Paris - Roubaix 2013

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April 7, 2013, Paris, Fra, Road - WorldTour

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage from Paris-Roubaix. Coverage starts at 9:30 CET.

Good morning and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage from the 2013 Paris-Roubaix. We're at the start line in Compiegne, where temperatures are on the chilly side, minus 3 in fact, but there are still crowds gathering at the sign in area.

We're about 45 minutes away from the official start time, and the team buses have all parked up in the Place Charles de Gaulle in Compiègne. As you would expect the biggest crowds have gathered outside the RadioShack and Omega Pharma-QuickStep buses, while there's also interest outside the BMC and French teams' buses too.

A few riders are trickling off the warm buses and towards the official sign in. They'll be presented as teams  - just as they were yesterday - and then they'll be heading back to the buses before heading to the start line.

After last week's dominant showing at the Tour of Flanders there's was an immediate sense that Paris-Roubaix had almost already been won, that Cancellara would ride away from the peloton as he did in 2010, and seal his third race title here.

There's been talk about trying to anticipate the Cancellara express by throwing men up the road in the hope that it sticks, but also a possible attempt to isolate him from his team. Both strategies come with risk, as they all do, but it has worked before. In 2011 Cancellara was the strongest in the race but Garmin played their cards perfectly and came away with their first and only Monument.

We've just had a quick word with Sebastien Turgot, who finished on the podium in last year's Paris-Roubaix.

Turgot is part of the current crop of French riders who have risen through the ranks and start today as outside contenders for the title. Roubaix hasn't seen a French winner since 1997, and the nation hasn't won a Monument since Jalabert won Lombardia that same year. It's going to be a big ask for Turgot, Chavanel, and Offredo to beat Cancellara in a straight out fight but a podium place is certainly not a long shot.

The majority of the riders have signed in now and a few are starting to gather on the startline itself. The sun is out, but it's still bitterly cold at the moment. We're about 8 minutes away from the start of the race.

The route itself is largely untouched from last year with 27 cobbled sectors defining the course and few minor alterations here and there.

Troisvilles a Inchy, the first sector, is certainly not the most demanding on the legs but with 200 riders hurtling towards the first cobbled section at over 60 kilometres an hour, even in dry conditions there’s almost always a crash. If a leader is caught behind at this stage, there’s still time to come back but vital energy will be unnecessarily used.

Filippo Pozzato:

The Trouée d'Arenberg makes his grand entrance at kilometre 158, making it sector 18, rather than 16. The riders will have 3,600m fewer of pavé and 14km less of racing in their legs when they reach the first five-star set of cobbles in the Arenberg forest.

Even though the cobbles are expected to remain dry they're still incredibly dangerous. The lack of mud means that the moss in between the cobbles becomes incredibly slippery and this can cause carnage when the riders hit them at 60kph as they will as they enter the forest.

Haveluy, the sector which comes before the forest is often just as crucial as the forest itself as the fight for position starts well before the entrance to the Arenberg.

The race has now officially started. 254.5km of racing over some off the toughest terrain in the sport to come.

Geraint Thomas:

If you missed it, here's the official race startlist. There are three former winners on the startline, Cancellara, Stuart O'Grady and Johan Vansummeren.

One rider who certainly isn't starting today is Alexander Serebryakov. The 25-year-old returned a positive test from an out of competition control in March. Although the substance hasn't been named he has been thrown of the team. You can read all about that here.

The race has already passed through Janville and Thourotte and there have been a number of attacks. The first major break could take a while to form but that won't stop a number of riders attacking from the gun.

Back to the route, and the peloton will again divert from last year's course, exiting the forest to head south toward the Wallers sector, which returns after a five-season absence. The three-star sector, also known as Pont Gibus, cost Sylvain Chavanel his maillot jaune in the 2010 Tour de France.

The riders will then be on familiar roads, with the route following the 2012 course straight through to the finish on the Roubaix velodrome.
 

A group of 14 riders attacked but they were immediately brought back by the peloton. A lot of teams clearly want to be in the early break this morning.

Now is probably as good a time as any to mention the plight of Omega Pharma Quick Step. The Belgian team haven't secured even a podium in the major one day spring races and they're up against it today.

It's a similar situation the one Lefevere found themselves in, in 2001, when their best spring result coming into Roubaix was third with Roman Vainsteins at Milan-San Remo. Short of form and results, the team rallied to take a famous 1, 2, 3 in the Roubaix velodrome with Knaven leading home Museeuw and Vainsteins. Peters,  now in the team car, did so much work for them but was burnt out by the finish.

