Bad luck but incredible fighting spirit from Pfeiffer Georgi at Paris-Roubaix

The Hell of the North awaited the Women’s peloton on Saturday afternoon for the fifth edition of the race. Having finished in the top ten of every edition so far and a brilliant third place in 2024, Team Picnic PostNL headed into the day motivated to put in another strong performance, with Franziska Koch and Pfeiffer Georgi as finishers. Some good team riding by the squad saw Koch and Georgi well positioned for the opening sectors where a fast tempo split the bunch to pieces, and the duo made it into a front group of around 30 riders at that point.

However, disaster struck for Georgi and the team as a puncture forced a bike change just before the crucial cobbled sector of Orchies at around 50 kilometres to go. After a big fight back and chase, Georgi returned to the ever-diminishing leading group as they entered the last 25 kilometres. Georgi focused on following the wheels and trying to recuperate as much energy as possible, anticipating the battle for the podium from her group. However, on the Willems à Hem sector of cobbles Georgi slipped out and crashed. Remounting, she fought all the way to the velodrome to take 13th place on the day with Team Picnic PostNL.

Back at the team bus, Georgi reflected: “I felt really, really good today. Going onto the first few sectors Franz and I were well positioned by the team but then I punctured. I rode it over a couple of sectors because the car was far behind with the race stretched out. I could then change bike, but from there it was about chasing from group from group and clawing my way back. I got back to the front group before Carrefour de l’Arbre and it was then survival mode for me. I slipped out on the dust on sector two. I was on the limit at that point, made a mistake and just slipped out; and lost a chance to go for the podium again in that moment. It’s a day of bad luck but I’m really happy with my shape; and also proud of how I kept fighting all the way to the end in the velodrome.”