Filippo Ganna embodies the Italian dream at Paris-Roubaix: at 29 years old, the Piedmontese rider finally feels ready to cross the Hell of the North. In the heart of spring's greatest cycling season, all eyes are on Pippo, who at his sixth attempt once again challenges the unpredictable allure of the Queen of the Classics to pursue a declared dream: to be a protagonist until the very last meter in the legendary Roubaix velodrome.

The sensations, this time, seem different compared to the past for the track Olympian. "Already at Gand-Wevelgem I had good feelings and at Waregem I put in an impressive performance," Ganna declared, suggesting a condition that's improving at precisely the right moment of the season. Yet, when it comes to this classic, the discussion becomes more complex. "Roubaix is love and hate: you never know how it will end. It's a fantastic race to watch, but painful and hard on the body. Can you really love the pavé? Difficult. I don't think you can truly love Roubaix. As soon as you hit the first stretch of pavé, you hope it's already the last. But you have to face it."

Words that perfectly capture the essence of the "Hell of the North," which offers no certainties and over the years has often rejected even the strongest riders. Ganna himself had already admitted this back in 2025: "Fear of the Hell of the North? None. As for Roubaix, I have to try every time I can. I've never found the right moment, often arriving there somewhat out of form. Who knows, maybe in 2026 the story changes. What I want is to fight until the very last meter in the velodrome. Without fear. The Hell of the North stirs many feelings in me, but fear, never."

A relationship built on respect, more than love. Despite being one of the most anticipated protagonists today, Ganna hasn't always been fascinated by this race. "I started tasting Roubaix in the youth categories, with the National team. Then, as an amateur, with the Colpack team (he won the U23 Roubaix in 2016, ed.). But I didn't really watch it much on television from home, whereas for example Milan-San Remo was a fixed appointment. Then, little by little, the passion grew. On TV, anyway, it's all beautiful. When you actually have to do it, the story changes..."

His account becomes even more raw when TopGanna describes the physical exhaustion: "If you love Roubaix, it means there's some sadism in you. You can't care for a race after which you hurt everywhere in the days that follow. Your hands destroyed, your backside the same." And further: "Your opponent is those stones, starting with the fact that no two are alike. Someone said it's like being in a washing machine, I maintain it's like receiving punches."

Despite everything, the call of history remains irresistible. From the legendary stones to the iconic showers at the velodrome, where a plaque with your name is engraved forever alongside those of the great champions. A thought that sometimes crosses Ganna's mind too: "You know, sometimes I think that... If I won Roubaix once, then I might not race it anymore. But then I also think: what about the satisfaction of showing up at the start the following year with number one?"

A few years ago, he went to visit his idol Francesco Moser at his Villa Warth estate and was mesmerized watching the block of pavé from the Trentino champion (three-time Roubaix winner) displayed in the museum. Today it's his turn to pursue that symbol, aware that Roubaix isn't conquered by strength alone, but also by the ability to coexist with pain. 2026 could truly be the year of the breakthrough. Or yet another chapter in a challenge without certainties. After all, that's precisely the eternal charm of the Queen of the Pavé.