'Hectic, a complete mess' – Lizzie Deignan relives historic Paris-Roubaix triumph ahead of 2022 edition

Paris-Roubaix Femmes is returning for its second edition, the inaugural race having been held in October last year. Originally slated for April, it was delayed due to the Covid pandemic but in 2022, returns to its intended slot on the calendar. All of which means that not quite six months have passed since Lizzie Deignan won for Trek-Segafredo, with an audacious solo attack that delighted purists in its bravery, the English rider coming home bloodied and bruised to take home the fabled cobble stone trophy.

Ad/> Deignan won’t be on the start line to defend her crown in April, sitting out this season after announcing she was expecting her second child. But she did share a few thoughts on her victory, and whether we’ll see a similar solo attack this time around. Tour de France'It has everything' – Van Vleuten buzzing for 'milestone' Tour de France Femmes29 MINUTES AGO “You knew that you needed to be up front to avoid the carnage, like at the Tour of Flanders, but actually a tactic like mine was an interesting one,” she tells Eurosport.

“There will be more people looking to open the race earlier and go solo earlier again, because it’s the safest place to be in those conditions.” The race last year was held in the dry, but overnight rain had left the roads and especially the pave sections of cobblestones slick, greasy and muddy. Conditions were treacherous to say the least, with it easy to see why the men’s edition has been nicknamed the Hell of the North for so long. Deignan’s victory came against the odds, as she wasn’t the team leader on the day.