Paris-Roubaix: cobblestones from the legendary Carrefour de l’Arbre were stolen after the race

It is one of the legendary places of Paris-Roubaix, the last really difficult cobbled sector where the winner of the famous classic has been decided many times. Not this Sunday, for the 121st edition, where Mathieu van der Poel arrived almost three minutes ahead of the competition, victory already assured at the entrance to this much-feared Carrefour de l’Arbre.

That didn’t stop some spectators from wanting to mark the occasion in their own way. According to the Friends of Paris-Roubaix, the association which takes care of the year-round maintenance of the roads of Paris-Roubaix and particularly the good health of its cobblestones, some of its pieces of stone were quite simply stolen and were missing Tuesday.

“Cobblestones from Carrefour de l’Arbre were stolen after the race. There was also a lot of trash. It’s ridiculous,” the Friends of Paris-Roubaix wrote on X. In the photo, we can see a hole in the road, where around ten paving stones are missing.

Cobbles from the Carrefour de l’Arbre were stolen after the race. There was also a lot of rubbish. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/g3H9tCCGlJ

— Friends of Paris-Roubaix (@A_ParisRoubaix) April 9, 2024

The behavior of spectators will have been largely in question at this edition of Paris-Roubaix. In addition to the waste and the theft of paving stones, a spectator is also accused of having deliberately thrown her cap in the direction of Mathieu van der Poel’s wheel, while he was alone in the lead. The National Union of Professional Cyclists (UNCP), the union of French riders, announced on Monday that it wanted to file a complaint. According to the Belgian press, the spectator decided to go to the authorities.