A History Of Hell: Paris-Roubaix With Mitch Docker

The Hell of the North, the queen of the classics, it's Paris-Roubaix! It might be the toughest race on the calendar, and it's one of the oldest! Defined by the iconic cobbles, Mitch Docker has been to uncover its legacy by meeting historian & collector Pascal Sergent, to find out why this race is so special!
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[@gcn]

What other races would it be great to learn the history of? Let us know in the comments! 👇

[@gmccmemberk]

Leadville 100

[@chrisstrider]

Giro❤

[@alanhill7965]

Any race Mitch fancies to be honest he is great

[@gideonmthembu8693]

Milano Sanremo

[@h20s8804]

Why all the monuments of course!

[@cub8556]

This series leading up to the race has been brilliant. Thanks Mitch and GCN

[@gcn]

Great to hear that you enjoyed it so much! What a race it was 🙌 If you fancy more of Mitch and his history deep dives we've got the perfect GCN+ doc for you 👉 gcn.eu/lrbp

[@chrisridesbicycles]

That little boy‘s smile of Mitch when he was riding in the Mapei kit. You could see that a dream came true. 😊

[@gcn]

He did look call 🙌

[@gmccmemberk]

We want more of Mitch!! Brings back memories of those awesome EF Gone Racing videos. Also, fantastic info and insights in this video. Best from Berlin, Germany!

[@johnbouttell5827]

Dear GCN team, I loved listening to historian & collector Pascal Sergent. Please make a video about all his books and trophies. He seems to be a National Treasure. Best wishes, John. PS Is there anyone in the UK with a Pascal-Sergent-type collection?

[@gibsona01]

I would happily watch this!

[@swaffelkonijn5166]

What a treasure Mitch is. GCN, give that man a permanent contract.

[@gcn]

Mitch has done some great GCN+ docs for us! 👉 gcn.eu/lrbp

[@DonnyDonnMendoza]

I never thought Mitch would ever bring up the 2016 Paris-Roubaix. That was a great edition for his team but also so traumatic for him personally.

[@SaltyChip]

Ignoring something like that is more harmful in the long run then dealing with it and accepting it and hopefully taking something positive out of it. Todays kids will be in for a rude awakening when they find that out.

[@lesflynn4455]

I saw the footage of that. It was traumatic enough watching it.

[@justingillerot4134]

I was there this morning for the Paris-Roubaix challenge (146 km version, 19 cobble sections), long story short : 1 puncture, some one fell in front of me and took me down with him, one of my cans jumped off the bike in Arenberg which I find is a terrifying section (Stablinsky is a monster - the bad kind - for introducing it to the race), my legs don't hurt but my hands... dear lord my hands ! It was fun though

[@gcn]

Hahahaha sounds like a lot of fun 🙌 Did it give you more respect for the race itself?

[@justingillerot4134]

@@gcn Indeed, lots of fun ! And of course, more respect for the race. As a belgian kid, I thought I knew cobbles... I was wrong 😅 Doing the LBL challenge on full distance next week 🚴🚴🚴

[@BreakawayB]

🫠I’m so hype for this race!!! It’s hilariously awesome that they built the finish line first, and added the rest of the route after that.

[@gcn]

Did it live up to the hype? 👀

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Mitch, Mitch, Mitch! Cobbles, cobbles, cobbles! Thanks GCN and Mitch (and his guests) for a fantastic series of videos. ❤

[@gcn]

Great to hear that you loved it 🙌

[@ethangodridge6833]

More of this! Great presentation, great guests, history, kit and bike. Thanks.

[@fredmiller5612]

My favorite of all time is Roger DeVlaeminck, whom I met in 1983 at the US Tour of America!

[@sandrochiavaro7831]

More Mitch!!! Such a great series.

[@terrysouthon3196]

Absolutely!!!

[@gcn]

How about Mitch over on GCN+ 👉 gcn.eu/lrbp

[@revisephilosophy]

Well done GCN and Mitch for featuring Pascal Sergent's wonderful collection and more particularly, his encyclopaedic knowledge of Paris-Roubaix. It's a real shame that more of his books are not published in English. As for another race to research, what about La Doyenne or Milano-Torino?

[@ahugenerd.]

Small correction in your captions: at 6:34 Pascal Sergent says "Qui était une région de texitiles, une région de labeur", which does not translate to a region with a butter industry. "Labeur" as in "labour": plowing fields, mining, etc. So a better translation might be "This was a region with a textile industry, agriculture, mining, etc. It's a very tough place to work, hard work."

