The Cobbles of the North: the new Pachamama story in video, with a Paris-Roubaix backdrop

Orbea unveils a new episode of Pachamama (the brand’s Gravel project) dedicated to the people who maintain the cobblestones of what is known as the Hell of the North.

Source: Press Release

In 1919, the First World War ended in Versailles, near Paris. Not far from there, a little to the north, a journalist from the newspaper L’Auto looked at a region ravaged by bombs. The story goes that it was this journalist who described this new landscape as the Hell of the North.

Fact or fiction, this story is just one more cobblestone added to all the others that make up the legend of the toughest race of all time. It is also one of the oldest in cycling history: Paris-Roubaix.

The cobblestones and the individuals who preserve them are the stars of the new Pachamama episode. Who laid these stones? Why? Since when? What do the cobblestones mean to these people? In this new story, you will meet the association Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix. These volunteers are dedicated to preserving a symbol and a heritage: the cobblestones. Without them, the most famous Classic in the world would lose its identity. It is often said that there are no mountain passes in this race, but that the cobblestones fulfill that role.

In addition to looking at this undoubtedly lesser-known side of Paris-Roubaix, Orbea’s gravel project also features an interview with Laura Asencio, a French rider for the WNT Rotor Pro Cycling team. Laura personally experienced the cobblestones, having participated in the extremely difficult first women’s edition of the event in 2021. “Once you ride on the cobblestones, you understand why Paris-Roubaix is considered a race like no other,” she says.

Join Pachamama

The new Pachamama episode dedicated to Paris-Roubaix is available on the dedicated website. There you will find not only this latest story but also all the others, such as The Berlin Gravel Club or Forged in Solitude. Films that make you want to explore new Gravel roads, like with the new Orbea Terra, which you will find reviewed on 3bikes very soon.