Launched in 1896 by two Roubaix textile manufacturers, Theo Vienne and Maurice Perez, Paris-Roubaix stands out as one of cycling's premiere events, a race both unique and unflinching in its philosophy. Riders and bikes find their resilience tested to the extreme, on roads where feats of legend are bound to crop up. The famed cobblestones of the hellish north are challenging in their own right, much as the towering mountain passes of the Tour de France. This test of resilience in no way rules out raw velocity - Dutchman Peter Post's record 45,129 km/h has stood since 1964.

Throughout the years, Paris-Roubaix's itinerary has gone through changes
With roads being renovated and the cobblestones progressively replaced, race organizers have had to seek for new stretches of no man's land. The race has shifted east, towards the town of Valenciennes. But this Classic of Classics has remained true to its original style and spirit. It retains strategical bottlenecks where the race can be as easily won or lost - Doullens Hill, Arras, Carvin and the legendary Wattignies bend, were the pivotal stretches of yesteryear; in their place we now find the Wallers-Arenberg Trench, Mons-en-Pévèle and the famed Tree-Crossing.

Such a treacherous course meets with mixed feelings
There are those who maintain that it is just what cycling requires. However, top-notch riders always manage to get the better of the dreaded coblestones. As the names of past winners clearly shows, with its succession of great names of the sport, and notably Maurice Garin, André Leducq, Rik van Steenbergen, Fausto Coppi, Louison Bobet, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault.

For many years, Paris-Roubaix set the stage for a Franco-Belgian showdown
Belgium holds the upper hand, having won 47 times to France's 30. Jules Rossi's victory in 1937, and to a greater extents Coppi's in 1950 opened the way for Italian riders whose exploits have continued in recent decades, with the likes of Francesco Moser, Franco Ballerini and Andrea Tafi. Nonetheless, four-time winner Roger de Vlaeminck perfectly embodies the superiority of Belgian riders - he stands alone amongst past winners, having done better than Lapize, Rebry, van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Francesco Moser, each having won the race three times.

Notwithstanding what are often gruelling conditions, with wind, rain and mud, he who captures Paris-Roubaix is sure to gain his place on the sunny side of the street.