Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have turned to an old-school tubular-era hack for Paris-Roubaix, coating the sidewalls of their Specialized Turbo Cotton tyres with liquid urethane. Subtly hidden on the teams racks, we spotted the sidewalls glistening with the gloopy substance. Initially unwilling to confirm what was going on, mechanics later confirmed it was indeed liquid urethane applied to the sidewalls though they didnt elaborate as to why theyd done it. Read more: The 4 Paris-Roubaix tyre tech trends you need to know about whats in, whats out, and whats controversial The team didn't elaborate as to why they've coated the tyres. The technique dates back to the tubular era, particularly in cyclocross racing, where it was used to prevent water ingress and protect delicate cotton casings from rot. Thats unlikely to be a primary concern in Roubaixs dry conditions. We expect its more likely being used to add a small amount of protection against the rough pav, and potentially reduce the chances of sealant seeping through the sidewalls. Other teams have turned to similar hacks to improve the resilience of their tyres. Notably, Visma-Lease a Bike has glued the beads of its tyres to their rims to help them seal in the event of a tyre burping. Specialized has been contacted for comment.

Brutal race marred by punctures and mechanicals for all the big favourites ends with Wout van Aert finally winning the Hell of the North

Wout Van Aert has won the 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix, his second ever monument win, but his first one in the cobbled classics. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike had a years-long pursuit of Paris-Roubaix, a race where he's been very unlucky in the past, but where he managed to beat Tadej Pogacar, Math...

Enviable protection from the worst that winter can throw at you

ParisRoubaix 2026 brought an end to one of the most impressive streaks of recent years. Mathieu van der Poel, winner of the previous three editions, could become the first rider to ever win the Hell of the North on four consecutive occasions. He showed he had the legs for it, however a double punct...

Paris-Roubaix is not usually a race where by the end there are a lot of smiling faces, but instead exhausted expressions and a lot of dust-covered faces. Within the spectrum of emotions felt at the old velodrome is also disappointment for some, including Mads Pedersen who missed out on the final pod...

Wout van Aert finally secured the victory that has evaded him for nearly a decade by winning the 2026 Paris-Roubaix ahead of Tadej Pogaar and, in doing so, set a new record for the fastest edition of the race in history (48.91kph). Van Aert outsprinted Pogaar in the Roubaix velodrome to end Pogaar's quest to win all five of cyclings Monuments in a single season. Pogaar arrived at Paris-Roubaix having already won Milan-San Remo in March and last weekends Tour of Flanders. Belgian one-day star Van Aert has twice finished on the podium at Paris-Roubaix finishing second in 2022 and third in 2023. This time around, however, it was the 31-year-old on the top step of the podium, riding the 258.3km course at a remarkable average speed of 48.91kph (30.39mph). Read more from Paris-Roubaix 2026 The 4 Paris-Roubaix tyre tech trends you need to know about Van der Poel's Arenberg disaster likely confirms Shimano's unreleased pedals use new cleats Watch out, Pogaar the UCI has a new tyre checking tool Thats more than one kilometre per hour faster than the previous record of 47.80kph (29.70mph) set by Mathieu van der Poel in 2024. The rapid advancement of aerodynamic know-how and the all-round improvement in bike tech, alongside the latest sports science, has contributed to modern-day cyclists riding fastest than ever, with van Aert also assisted by a tailwind through much of this years race. See all of BikeRadar'sParis-Roubaix 2026 coverage 10 fastest editions of Paris-Roubaix Wout van Aert 48.91kph (30.39mph) 2026 Mathieu van der Poel 47.80kph (29.70 mph) 2024 Mathieu van der Poel 46.92kph (29.16 mph) 2025 Mathieu van der Poel 46.84kph (29.11 mph) 2023 Dylan van Baarle 45.79kph (28.45 mph) 2022 Greg Van Avermaet 45.20kph (28.09 mph) 2017 Peter Post (NED) 45.13kph (28.04 mph) 1964 Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 44.19kph (27.46 mph) 2013 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) 43.99kph (27.33 mph) 1948 Mathew Hayman (AUS) 43.91kph (27.28 mph) 2016 Wout van Aert outsprinted Tadej Pogaar in the famous Roubaix velodrome. Getty Images

FDJ United-Suez win their second successive Monument, with two Visma-Lease a Bike riders rounding out the podium.

After winning the women's Tour of Flanders, FDJ United - Suez has managed to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes with a stellar performance from Franziska Koch. The German national champion managed to take the victory despite being outnumbered by Visma's Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prvot. The race was f...

There was no doubt that FDJ - Suez were already a top team heading into 2026, however they might have taken over the top position in the women's cycling world. After Demi Vollering superb spring campaign which culminated with the victory on the Tour of Flander's, the French team's Franziska Koch has...