Earlier this year, OJ Borg and Rob Hayles attempted the infamous Paris-Roubaix cycling route, of which some is over the same cobbles that'll be in use today. It didn't go to plan. Watch how they go here.

Anything can happen once the riders hit the cobbled farm lanes with punctures, crashes and mechanicals a real possibility.

A contender's chances of victory can be wrecked in an instant - as happened to Frank Schleck in 2010 when he fell and broke his collarbone.

Tougher still, the lanes are so narrow, it takes time for team cars to reach their riders to assist if they've suffered a puncture or crash.

Trek Factory rider Jens Voigt on Twitter:, external Chaos and mayhem here we come - question today is not if you crash - the question is only how often and how hard you crash. Gladiators.

Initially, there were supposed to be nine cobbled sections, but because of bad weather - i.e. rain - road conditions have deteriorated to the extent that organisers have removed two sectors. However, that still leaves us with seven - and 13km - of the bumpy stuff.

Known as the pave, it's a section which is normally reserved for use in the spring Classic Paris-Roubaix cycle race, an event most Tour de France general classification contenders tend to avoid.

However, this year, there is no escape as organisers have included seven separate sections in today's fifth stage.

Image source, Tour de France

Afternoon all and welcome to the stage that the overall favourites for the yellow jersey will arguably fear the most.

It's a 155km jaunt from Ypres to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut but with several segments of rural cobbled back roads that'll have the riders' teeth rattling.

Image source, AP

Welcome to "The Hell of the North".

In the words of Geraint Thomas and Fabian Cancellara, it's "going to be carnage".