Van Summeren solos to gutsy victory at Paris-Roubaix

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Johan Van Summeren soloed over the finish line in the Roubaix Velodrome, surviving from an early break which foiled the favourites in the Hell of the North. The Garmin-Cervelo rider took the biggest win of his career, ahead of Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) and Maarten Tjallingi (Rabobank).

Crashes reduced the favourites to Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek), Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) and Alessandro Ballan (BMC) by the end. The group had been unable to work together and make a definitive move. Cancellara finally was able to break from them and work his way up, but it was too late, and he had to settle for second.

With tears in his eyes, Van Summeren said, "When I was in the lead group, I knew I had a chance to win. To win ahead of Cancellara - he is such a great rider. I had wonderful legs, it was a great day."

Fast run-up to the cobbles

With an average speed of 45km/h in the first two hours, there was little room for breaks to form. There were attempts, including riders like Bradley Wiggins (Sky) but none got away. There were several crashes including Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervélo), but the Australian was able to continue in contrast to another outsider, Vladimir Gusev (Katusha). The Russian abandoned early in the race.

Ten brave men gap the peloton

Just before the first pavé sector, after almost 100km of racing, a group of eight received some space from the peloton. The group featured David Boucher (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Martin Elmiger (AG2R), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Maarten Tjalingii (Rabobank), Mitchell Docker (Skil-Shimano), Nelson Oliveira (Radioshack), David Veilleux (Europcar) and Timon Seubert (Netapp).

The eight attackers gathered a lead of one and a half minutes. In the peloton there were some counterattacks at the first pavé sectors. While a move from André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) with Koen de Kort (Skil-Shimano) and Gorazd Stangelj (Astana) bridged up with the leaders after 136km, Oliveira dropped back into a chasing group with Luca Paolini (Katusha), Sébastien Turgot (Europcar) and Jaroslaw Marycz (Saxo Bank-SunGard). They were eventually caught by the peloton while speeding towards the famous Arenberg forest. The gap from the 10 remaining leaders on the peloton was 2:40 with 100km to go.

Storming towards the Arenberg forest

In the 10 kilometres before the key pavé sector of Arenberg, the speed in the peloton increased. The result was that the gap between the leaders and the peloton dropped, but also that several crashes occurred in the peloton; Haussler and Roger Hammond were the main casualties. BMC's team leader George Hincapie had bad luck as he punctured shortly before the forest. Elmiger and Tjallingii led the breakaway group over the terrible cobbles of the Trouée d' Arenberg, having just under two minutes left on the peloton.

Arenberg cobbles and Quick Step setbacks

Riders were all over the place in the famous passage through the forest. Geraint Thomas (Sky) received a wheel from teammate Wiggins when he flatted. Suddenly the TV camera focused on favourite Tom Boonen, who was standing next to his bike in the middle of the forest. The Belgian's hopes of equalling Roger De Vlaeminck's record of four wins were ruined by a chain problem. It took ages before Boonen eventually received a new bike and by the time he left the forest, the gap on the main peloton was one minute. When seven men set up an attack in the peloton, others went down, including co-favourite Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM). Quick Step's bad luck continued when their other leader Sylvain Chavanel punctured out of the main peloton.

In front there were still 10 riders left with one minute on a first chase group of seven riders: Lars Boom (Rabobank), Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Cervélo), Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Baden Cooke (Saxo Bank-Sungard), Lars Bak (HTC-Highroad), Matthew Hayman (Sky), Manuel Quinziato (BMC) and Fréderic Guesdon (FDJ).

Game over for Quick Step

Quick Step's run of bad luck wasn't over when a Rabobank rider went down on the cobbles of sector number 14 at Sars-et-Rosières, taking down Boonen and many others within him. Once again, Boonen needed a lot of time before he got back on his bike and this time his chances on winning this race were down to zero. Meanwhile Chavanel was able to work his way back to the main peloton at the feed zone after 190km. Just before the first chase group bridged up with the 10 leaders, Van Summeren and Roelandts suddenly went down, but both Belgians were able to continue and get back in the front of the race.

In the meantime, Quick Step concluded its unlucky day in the north of France with a crash from Chavanel, leaving them without riders in front of the race. In the chaos after the Arenberg forest a counterattack with John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad), Grégory Rast (Radioshack), Tom Leezer (Rabobank) and Gabriel Rasch (Garmin-Cervélo) was closing the gap to the 17 leaders.

Cancellara unleashes his devils on Mons-en-Pévèle

At 60km from the finish line, a cease-fire in the peloton shed some light on the race situation. There were 21 leaders in front. They built up a gap of one and a half minutes on the peloton that still included former winners Cancellara, O'Grady and Ballan. Two crashes in the peloton marred the fun for Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), and later also Leukemans once again.

Just before the cobbles of the renowned tenth sector, the five-starred cobbles of Mons-en-Pévèle Tomas Vaitkus (Astana) and Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Cervélo) anticipated the debates in the peloton. A smart move because on the cobbles there was a huge effort from Cancellara with only Hushovd, Flecha and Ballan able to follow.

Meanwhile several riders dropped out of the lead group. Greipel and De Kort were among them. Vaitkus and Vanmarcke were quickly caught back and the latter delivered some top work to bring the group of seven closer to the leaders, who were riding one minute ahead of them, with 40 kilometres left to race.

At sector number 8, Pont-Thibaut à Ennevelin, the top favourite accelerated again and this time only Hushovd was able to hold the wheel from Cancellara although after the cobbles, Ballan closed the gap on the duo. Sixteen riders were leading the race with Cancellara, Hushovd and Ballan trailing by only half a minute.

The attacks in the lead group were flying around, without severe damage although two riders got dropped. Behind them, there was no cooperation in the elite chase. Cancellara didn't receive support from Hushovd or Ballan, and the Swiss was clearly not interested in a Flanders-scenario.

As a results, several riders managed to return to the trio including Leukemans, while the leaders gained a gap of almost a minute when taking on sector number 6 in Cysoing.

A little later former Paris-Roubaix winner Guesdon flatted and dropped out of the lead group. Just before the infamous sector number 5 at Camphin-en-Pévèle ,it was Danish strong man Bak who accelerated. Rast, Tjallingii and Van Summeren had something left in their tank and they joined the Dane in front of the race.

With 15km to go, the gap had grown to a minute, and Cancellara decided to keep on fighting. He took off, but the others were not about to let him go alone. The time trial world champion flew along, dragging Hushovd with him, overtaking any of the former lead group. His efforts were in vain, though, as he was unable to make any kind of clear break.

At the same time,Van Summeren took off from the lead group, pulling away in a strong solo effort. Tjallingii gave chase, but the Belgian was too strong and coudln't be caught.

Eventually Cancellara was able to break away and catch Tjallingii and Bak, but was not able to come further ahead.

Van Summeren glanced back at the flamme rouge, and saw no one behind him. He entered the Velodrome and rode the closing lap in the blazing sunshine, raising his arms in victory as he crossed the line.

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