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those who love Roubaix and have never surrendered to it: John Degenkolb, Jasper Stuyven and Oliver Naesen have never withdrawn from the Queen of Classics, and the same applies to Margaux Vigié and Chiara Consonni, who have raced and completed the first four editions of Paris-Roubaix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.

Chiara Consonni certainly doesn't inspire hellish visions. The young cyclist from Bergamo has an exuberant character that fuels bursts of joy punctuated by her laughter, even when facing the hardships of Paris-Roubaix, the race of her dreams.

Known for her lively and versatile personality, Chiara is also a tough cyclist who knows how to dive headfirst into the Hell of the North. Where neither falls nor punctures have dampened her enthusiasm. Consonni is one of the few athletes to have completed all editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, achieving a top-10 placement in 2023 (9th). But she has much bigger dreams...

PREPARATION: "EVERY SECTION IS CRUCIAL"
After ranking in the top-30 of the first four editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, Chiara Consonni is far from a newcomer. Yet "we always try to do many reconnaissance rides," says the Italian cyclist, who rode on the pavé of Nord-Pas-de-Calais last week with her Canyon//Sram zondacrypto.

"Paris-Roubaix comes at the end of the Northern Classics campaign, so we have an entire season to adapt the equipment and do specific reconnaissance while we're in the vicinity".

Reconnaissance that not only revives pavé sensations but increases athletes' confidence for one of the most stressful days of the season and above all leads to essential mechanical choices: "Being able to accumulate a lot of data, do various tests on tire pressure, on how to adapt to the weather conditions that will be on race day: all this is fundamental. For example, last year we had the option to use a single chainring, but I didn't want to and chose the double front chainring".

As a sprinter, Chiara places great emphasis on being ready to battle in the finale: "The most important thing for me is definitely balancing tire pressure because there are many pavé sectors, but the finish on the velodrome is pure sprint".

THE PAVÉ: "THE CHALLENGE IS NOT LOSING MOMENTUM"
It can hardly be said that someone "knows" the stones of the North and how to tame them. They can be very different from one place to another, to begin with. "Before Roubaix, I had already done great classics like Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem, so I was a bit used to it, but Roubaix's pavé is even more difficult than Belgium's. There's much more space between one stone and another, so the challenge is not losing speed and momentum".

And then, the same cobblestones can present drastically different challenges on two separate days, as she learned in 2021. "The first time I rode on Paris-Roubaix's pavé was two months before the first edition. We did a reconnaissance with Valcar, the weather was nice... And then it was terrible on race day! It rained from kilometer zero to the end, and it was very different trying to control the bike and stay balanced on the pavé. But the truth is, I had a lot of fun".

Over the years, Consonni has developed her own relationship with Roubaix's pavé and especially with one sector, which she considers the most beautiful and most challenging: "The Carrefour de l'Arbre is probably the one that excites me the most. It's where the race is made, where the strongest try to break away. But I remember exploding there in the second edition. I probably lacked experience and didn't eat enough during the race. In the last sector, the lights went out, and I felt terrible until the finish line".

MENTALITY: "DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES"
However well-known the race may be, Paris-Roubaix retains a great degree of irrationality that Consonni fully embraces: "It's the race of my dreams... Because it's crazy, just like me! Paris-Roubaix gives me dreams and nightmares. Mentally and emotionally, I'm very involved in this race. Before the start, I feel that extra motivation, that desire to push myself beyond my limits, up to giving 110%".

And further: "At the beginning, I was a bit scared; it's not an easy race: there are no climbs, but it's worse than a mountain stage of the Tour de France. And I also remember the emotion of my first Roubaix: I was enthusiastic, I wanted to enjoy the experience and have fun, and I succeeded".

While being committed to giving her best, Consonni also puts things into perspective, professing a wisdom inspired by her contrasting experiences in Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift: "You have to approach the race knowing that the best doesn't necessarily win in a race like this: that's important. This is my mentality before the start, and then... whatever happens, happens. I think it's a race where you need luck on your side to avoid punctures and falls. Even in the finale, I believe luck is more important than having the best legs".

WITHDRAWAL: "I CONTINUED BECAUSE IT'S ROUBAIX"
"Never, never!" Chiara can't imagine withdrawing from Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, a race she is "proud" to have always completed despite the many pitfalls that affect everyone at all levels of the race. Last year's was one of the most difficult races for me. Having already experienced the first three editions, I really wanted to do well. I came back with the right mentality, but I punctured twice, fell once, and found myself chasing the group from the first sector. I was always behind, never able to stay with the first group. I had lost the chance to do something good, but I never gave up and still managed to complete a difficult race. And for me, it was even more reason to say: "I must do it next year, I must be stronger and even more motivated to be able to stand on the podium".

And she adds: "I continued only because it's Roubaix", she assures. Broken bones might be the only thing that would stop her... Perhaps. In 2018, she participated for the first time in another event dear to her, the Giro d'Italia, and finished stage 5 with a broken elbow before being transported to the Omegna hospital. That time she had no choice but to withdraw, "a bit battered but always with a smile", as she said.

THE EXTRA: "I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING I'LL BE REMEMBERED FOR"
Listening to Chiara Consonni, it seems almost natural that Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift has become the source of her most unbridled cycling dreams. "I especially remember the first edition. It was 2021, and seeing Sonny Colbrelli win made me think that one day I could be up there too and try to do something I'll be remembered for. And, I confess, I like the stone that the winner receives".

From the start to the showers of Roubaix, the Italian sprinter fully embraces the tradition of the Hell of the North and naturally feels at home at the finish line: "It's very emotional to enter the velodrome, especially for me who loves racing on the track. Finishing my four Roubaix in this velodrome made it even more moving and special".

THE PROFILE
Chiara Consonni (Canyon//Sram zondacrypto)
Born on June 24, 1999 in Ponte San Pietro (Bergamo)
Teams: Valcar PBM / Valcar Cylance / Valcar-Travel & Service (2018-2022) / UAE Team ADQ (2023-2024) / Canyon//Sram zondacrypto (from 2025)

Main Victories:
    3 stages of the Giro d'Italia Femminile
    Dwars door Vlaanderen 2022
    Tour of Chongming Island 2023

Paris-Roubaix Results:
2021: 30th
2022: 25th
2023: 9th
2024: 30th

Curiosity: Coming from a family of cyclists, Chiara Consonni has shown her talent from a very young age, on the road (becoming a professional at 18) and on the track, a discipline that saw her win European and world honors up to the title won at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the madison with Vittoria Guazzini.