live on Discovery+/Max/TNT Sports Online across most of Europe
Live from 13:00-17:00
All times in BST
Twitter: #ParisRoubaixFemmes
Startlist: FirstCycling
Paris Roubaix Femmes 2025 Contenders
Lotte Kopecky finally conquered Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2024, winning from a small group to cap a campaign that had seen her go close but not quite deliver in previous editions—2nd in 2022 and 7th behind the winning break in 2023. She arrives in 2025 as the Tour of Flanders champion after silencing early-season doubts with that win and a strong 2nd at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Whether she leads or shares the load, SD Worx can count on a rider who understands this race and knows how to win it. Lorena Wiebes is the wildcard from within her own team. She was 7th last year after making the front group, and in a fast edition like this one, she could be impossible to beat if she reaches the velodrome with the leaders. Her 2025 has already delivered 7 wins, including Gent-Wevelgem, Classic Brugge-De Panne, and Sanremo Women—all from bunch sprints. She now has 100 career victories and remains the peloton’s most reliable finisher. If she’s still there at the end, this race is hers to lose.
Lidl–Trek bring the deepest roster in the race, with five riders who have already finished in the top 10 here. Elisa Balsamo was 2nd last year, a huge improvement on her previous visits that included a disqualification in 2022 for holding onto a team car too long. She comes in hot, having just won Scheldeprijs, and remains the most consistent threat to Wiebes in a drag race to the line. She’s also already taken four wins in 2025. Ellen van Dijk, 6th last year and 7th in 2022, has looked increasingly comfortable on the cobbles this spring and placed 8th at Flanders. Her engine makes her ideal for long solo efforts or bringing the race back together. Lucinda Brand was 3rd in 2022, 12th in 2023, and will again play a key support role with the ability to launch or chase late moves. Emma Norsgaard has top finishes from 2021 and 2022 (6th and 11th, respectively), and Lizzie Deignan, the inaugural winner in 2021, returns in a support role this time around. Expect Lidl–Trek to be everywhere.
For Visma–Lease a Bike, Marianne Vos remains a leading contender and a sentimental favourite. Second in the inaugural edition, 4th last year, and 10th in 2023, she has come agonisingly close to adding Roubaix to her legendary palmarès. After illness forced her to skip Dwars door Vlaanderen and finish 40th at Flanders, she’ll be hoping earlier signs of strong form—2nd at Sanremo Women and 4th at Binda—prove more representative of what’s to come. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot makes her debut but showed she’s in exceptional form with 2nd at the Tour of Flanders last weekend. She’ll work with Vos and defer to her in the finale if needed, leading out for the sprint like at Sanremo Women.
At Team Picnic–PostNL, Pfeiffer Georgi looks the likeliest to deliver a major result, but her form in 2025 has been inconsistent. A brilliant 3rd last year and two further top-10s in earlier editions (8th in 2023, 9th in 2022) show she has the engine and race IQ to excel here. But this year’s best result is just 7th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and she was relegated from 5th to 16th at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. A low-key 23rd at Flanders hasn’t helped her momentum either. If she finds her best legs, Georgi is still a podium threat. Charlotte Kool, despite her top-end speed, has never featured at Roubaix—63rd in previous appearances—and would need a massive leap in endurance to contend. Franziska Koch, however, was 7th in 2021 and looks set to be the key support rider again.
Chiara Consonni leads the charge for Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, though her history at Paris-Roubaix Femmes has been mixed. She was 9th in 2023, but her other appearances have seen her finish well down in the 20s and 30s. That said, she’s been one of the most in-form sprinters this spring—2nd at Classic Brugge-De Panne, 3rd at Scheldeprijs, and 5th at Gent-Wevelgem. If she makes it through the cobbles in touch, she’ll be a dangerous name for the velodrome. More eyes, though, may be on Zoe Backstedt, whose family history with this race brings its own storyline. She was 16th last year and has shown both aggression and strength throughout 2025, most recently as part of the long-range move at Scheldeprijs. Expect her to attack, but not necessarily wait for a sprint. Chloe Dygert, meanwhile, makes her Paris-Roubaix debut. The American has the raw power to dominate sections of the course—especially on the cobbles—and the velodrome finish plays to her strengths. Her 6th place at Sanremo Women shows she can finish fast, but handling and positioning will be key challenges on a course this brutal.
Puck Pieterse will make her long-awaited debut at Paris-Roubaix Femmes for Fenix–Deceuninck, and she arrives with a flawless run of top-10s so far in 2025. Her best result was 2nd at the Trofeo Oro in Euro, and her strength across terrain and technical skillset should translate well here. The only question is whether the sprint-heavy outcome forecast for this year suits her—she’s been getting close but hasn’t yet found the winning formula on the road. Marthe Truyen, 3rd from the break in 2023 and 20th last year, remains a reliable option. Her form this spring includes 5th at Omloop van het Hageland and 12th at both Scheldeprijs and Classic Brugge-De Panne. She’s proven she can make a winning move stick and knows how to survive a hard race.
FDJ-Suez are always strong across the cobbles and have a number of riders who know this race well. Elise Chabbey, 4th in 2022 and 11th last year, hit the deck at Flanders, injuring her elbow but still finishing 7th. That fall could have disrupted her Roubaix prep, but she remains one of the team’s best bets if fit. Amber Kraak also crashed at Flanders and may not be at full strength, though she was 5th here last year and 8th at Le Samyn earlier in the spring. Marie Le Net, 9th in 2024, and Eugénie Duval, 4th in 2023, give FDJ plenty of options, though both are likely to ride in support unless a race situation opens up. Vittoria Guazzini returns to the race for the first time since her injury-hit recon in 2023, which saw her fracture her pelvis. She also DNFed in 2021, breaking her ankle in the process – a regular finish would be a small win for the Italian.
