Paris-Roubaix is a race for specialists, perhaps the most untameable of the classics and certainly the one that requires the most severe physical and technical requirements. Its cruelty and harshness frighten some, but inspire many others, who make it the highlight of their season. And there are those who love Roubaix and have never surrendered to it: John Degenkolb, Jasper Stuyven and Oliver Naesen have never withdrawn from the Queen of Classics, and the same applies to Margaux Vigié and Chiara Consonni, who have raced and completed the first four editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. We met them to understand the details of their preparation, the technique that allows them to pedal on the pavé, their little tricks and also the mental aspect of this challenge, which they have mastered better than others.

Margaux Vigié had her first taste of pavé in 2018, long before the inaugural edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. But also long before dedicating herself to road cycling and then becoming a professional in 2020.

"I was visiting my little sister, who was studying in Lille," recalls the 29-year-old cyclist from Toulouse. She rode the last 20 kilometers of the legendary monument in northern France on her fixed-gear bicycle, which she used to race at the time.

"And even then, I took the wrong road! I just wanted to see what it was about. Everyone kept talking to me about the cobblestones of the North. I remember feeling happy afterwards... But, above all, I remember how everything was shaking!"

Seven years later, having become an established cyclist with Visma-Lease a Bike, the French rider is one of only eleven active cyclists to have completed all four editions of the race so far. Nevertheless, she does not consider herself a specialist "because my best result was fourteenth (in 2023 she was in the group of favorites that crossed the finish line 12 seconds behind the winner, Canadian Alison Jackson). Nothing exciting! But I like pedaling on these cobblestones. I can do it, at least!"

PREPARATION: "I TRUST THE STAFF 100%"
More than anywhere else, one factor is fundamental in Paris-Roubaix: tire pressure. It's essential to find the right point where cyclists are "comfortable on the cobblestones but not bogged down on asphalt, because in this race there's everything. You must find the right pressure to be able to recover whenever needed".

Reconnaissance rides are crucial to achieve this result. "We do the first one already in December, but that's just to refresh our memory. Then, we arrive three days before the race. The last small reconnaissance is on Thursday, while on Friday (we recall the women's race is on Saturday, April 12th, ed.) we simply take a little ride around the hotel". During a reconnaissance, it's important to keep an eye on the stone condition: "We now know every sector and know which will always remain wet. We check the sectors and see which have been re-asphalted because sometimes they do last-minute repairs. We stop, pump, deflate, rinse, and repeat. If we know a specific sector is always quite wet, we might decide to ride it multiple times just to test different pressures".

As expected, the final decision on race day "depends on the weather". Margaux leaves the last word to the mechanics: "I completely trust them! The same goes for the sports directors: I can trust Jan Boven 100%. He has so much experience with the guys (the former Rabobank rider went directly into the DS role after retiring in 2009 and has been working with the women's team since last season, ed.). When it comes to equipment, they really know their stuff. Racing with this team gives you that extra level of equipment security. And also a sense of calm, because you know exactly which sectors require maximum concentration and where you can allow yourself to breathe a bit".

Margaux does not hide her preferences when talking about cobblestones: "The central stones tend to be the smoothest, except at Carrefour de l'Arbre. If the sides are a bit wet, you have no idea what's hiding under the water. It's a really big gamble. The sides are better than the center, but for safety, the center is a winning choice!"

Dry or wet, it makes no difference to her: "But that time when Mons-en-Pévèle was completely soaked, I really liked it because it was truly technical. Let's just say that in dry conditions, you can still play a bit with the pavé surfaces. But when it's wet, you have to think twice! And selection happens much earlier".

Mons-en-Pévèle is her favorite sector. "Unlike most people, I love it! That big acceleration in the middle is brutal! There is one sector, however, that I can't stand. The one in the forest, along the highway, between Beuvry and Orchies! It's not even that long, but I think those cobblestones are simply horrible. And the edges of the stones are completely eaten away, just like in the Gruson sector. And in the forest, you can't even see them well!"

THE MENTAL ASPECT: "LIKE A VIDEO GAME"
Margaux confesses she gathered advice from her legendary teammate Marianne Vos, who was second in 2021 and fourth last year: "Tackle one sector at a time. Of course, you need to have studied the finale, but you should never think about it during the race. There are other things to focus on first. It's like a video game. You have to pass each level before reaching the final one!"