[@tristanbergh8655]

hearing that the steel Colnago felt so good on the cobbles was fantastic! loved watching you ride that section, Mitch! chapeau

[@ralphc1405]

buddy that's no lugged steel it's a C40 carbon. Colnago!

[@gcn]

It's a great looking bike 👀

[@scottcoady6914]

Museeuw! Especially winning after he broke his knee crashing on the race and almost loosing his leg then coming back to win it! Redemption!

[@tomcruz3774]

Yeeeesssss this is the content I love. That collection needs to be preserved.

[@lesliereissner4711]

That Mapei C40! Be still, my beating heart! I will ride mine tomorrow to celebrate, thanks to the nudge from this excellent video and the non-Hellish Mitch Docker.

[@gcn]

Do you have the same bike? 👀

[@lesliereissner4711]

@@gcn Mine does not have the Mapei paint scheme but many of the Mapei C40s had the Art Decor design mine does. Unlike the Mapei bikes, mine is Campagnolo-equipped but rides just as smoothly!

[@lesflynn4455]

Mitch Docker! What a coup. What a great video.

[@skyhighguy86]

Absolutely filthy Moe and mullet combo

[@rob_cd]

What a treat. Sergent's collection is as incredible as his knowledge, and Mitch is beyond personable.

[@JamisDuanne]

We want more of Mitch!

[@leissp1]

Mitch is classic on his own I for one want more of Mitch

[@tazparvaz2268]

Enjoyed reliving this amazing adventure by watching this edit ❤

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Nice to have a youg man racing bikes with appreciation of some tradition and history of an institution in existance before his frame of reference. Thank You! Very well done.

[@daveland3599]

Having a guy that’s been and done it all makes such a difference. Well done GCN for getting Mitch on board for this.

[@rbonn3880]

Incredible series of videos with Mitch...he's so good and so down to earth. More, more!

[@ES-aussie68]

Fascinating insight, thank you 🙌

[@Steveintheandes]

brilliant video - what a great presenter! Proper reverence for the sport; love it!

[@derekkuhl]

This was a beautiful history lesson of Paris-Roubaix! The best I’ve seen.

[@breakfastPHD]

This is great - would love to see this history deep dive for other races. Mitch is awesome.

[@layzb0y]

The Paris-Roubaix content has been fantastic. Great job guys!!

[@gcn]

Great to see you enjoyed it! How did you find the race? 👀

[@layzb0y]

@@gcn Was glad to see EF win the women’s race. Vos finishing in the top ten was great too after all her troubles. Still a bit bummed that Wout had a puncture but MVDP winning isn’t all that bad lol. Cheers!

[@gregknipe8772]

this was informative. a great history lesson.

[@davehollingworth5537]

Lovin’ Mitch. More Mitch please ❤

[@ImAnEmergency]

Mitch did really well in a presenter role and Pascal is an amazing and personable historian

[@DCassidy42]

More from Mitch please!

[@shyrahman4506]

Wow this is amazing

[@Hoolio1967]

Really loved the complete series of Mitch's Paris-Roubaix videos this year. It's my favorite race of the year and I just sop up anything about it.

[@gcn]

It's one of the best races! Who better to talk us through it than Mitch 🙌

[@shhhh_tell_no_one]

Awesome Stuff

[@heytreacle]

Watching Mitch resolutely pronounce it pariS in front a Frenchman was 😅

[@alinapopescu872]

Mapei, Roubei... Hey!

[@andrewmcalister3462]

He got it right in the intro, but after that ..... 😲

[@MattSwain1]

Mitch speaks English and the English pronunciation of Paris is PariS

[@plantpoweredhealth9383]

I'm Australian and I cringed when he kept pronouncing Paris with an S. Very odd

[@rob_cd]

I'm now liberated from sounding like an American douchebag.

[@goldenmath4091]

Such an enthusiastic video, I hope Mitch gets more work with GCN, loved this

[@gcn]

We love having Mitch work with us, he's done some great GCN+ docs 👉 gcn.eu/lrbp

[@casperandersen5836]

brilliant content

[@amrjon]

Always love your work Mitch, but this one was a ripper. 👍👍👍

[@kaltonian]

great inside story

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

That was rad

[@MattSwain1]

Those Mapei leggings were quite something!

[@TheLeonthepeon]

MORE MITCH ALL DAY!