In the race we've  seen a few more attacks from within the peloton but nothing is sticking at the moment. The bunch don't want to let any dangerous riders go but the problem is that there are so many and everyone has fresh legs so every single move is being marked.

That 2001 edition of the race took place in truly muddy conditions but the main hostilities kicked off when the peloton reached Troisvilles. Tchmill crashed and Domo - Lefevere's super team at the time  - upped the pace and started to show their strength.

Taylor Phinney:

Phinney comes into the race as one of the rated favourites. This is only his second Roubaix in the pro ranks but he cracked the top 20 last year and pulled out a fine result in Milan-San Remo last month.

For a full in depth look at Phinney's BMC bike, click here.

In the race we've now got a move of 13 riders up the road. We'll bring you the full  list of names as soon as we can.

Evaldas Siskevicius (Sojasun), Guillaume Boivin (Cannondale), Bjorn Thurau (Europcar), Bob Jungels (RadioShack Leopard), Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha) Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma QuickStep), Jacob Rathe (Garmin-Sharp), Jens Debuschere (Lotto), Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank), Eloy Teruel (Movistar), Clement Kortesky (Bretagne Seche) and Benjamin Lemontagner (Bretagne Seche).

223km remaining from 254km

So Steegmans is the man driving the early tactics for Omega today. That's not a massive surprise because he's been a bit short of form and staying power in recent weeks, so the team clearly think that he can do a job in the first phase of the race.

No presence from Sky, Blanco or BMC though which is a bit of a surprise. This move might struggle to establish itself.

The leaders have just 35 seconds at the moment.

Thanks for pointing out that Jungles races for Radioshack. He is in the break so Cancellara does have a man up the road.

Alexander Kristoff:

Morkov is the man in the move for Saxo  Bank. Last year it was his teammate Matteo Tosatto but the Italian will today use his energies to look after Matti Breschel on the cobbles. The Dane really needs a strong performance this spring.

204km remaining from 254km

We're still a way short from the first sector of pave but here's a brief look at the sector:

The 27 cobbled sectors of Paris–Roubaix
27: Troisvilles - km 98.5, (2,200 m) ***
26: Viesly - km 105, (1,800 m) ***
25: Quiévy - km 107.5, (3,700 m) ****
24: Saint-Python - km 112.5, (1,500 m) **
23: Vertain - km 120, (2,300 m) ***
22: Verchain-Maugré - km 130, (1,600 m) ***
21: Quérénaing - Maing - km 133, (2,500 m) ***
20: Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon - km 136.5, (1,600 m) ***
19: Haveluy - km 149.5, (2,500 m) ****
18: Trouée d'Arenberg - km 158, (2,400 m) *****
17: Wallers - Hélesmes, aka "Pont Gibus" - km 164, (1,600 m) ***
16: Hornaing - km 170.5, (3,700 m) ****
15: Warlaing - Brillon - km 178, (2,400 m) ***
14: Tilloy - Sars-et-Rosières - km 181.5, (2,400 m) ****
13: Beuvry-la-Forêt - Orchies - km 188, (1,400 m) ***
12: Orchies - km 193, (1,700 m) ***
11: Auchy-lez-Orchies - Bersée - km 199, (2,600 m) ****
10: Mons-en-Pévèle - km 205, (3,000 m) *****
9: Mérignies - Avelin - km 211, (700 m) **
8: Pont-Thibaut - km 214.5, (1,400 m) ***
7: Templeuve - Moulin de Vertain - km 220.5, (500 m) **
6a: Cysoing - Bourghelles - km 227, (1,300 m) ****
6b: Bourghelles - Wannehain - km 229.5, (1,100 m) ***
5: Camphin-en-Pévèle - km 234, (1,800 m) ****
4: Le Carrefour de l'Arbre - km 236.5, (2,100 m) *****
3: Gruson - km 239, (1,100 m) **
2: Hem - km 246, (1,400 m) **
1: Roubaix - km 256.5, (300 m) *
 

Veuchelen and Morkov were actually in the first major break of last year's race too. That took a lot longer to establish though, around 70km.

197km remaining from 254km

Smukulis, Lemontagner and Teruel have been dropped by the leading group on the road so we're down to 10 riders in the break. The pace is still high though and the break isn't getting any relief from the peloton. At this point last year the pace from the bunch began to drop as they steadied themselves before the race into the first section of pave.