The first level of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift is a 60-kilometer stretch before facing the first sector. "The start has become even more frantic since the breakaway that went with Alison Jackson in 2023. No one managed to escape last year. The group now closes down every move because you never know where a breakaway might come from".

Approaching Paris-Roubaix, Vigié commits to staying calm. "I realized that I stress myself if I consider these races as a big problem. I tell myself it's just a normal day, a normal training ride, except that there happens to be a lot of people on the road!"

Music is her escape, a way to shut everything out and arrive at the starting line "as rested as possible": "I listen to everything, my playlists are totally eclectic! I have wellness tracks to get positive vibes, advice I received from Marianne since we shared a room for a long time. But I reserve techno for when I'm on the bus, right before the race!"

FALLS AND ISSUES
"Don't tell anyone, but at Roubaix I've never had a puncture!"

What's her secret?
"Good question! I have no idea. I'm just nice to the cobblestones, I glide over them", she chuckles.

She has fallen only once in the Hell of the North, during a reconnaissance last year, at the last corner of Carrefour de l'Arbre, near the restaurant where she had celebrated her sister's graduation a few weeks earlier. "I wasn't feeling great, I was struggling on the pavé, fighting too much against the stones. And when you start losing speed... I lost the rear wheel and ended up straight in a potato field! I didn't hurt myself, though. It was more of a roll through grass and mud!"

Apart from this, there was a time when "I found the race painfully long, when I finished 71st. I was racing for Valcar, Silvia Persico fell in that sector I hate, under the trees. I didn't know whether to wait or not, then our DS Davide Arzeni told me to go. I found myself alone, in the wind, wondering what the hell I was doing there!"

Her face lights up again as another memory comes to mind: "It was the first edition. I was behind, in pursuit, and I saw Vittoria Guazzini, then my teammate, on the uphill section of Mons-en-Pévèle. Keep in mind she's very Italian, super relaxed but quick to ignite. I asked her how she was doing and she looked at me, completely fed up, resigned, and said: 'All good! Go, go, go!' Go ahead, recovery coming soon!", she yelled at me. Only later did I discover she had broken her ankle!"

THE EXTRA: "UNIQUE TEAM, YELLOW WAS EVERYWHERE"
One thing struck her last year, during her first participation in the race with Visma-Lease a Bike colors: "There was yellow everywhere! I saw at least two or three people in our team uniform at the exit of each sector".

Since then, she has discovered the mystery behind the yellow-clad guardian angels, which she estimated to be about twenty. "They turned out to be administrative staff, all cycling fanatics, who volunteer to lend a hand on race weekends when the team needs it! We have a philosophy called Blanco Course. It was created when Jumbo and Lotto took control in 2015 to rebuild the team from scratch after some difficult years. There are six fundamental pillars and, as part of this approach, administrative staff are encouraged to participate and help. It includes the finance team and people who book our flights, as well as those who manage logistics and events. I understood who they were when chatting with one of the finance guys. He told me: 'Hey, see you at the Tour of Flanders, I'll be there to help you!'. It's brilliant! It gives you a real sense of security knowing that all these yellow people are there in case something goes mechanically wrong.

THE PROFILE
Margaux Vigié (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Born in Plaisance-du-Touch (Haute-Garonne, France) on July 21, 1995
Teams: Valcar-Travel & Service (2020-2022), Lifeplus-Wahoo (2023) and Visma-Lease a Bike (from 2024)

Main Results:
2022: 4th in French Championship
2023: 7th at Le Samyn des Dames, 12th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 13th at Nokere Koerse, 16th at Dwars door Vlaanderen and 20th at Tour of Flanders

2024: 8th in Princess Anna Vasa Tour
2025: 12th in Ixina GP Oetingen p/b Lotto and 17th in Danilith Nokere Koerse

At Roubaix:
    2021: 51st
    2022: 71st
    2023: 14th
    2024: 35th

Curiosity: Lives in Girona, Catalonia, and speaks fluent English, Italian, and Spanish. Since joining Visma-Lease a Bike last season, she has started learning a fifth language, Dutch. "I'm getting the hang of it. Now I can follow conversations better and feel more included!"