"Françoise, you are part of the legend of Paris-Roubaix”. So reads one of the messages on the wall of Chez Françoise, a humble café in Troisvilles that sits at the gateway to the Hell of the North, just around the corner from the opening cobbled sector of this storied Classic.
It was written by ‘Les Flecheurs du Tour de France’ - the ‘arrowmen’, who go around fixing the directional signs that guide the riders along the routes of the Tour and also Paris-Roubaix. They’re always sure to pop in for a coffee, a beer, or even something stronger as they go about their work in the build-up to Roubaix. In fact, the rest of the sign reads: “The flecheur who does not stop to say hello to Françoise ahead of Paris-Roubaix is not a true flecheur."
