AJ August, youngest Paris-Roubaix rider in 114 years, misses time cut but fights to the velodrome

Youngest entrant in over a century misses out on time cut by less than two minutes, but ‘really proud’ to have made it to the velodrome in second WorldTour race

13:09, Tuesday 9th April 2024

George Poole

Junior Writer

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Ploughing a lone trade, AJ August battled through hardship to reach the end of Paris-Roubaix

There were 110 official finishers of Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, none of whom were AJ August, the youngest rider to have raced the ‘Hell of the North’ in 114 years. The 18-year-old was the 117th rider over the line on Sunday, out of the time limit by one minute and 34 seconds, but full of a smile as he was welcomed home by his Ineos Grenadiers team.

Speaking to GCN and Cyclingnews at the team bus, nearly six hours after starting his first Hell of the North, the American was worn out but delighted at having made it to the finish.

“First of all, I am really proud to make it to the velodrome. In the first portion of the race I tried to help the guys out as much as I could and from there the goal was just to make it to the end.

“It can’t get too much harder than Roubaix I think, but it’s been an amazing start.”

It had turned out to be a tough day in the saddle for August, who suffered an ill-timed mechanical with 146km to go, forcing him into an afternoon alone on the pavé of northern France. August’s ride was all the more impressive given his youth and inexperience, not just in cobbled races (of which, this was his first), but in WorldTour racing in general.

Between the UAE Tour and Paris-Roubaix, he has enjoyed an eclectic start to life on the grandest stage and, by taking to the start in Compiègne on Sunday, he was making a bit of history.

As far as records are available, August is believed to be the youngest rider to start the men’s Paris-Roubaix since the Belgian pair of Victor Dethier and Albert Desmedt in 1910. At 18 years and 178 days of age as of Sunday, the American became the ninth youngest competitor on record in the 128-year history of the Queen of the Classics. To have made it to the start was impressive enough, but the 18-year-old showed strength beyond his years to get his head down and ride to the finish of his first Monument, despite the looming threat of the time cut.

Won by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in record-breaking speed, the last official finisher of Paris-Roubaix was Jayco AlUla’s Kelland O’Brien in 110th, who finished 11 seconds before the official time cut.

Article 8 of the ASO’s specific regulations for Paris-Roubaix stipulates that “all riders finishing within a time limit exceeding 8% of the winner’s time will not be included in the classification." For this year’s Paris-Roubaix, that left Van der Poel’s opponents some 26 minutes and four seconds to cross the line in his wake. The Dutchman had, of course, grabbed the headlines with an all-conquering display to defend his title and become the first rider since Fabian Cancellara in 2013 to take the Flanders-Roubaix double.

Alpecin-Deceuninck’s rise to power as the one-day hegemon of modern cycling was a story worth telling, but so too are the tales of those who rally their battered spirits behind, just in the hope of reaching this sport’s most revered manmade arena: the Roubaix velodrome. Such is the stature and immense difficulty of Paris-Roubaix that simply crossing the finish line is seen as a rite of passage for the professional peloton, inside or outside of the unforgiving time cut.

Sunday brought Paris-Roubaix debuts for both AJ August and his 36-year-old teammate, Ben Swift (right)

After his mechanical issue, August was up against it to even finish the race. Alone and adrift, the youngster was spotted out on the course with a 10-minute deficit on the leaders and over 100km still to ride. His job done for the team and the toughest cobblestones yet to come, what kept August going?

“I think just setting a goal for myself, I just didn’t want to sell myself short so I just pushed on,” he said, noting that he managed to cope reasonably well over the pavé despite a chastening experience in training on Thursday.

“In the recon to be honest I was really suffering on them, but I think in the race you ride them a lot faster and it actually makes it quite a bit easier.”

Eyebrows were raised and questions asked when August was named in Ineos Grenadiers’ lineup for Paris-Roubaix, as a result of his age and his slender figure, but such a superficial judgement of the American rider does not tell half the story of his approach to a first season amongst the elite. For that, we must go back to the UAE Tour in February.

More than just numbers, August looks to gain experience wherever possible

In the Middle East, the new Ineos Grenadiers recruit was making his debut at the sport’s highest level. At first, it might have appeared a strange place for the 18-year-old to make his bow. The American is 57kg and stands at 1.70m, with a frame that wouldn’t tend to suit racing multiple sprint stages regularly besieged by crosswinds. But as August spoke exclusively with GCN on the morning of stage 6, it soon became apparent that the man from New York was not interested in taking the easy approach to his first season in Europe.

“To be honest, I just want to learn as much as possible and I don’t have any real preference for what races I do,” he said. “I just want to do all different types of races and experiences and learn as much as I can. I think the best way to do that is just to do all kinds of races.”

All kinds of races indeed. The UAE Tour delivered crosswinds, the stress of the first major WorldTour race of the season and the sheer carnage of competitive sprints on wide highways. Paris-Roubaix offered up his longest day of racing to date, a pan-flat route and the sport’s most brutal cobblestones, whilst the 18-year-old’s next race at the Tour of the Alps will bring the mountains of Italy. August is enjoying a comprehensive tutelage in European road racing.

'Stick with the guys as long as possible is the biggest thing I've learned, and don’t waste any energy in unnecessary times'

Before signing for Ineos Grenadiers, August had made waves with Hot Tubes Cycling in the United States, where he produced astonishing power data of 7.2 watts per kilo and was tested to a Vo2 max of 92. The numbers all point to a future Grand Tour contender in the making — something that August admits is the ambition — but the American is hesitant to put too much emphasis on testing.

“I think numbers are just numbers,” he told GCN. “At the end of the day, this sport takes much more than just numbers, that is just one factor.”

More than just numbers indeed, cycling takes spirit, guts and determination, three attributes that August displayed in abundance on the roads of Paris-Roubaix at the weekend.

“He was determined to get to the velodrome and he’s done great to get there, he’s got a bit of a story like everyone else on the bus,” sports director Ian Stannard told GCN and Cyclingnews at the finish on Sunday.

Paris-Roubaix is a race made to be told in stories, from the front of the pack to the very back, with each rider going to hell and back in a unique display of suffering. In the past, riders have reached the velodrome long after the gates had been shut, but they would climb over the fence regardless and celebrate their achievement. August did not have to resort to such lengths on Sunday, but he too suffered all the way to the industrial town.

His face a mixture of relief, pain and gratitude at the end of the day, August had to think twice when asked by GCN if he believed Paris-Roubaix to be the most beautiful race in the world.

“Depends how you define the word beautiful! With all the spectators, in that way, it is the most beautiful for me so far. But also getting your hands battered for 260km, I don’t think you would say is beautiful.”

Would he ride it again?

“I’ll wait to think about that for some time,” he said with a smile. As the youngest rider to have finished Paris-Roubaix in 114 years, AJ August has plenty of years left to commit himself to another day in paradise.

For the latest news, interviews and analysis from the world of professional cycling, be sure to check out the Racing tab on the GCN website and visit our essential guide to The Spring Classics to stay up to date with all of the action from cycling's most exciting season.