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Between dust and cobblestones: Roubaix on film
Paris-Roubaix is not like any other race. It is ritual. Struggle. Monument.
For 130 years, the “Queen of the Classics” has embodied the very essence of cycling: hardship, dust, crashes, and relentless determination. Winning here means more than taking a victory and lifting a cobblestone trophy — it means writing history.
Few races convey this raw intensity so directly. The cobbles are unpredictable, every sector a risk, every decision tangible. Perfection is rare — and that is exactly what makes Paris-Roubaix so unique.
This is precisely the character Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe is choosing to tell differently this year.
Raw, not polished: Roubaix on film
Paris-Roubaix 2026
© Maximilian Fries / Red Bull Content Pool
Instead of digital perfection, always-on coverage and short attention spans, we turn to analog photography. Film over sensor. Grain over gloss. Blur, light leaks, imperfections — everything usually filtered out as flaws becomes a deliberate stylistic choice. Because Roubaix is not a place for polish. It is a race defined by fractures — visually and athletically.
Analog photography demands reduction. Every frame matters. No endless shutter bursts, no instant review. Instead: timing, instinct, trust. Just like on the bike. The result is imagery that doesn’t just show, but makes you feel — dust in the air, tension in the moment, emotion at the finish.
From the cobbles to the lab
Laurence Pithie
© Maximilian Fries / Red Bull Content Pool
To fully embrace this approach, we are taking it one step further: right next to the Roubaix velodrome, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe will set up a mobile film development lab. Images are captured along the course — and developed on site. A deliberately slower process in the middle of the toughest race of the spring.
The project is led visually by Max Fries with the WorldTeam and Twila Federica Muzzi with the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies. Both share a sharp eye for atmosphere and visual storytelling. Their approach: get close without staging. Observe rather than interfere. Tell stories without explaining them.
At a time when content is produced and consumed faster than ever, this is a conscious counterpoint. Roubaix deserves more than the next quick clip. It deserves images that last.
Because this race has never been perfect. And that is exactly why it is unforgettable.
