Cobbled Together

The pavé of Paris-Roubaix isn’t on our doorstep but with a vast array of cobbles – and velodromes – across Britain, a DIY job is possible ...

- Trevor Ward

Josh Papworth is a young British rider who spent several years living and racing in Belgium and finished 46th in the 2010 Junior Paris-Roubaix. I’m sure he’s a lovely bloke but right now, I hate his guts.

I feel as if every sinew in my body is about to explode as I try to hang on to the wheel in front of me on a 20 per cent slope of viciously jagged protuberances on the outskirts of Birmingham. And I’m blaming it all on Papworth.

The wheel in front belongs to Francis Longworth, who a few years ago decided the UK needed an event to rival Paris-Roubaix. His search for sections of pavé – or any bit of lumpy, broken surface he could find – led to an encounter with Papworth near the rider’s home in Romsley, Worcestershire. The conversation went something like this:

Longworth: “I’m looking for cobbles.”

Papworth: “There’s a load of them on a big hill at the back of my house.” Longworth: “Seriously?” Papworth: “Seriously. You should check them out.” 

Longworth: “Thanks. I will.” 

Fast forward several years and Longworth is now showing me the route of his DIY Paris-Roubaix, otherwise known as The Tour of the Black Country, though I can currently think of choicer epithets.

We are halfway up Walton Hill, and the ribbon of crazy paving – cobbles, bricks, stones, rocks, they’ve all been laid here at some point – stretches onwards and upwards beneath a canopy of trees. The gradient is tough enough, but factor in having to navigate a passage between uneven lumps of cobble and stone – plus a central, grassy reservation – and the climb exacts its toll mercilessly.