Deignan eyes women's Paris-Roubaix

Packed autumn makes the new Queen of the Classics difficult to target, writes Owen Rogers

- Owen Rogers

Lizzie Deignan is “hoping for some kind of result” at the inaugural women’s Paris-Roubaix after it was added to the WorldTour calendar in a revised schedule unveiled by the UCI last week.

One of the sport’s five Monuments, the men’s race has been in existence since 1896, but there has never been a women’s version. This year’s edition is scheduled for Sunday 25 October and will take place before the men’s race, the traditional spot taken by the junior men’s event.

“It’s brilliant, such a surprise,” former world champion Lizzie Deignan told CW. “It’s a good move for women’s cycling, it’s important and shows that despite the pandemic, when everything is up in the air, there is still progress being made.”