[@beeldpuntXVI]

What a collection on the trouest race. De vlaemink. Good choice. And tsmill

[@adhk]

Love some Mitch content! How much his eyes lit up in the interview. 🙌💪🫶

[@LaurentGloaguen]

❤❤❤ On veut plus de Mitch !

[@vinniamsterdam700]

Paris Roubaix always makes me feel nostalgic.

[@bobbyellis5006]

I was not a follower of cycling until the last few years. Went back and watched your crash after this as well as a backstage pass video of that year's race and holy crap, one, let me just say I'm glad you're ok. That was a horrendous crash. But what an amazing story for your teammate as well.

[@gcn]

It's not a crash you wan't to watch too many times. Luckily Mitch pushed through and is now smashing life after the peloton 🙌

[@MikkoGarrido]

Make Mitch a permanent presenter! We need an Aussie in your roster! 😁

[@tihomirdimitrov7385]

Great movie, true story 👏🤘😎

[@chuckfrizzell8668]

Great job Mitch. I think you have found your second talent after cycling. Thank you.

[@nickmarshall8583]

If you're going to spend 50+ years building a collection of anything, you can't do much better than this. Magnifique!

[@gcn]

A real triumph 🙌

[@derekmclean5603]

Unfortunately, the unprecedented Mapei 1,2,3 on the podium, was proven by revelations in years to come was contributed by the fact that their programme of being doped up to their eyeballs was better than all other teams at that time. Notwithstanding that fact, it was still a magnificent achievement that lesser mortals could only be in awe of.

[@ralphc1405]

mate they ALL (in contention to place at a race) were on Rx...which meant the playing field was level. 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Period. Your welcome. Oh, and Lance DID win all his TDF as far as I'm concerned.

[@lesflynn4455]

Oldest news in cycling.

[@delivrance3961]

magnifique!!! and the best is Boonen!!!

[@markdwelchforcongress4456]

I'm getting pretty G'd up for Sunday !!

[@gearoidgalavan7483]

It's a race for warriors and our own great Irish warrior himself Sean Kelly has Ireland on the roll of honour of the Hell of the North

[@jebrook]

Mitch is definitely a Mucca Mad Boy

[@777Saphir777]

At 6:37 when he is talking about the hardship in the region, he talks about "labeur" which means labor but is translated in butter (le beurre in French) 😂... God I'm hungry !

[@chrisstrider]

Mapei the greatest kit ❤

[@keihnungm2011]

6:35 he says 'de labeur' (labour) instead of 'de la beurre' (butter, although it's masculine so it would be 'du beurre' if he was saying that)

[@itsianwood]

Great video! I'm looking forward to watching the race tomorrow! Maybe when, at the start, he says it's the longest bike race, he meant it figuratively speaking (of course Milan-San Remo is the longest) :-)

[@gcn]

Did the race live up to the hype for you? 👀

[@itsianwood]

@@gcn yes, more or less but obviously the WvA puncture somehow took away from the ending.

[@flagjones]

@Global Cycling Network, in the translation, at 6:36, The textile industry, butter, etc....... please, replace butter by labour

[@TheEpieikeia]

6:38 the French word "labeur" translates as "toilsome work", not as "butter" (LE beurre), which doesn't make any sense here! I thought Simon spoke French fluently, but in this case he's rear-pedaled back to level A1 😅

[@erictalbot595]

paris-roubaix is very hard

[@NathanEide]

Time for Mitch Week for leTour

[@chenliang5263]

Haha... you can tell his voice was vibrating on the cobble. :D

[@playmoreguitar5393]

This is absolute Gold. Thank you for this GCN.

[@fergusmccaffery1959]

Sean Kelly?

[@ralphc1405]

he even won in '86 on a flexy VITUS bonded Aluminum bike. How's that for R&D?

[@rogerwilliamson7161]

Roger de Vlaeminck/Brooklyn!

[@chiefsittingstill6061]

I remember reading years ago that Hinault won Paris-Roubaix so that he could lambast the organisers for how dangerous the event is, and he then declared he'd never ride it again! I'm not sure how accurate that is - would be interesting to get Pascal's take on that 😋

[@jeremynorth]

This is utterly brilliant. As I've watched only for a few years,I don't feel qualified to name a favourite of all time but I'd love Mathieu v d Poel to win and Pogacar

[@gcn]

Looks like your wish might of come true 👀

[@francois9163]

Hum... Bernard Hinault hated this race; he was thinking that it was a non sens; so he used not to ride it. But one year he came; and he won.

