The pull of Paris-Roubaix

Ahead of what promises to be an historic 122nd edition of the men's race on Sunday we ask what is it about the ‘Hell of the North’ that enchants so many?

Some races on cycling’s WorldTour calendar you can sleep through – literally if you’re in Australia because most are broadcast in the dead of night – but others command attention no matter the hour.

There’s nothing particularly glamorous about Paris-Roubaix. It’s a point-to-point race across the flat and somewhat eerie fields of northern France, punctuat…