Deignan says her Paris-Roubaix-winning solo attack 'definitely wasn't the plan'

ROUBAIX FRANCE OCTOBER 02 Elisabeth DeignanArmitstead of United Kingdom and Team Trek Segafredo attacks in the breakaway and passing through cobblestones sector during the 1st ParisRoubaix 2021 Womens Elite a 1164km race from Denain to Roubaix ParisRoubaixFemmes ParisRoubaix on October 02 2021 in Roubaix France Photo by Bas CzerwinskiGetty Images
Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) gets the gap and runs with it at the 2021 Paris-Roubaix Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Elizabeth Deignan added to her already extensive palmarès on Saturday with an incredible solo victory at the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, riding every cobbled sector of the race alone after attacking off the front 82 kilometres from the line.

After the race, which saw the Trek-Segafredo veteran ride the one and a half laps of the Roubaix velodrome in the rain, 1:17 up on second-placed Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), Deignan said that her almost two-hour-long solo wasn't in the plan at the start of the day.

Dani Ostanek
Senior News Writer

Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.