[@francois9163]

@skubisan Yeah, but you understood what I mean : you don't have to like this race to win it.

[@cleekmaker00]

The Badger vilified this race, hated riding it with passion, but will be in the first Red Car behind the riders. Pavé, Pavé, Pavé! ALLEZ! 🚴😄🖖🇫🇷🇧🇪

[@francois9163]

@@cleekmaker00 The Badger 😄 And the badger, at the end of the day, will say that, since he left, there is not a single French pro racer who can ride a bike !

[@maartenschmidt]

The light on Mitch in that small room with the French collectos is so bad, it’s like watching a 90s VHS tape… which suits Mitch’s retro look very well actually 😂

[@milesrodger3724]

Mitch slaps

[@Davidon66]

I like GCN ,good content , great cinematics but i dont understand that a channel with this amount of subscribers dont do videos in 1440p just full HD, no offense here , keep up the good work :)

[@stevek8829]

Bandwidth is still a factor. My cable company, Comcast, only transmits TV at 720p maybe occasionally 1080i. I can't imagine what detail you don't see in 1080p is going to enhance your viewing to the point such a big file is needed.

[@KaiserSoze357]

Nevermind farm tracks...I want to know who would win the climb up Baldwin street NZ .... David Goggins or Chuck Norris...🤠

[@janjanssen6922]

Funny guy really makes me laugh, whit his moustache, signore Parigi R.....

[@samchm]

labeur translated as butter was a nice translation to hear but doesn't mean that, it's more about hard working region :)

[@geraintwilliams5962]

You should pair him up with Si for a little adventure.

[@glennoc8585]

Didn't know that Mitch had retired

[@MrPeperoni79]

With that mustache, I would dare to challenge the cobbles.

[@rogerhouben9230]

For me the greatest on cobbles was Museeuw

[@professorsogol5824]

Is Mitch Docker the Secret Pro?

[@thayerkids]

Oh man, how I idolized those men in the 90’s. Great era while it happened even if a little tainted from what we know now.

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Great show Chris, really enjoyed it. I gotta say I think that bumping out John D by MVP was bad, mvp could have hit the brakes for a second to pull out. MVP could also have had a bad fall as well, he just lucked out big time. Well like you said, that’s racing in Paris roubaix where it is the hardest race of all! Also so sorry that Peter Sagan crashed out too, what the hell was he doing so far back anyways. Maybe these young guns are way too fast for him and he’s smart to retire before they even kill him 😮

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

What's with Dave Zabrekie mustache?

[@ageary]

What a shambles that he never mentioned 2 time winner Sean Kelly the true King of the classics.

[@eddykuipers2971]

Not wanting to be negative here but has anyone thought that maybe Mapai might have been a bit juiced up?

[@potsdam521]

The medieval ride…

[@manuel7102]

Sonny Colbrelli 1 partecipation, 1 win

[@ulyssebroseta541]

I'm French and I think you confused "Labeur" (hard work) with "le beurre" (butter) 😅

[@Bikebikebikecba]

The only time in his life that mitch docker wins a Roubaix... Or that he wins something...

[@steffenandersensahl9443]

Mitch is great, but I got to disagree with him about the greatest rider of Paris-Roubaix. I agree with Pascal that Roger De Vlaeminck is the greatest rider in Paris-Roubaix history. This is also my favorite race weekend of the year.

[@ralphc1405]

nope. Sean Kelly. Period!

[@achilleslmoreaux3287]

Good afternoon, I'm from Brazil. Can someone explain to me why Paris Roubaix is called the "Hell of the North". Thanks.

[@lesliereissner4711]

The race, also known as "the Queen of the Classics," got the "Hell of the North" name in 1919, the first edition after World War I, as the route travelled through the incredible desolation of the region, which suffered immensely in the war. The roads were smashed by shelling and the movement of heavy vehicles. There were dead animals, stunted trees, mined fields, ruined villages...it did look like Hell. The organizers were not even certain they could run the race but it did go ahead. The news of the terrible condition of the roads did not reach the organizers of the "Tour of the Battlefields," a stage race, and that one went ahead in April 1919. While it is forgotten now it seems to have traumatized the participants and only 21 of the 87 starters made it to the end in Strasbourg.

[@achilleslmoreaux3287]

@@lesliereissner4711 Thanks so much for taking the time to give me such a complete answer. I learned a lot. 🙂

[@markholder4054]

Tom Boonen