UAE Team ADQ will be without Elisa Longo Borghini after her concussion at Flanders—a major blow to their chances. That opens the door for Lara Gillespie, who is having a breakout classics campaign. She hasn’t raced Paris-Roubaix before, but a string of strong rides—top-10s at Gent-Wevelgem, Classic Brugge-De Panne, Le Samyn, and Omloop van het Hageland—show she’s adapted quickly to elite one-day racing. This will be a step up in difficulty, but her form makes her worth watching.
Floortje Mackaij once looked like a natural fit for Paris-Roubaix Femmes and delivered on that promise with 6th place in 2022. Since then, her results have been more muted, and 9th at GP Oetingen stands as her best performance so far in 2025. Still, her experience and knowledge of this style of racing will make her a steady presence for Movistar. The spotlight, though, may well fall on Cat Ferguson, who combines a cyclocross background with a strong finish. She’s cooled slightly after a brilliant 3rd at Trofeo Alfredo Binda but has the tools to do well here—especially if the race turns attritional and rewards bike handling and tenacity over raw speed.
Liv AlUla Jayco face a tough task on terrain that hasn’t suited them in previous years. There’s no obvious leader, but Quinty Ton has put together a consistent spring and could step up. She was 7th at GP Oetingen and has racked up solid mid-pack finishes at top-level races like Brugge-De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem, and Flanders. This will be her first appearance at Roubaix, but if she handles the cobbles well, she could surprise with a result in the 10–20 range.
EF Education-Oatly return with defending champion Alison Jackson, who dramatically won the 2023 edition from the early break. It feels like a stretch to expect a repeat, but her flat power and timing still make her a threat in the right scenario. Her 18th at Flanders was a solid ride and shows she’s in good enough shape to contest. The team’s more intriguing card, though, may be Letizia Borghesi. She was 13th last year and has been quietly impressive all spring, with 6th at Flanders her standout ride of 2025. She’s been knocking on the door of a big result and could be the team’s best hope if the race comes back together late.
Victoire Berteau is Cofidis’s best hope for a strong finish, and she has the Roubaix credentials after placing 8th here last year. That result came from a smart ride that saw her in the mix late on, though with the 2025 edition shaping up to end in a sprint, repeating that feat will be more difficult. Her 2025 season has been steady rather than spectacular, with low-end top-10s, including 8th at Nokere Koerse and GP Oetingen. Marion Borras, who was an unexpected 5th in 2023 after getting into the break and hanging on to the finish, hasn’t shown the same spark this year. Her best result so far is 30th at the Vuelta CV Feminas. She’ll need to find that same opportunistic energy to make an impact again.
Katia Ragusa gave Human Powered Health a shock result in 2023 with 2nd place behind Alison Jackson, coming from the early move and surviving to the velodrome. Repeating that would take a similar stroke of fortune—her best result in 2025 so far is 19th on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under. Lily Williams could be the more realistic finisher this time. While she was only 45th last year, her 7th at Gent-Wevelgem proves she has the speed and strength to compete in a sprint if she makes it to Roubaix with the leaders.
AG Insurance–Soudal are missing two key riders in Kim Le Court and Ilse Pluimers, both skipping the race to focus on later goals. That leaves the team light on depth but not without options. Nicole Steigenga has been a standout in recent weeks—7th at Nokere Koerse and the last breakaway rider to be caught at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. She raced Roubaix once before in 2021, finishing 48th, but her current form makes her a threat if a move goes. Gladys Verhulst-Wild offers a more complete option for a sprint finish, having placed 12th last year. She was 9th at Gent-Wevelgem and 4th at Le Samyn this spring, showing she’s more than capable of finishing the job if she’s in the lead group entering the velodrome.
Paris Roubaix Femmes 2025 Outsiders
Scarlett Souren of VolkerWessels was outside the time limit in 2023 but improved to 52nd in 2024. She’s found success this spring with a win at the Midwest Cycling Classic and might be building toward a better showing here. Her team is in some major form at the moment and will be looking or one of its strongest riders to deliver as best as she can.
St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93’s Lucie Fityus has never raced Roubaix before but was 10th at Scheldeprijs mid-week. Her form and preference for flat races make her a dark horse if the peloton thins out late on. The Aussie has been making front groups deep into races, and if she can stay out of trouble, is a nice outsider option.
Majo van’t Geloof of Arkea–B&B Hotels has Roubaix experience, finishing 13th in the 2021 edition. While her more recent results here are lower down – 57th in 2022 and 60th in 2023 – her 2025 form has been excellent. She’s taken 4th at Gent-Wevelgem and Nokere Koerse and 7th at Le Samyn, putting her right on the fringe of contention in a flatter, more controlled edition like this one.
Team Coop–Repsol’s Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset makes her debut but brings solid recent form, including 11th at Dwars door Vlaanderen and 16th at GP Oetingen. If she handles the cobbles well, she could insert herself into the mix from a break or reduced group.
Vera Tieleman of DD Group Pro Cycling also makes her first appearance and has been steadily improving through the spring. She’s taken 25th at Gent-Wevelgem and 31st at Flanders, often seen attacking or covering breaks. If she lands in the right move, a top-25 isn’t out of reach.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Lorena Wiebes
⦿ Elisa Balsamo
⦿ Marianne Vos
