Part of the magic of the Olympic Games is that each edition includes new sports and disciplines that attract the attention of millions of people. Still, another reason why this event is so important and popular is that it brings together the best athletes of the most historic sports in the world.
This is for example the case of cycling, which can boast of being one of the few sports practiced since the first edition of the modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896. Now, in Paris and almost 130 years later, hundreds of male and female cyclists will once again demonstrate their incredible physical display in a road cycling event that will have an element that is as traditional as it is new: the pavé.
What is the pavé surface?
The profile of road cycling at these Olympic Games is going to be impressive. The riders will pass through emblematic places in the center of the French capital, and in addition to having a spectacular location, the race will have a course that will rise to the occasion. For the men it will be 273 kilometers and 2,800 meters of elevation gain, while for the women it will be 158 kilometers and 1,700 meters of elevation gain.
In this event, the riders will ride over different surfaces, one of which is particularly noteworthy. Paris 2024 will feature pavé, a type of road made of cobblestones very characteristic of the Gallic country and its neighboring nation Belgium. It is a very demanding surface on which cyclists must have the necessary technique to maintain speed with the constant vibration caused by the unevenness of the terrain.
Pavé sections in Paris 2024
In both the men’s and women’s races the most important section will take place in the last 50 kilometers where the cyclists will have to face the Montmartre hill or Cotte de la butte (1 km at 6.5%). In this part of the race, in addition to hard turns and the climb up the hill, the riders will have to face several sections with cobblestones that will make it difficult to finish the race.
It will be especially on the ‘Côte du Pavé des Gardes’ (1.3km at 6.5%), where they will pass three times, the stretch the riders will have to endure the vibrations and the irregularity of this type of roadway with cobblestones.
Source: Diario AS