The legendary sectors of the North and Flanders: impossible to escape unscathed
At the risk of disappointing you, it is impossible to choose.
Paris-Roubaix awards stars to rank its sectors; Belgium relies solely on the reputation of its own. But spectators are never wrong: the more people lining the road, the greater the stakes—and that’s often where you need to be.
Here’s a quick overview of the sections that make legs tremble and hearts race.
Paris-Roubaix
Arenberg
98 km from the finish, 2.3 km and 5 stars. On a slight false flat descent, it’s the most broken-up sector of all. 📍 View the segment on Strava
Mons-en-Pévèle
50 km from the finish, this 5-star sector is probably the most underestimated. Yet its 3 km on a slight false flat climb, punctuated by two right-angle turns (as sharp as the edges of the cobbles), leave their mark. And the false flat climb that follows the sector might just make you regret ever getting on a bike. 📍 View the segment on Strava
Camphin-en-Pévèle / Carrefour de l’Arbre
Less than 20 km from the finish, the combination of these two sectors (1.8 km then 2.1 km) is formidable. They finish off whatever muscles you have left. With what little clarity remains, you’ll just barely avoid the roadside… and a fatal puncture. 📍 Carrefour de l’Arbre on Strava
Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen)
The Koppenberg
It is a true bogeyman. Only 600 meters, but with a maximum gradient of 22%. Putting a foot down means accepting you won’t get back on the bike. 📍 View the segment on Strava
The Kwaremont
Rideable, at first glance: 2.2 km at 4% average. But after three passes in the same day, we’ll be curious to hear your opinion on the matter. 📍 Oude Kwaremont + Paterberg on Strava
The Paterberg
An oddity. Last climb of the race, 400 meters straight up at 13% average, with a finish at 20%. Two gutters run along the cobbles on each side, but true Flandrians go up the middle—the others leave their reputation there. 📍 View the segment on Strava
The Mur de Grammont (Muur van Geraardsbergen)
Personally, this is the one that’s always stressed me out the most. You see it coming from very far away, like a monument standing against you. Only 1.1 km at 9% average, but you never see the end of it, as the gradient steepens to finish at 20% on cobbles ravaged by time. The Notre-Dame chapel at the summit is undoubtedly the iconic image of the Tour of Flanders. Ask Tom Boonen, who watched a certain Fabian Cancellara fly away on these slopes in 2010. 📍 View the segment on Strava
Ghent-Wevelgem
The Kemmelberg
A kind of destination for all the weekend warriors living in the region. A few vineyards on the slopes of Monte Berg as an appetizer, then a left turn: a wall of cobblestones to the summit. Average gradient of 4.5%, maximum of 23%. That says it all. 📍 View the segment on Strava
Are you still up for joining us? I’m certain the answer is a big YES. So head to www.lastcobble.com. We’ll take care of the rest.