Troisvilles is by no means a hard section of cobbles in itself but it's a graveyard for so many Roubaix ambitions.

In the lead up to the race all the teams will have been out riding recon and it doesn't matter how many times a rider has raced or even won Paris-Roubaix the conditions can always change. The winter cold snap will have affected the cobbles in different ways - so there may not be as much grass or moss between the stones, and the ditches on either side may be easier or harder to ride in compared to last year.

The majority of the break has now been caught by the peloton and only Veuchelen and Kortesky remain clear of the field.

With two riders dangling off the front of the peloton, it's an opportune moment for a counter attack, and perhaps Blanco, BMC and Sky to play their first hands. All three teams didn't have men in the first moves but if they're trying to move ahead of Cancellara before the first sector of pave, now would be a perfect moment.

In 2011, when Cancellara was last thwarted, the following riders made the decisive break.

With the gap to the previous break only reaching 35 seconds their chances were always slim. The increase in pace from the bunch as they prepare for the first sector of cobbles meant that the catch was always likely. As we have it, there are just two men left up front and we're less than 20km from the first sector of pave in this year's race.

Before the race we sat down with Fabian Cancellara and recorded this short video. He talks about his love for the pave, and his past rides. He talks about the importance of luck, time trialing to the finish, his 2010 win, and the damage he caused by winning Flanders the previous week.

169km remaining from 254km

Fabian Cancellara:

We've also put together this rather special gallery of images from the race, dating back to the 1930s.

There are a few sporadic attacks from the bunch but the pace is so high now that there's little chance of an escape this close to the first sector of pave.

Who is your dark horse for this year's race? Let us know on twitter, here.

Sky, BMC, Omega, IAM Cycling and RadioShack are all moving closer to the front in a bid to keep out of trouble ahead of the first sector of pave.

159km remaining from 254km

Le Tour report that Stannard has either crashed or had a mechanical but is chasing back to the bunch. This isn't a great time to be off the back of the bunch and Sky's team radios will be frantic right now.

And now the peloton has hit Troisvilles - km 98.5, (2,200 m) ***

Omega are back on the front foot with Stijn Vandenbergh off the front with Sieberg and De Backer. They have a lead of 10 seconds with the Omega rider on the front of the three-man move.

Sieberg was of course in one of the main moves in Flanders last week and Lotto had  great race, netting the final podium spot thanks to their aggressive racing.

As expected, there's been a crash in the sector and several riders have hit the deck.

Lars Bak is one of the riders the deck.

149km remaining from 254km

The next sector is just around the corner at Quiévy and it has a four star rating.

Stannard has punctured but gets a quick wheel change and his chasing back to the main field.

Here's a reminder of the sectors of pave coming up in the next few kilometres:

The peloton now race through the feedzone with Thomas on the front of the peloton with Edvald Boasson Hagen for company.

Devolder was also in the earlier crash but he's made it back to the peloton.

Through the feedzone and Sky have started to up the pace with Thomas and Boassan Hagen, and BMC's Phinney in a small group that's 10 seconds ahead of the feed. The rest of the teams are starting to put pressure on RadioShack.

If Devolder can't make it back to the peloton that could really harm Cancellara's chances today. The Belgian rode a fantastic Tour of Flanders last week and was an integral part in Cancellara's win.

Onto the Saint-Python - km 112.5, (1,500 m) ** sector and the group has 8 seconds but it's putting an awful lot of pressure on the rider behind.

The dust is being kicked up on the cobbles and the race is already beginning to stretch out.

It looks like RadioShack are about to make contact with the leaders but that will have tired out at least one of their domestiques.

Just as one dangerous move is caught, another one escapes up the road. Four men have 10 seconds Steegmans, O'Grady, Hayman and Kortesky.

RadioShack continue to set the pace because even that group can't be given too much room. O'Grady may not be the rider he once was, but he's still a former winner. Steegmans is a threat too, as well as Hayman who started the spring strongly in Dwars Door Vlaanderen.

The four leaders have stretched their lead to 16 seconds though.

129km remaining from 254km

The four leaders have 30 seconds now and Sky and Omega have played their cards well.

Onto the Verchain-Maugré and Steegmans picks a line in the middle of the road and the rest of the break follow.

 

With the dry conditions a lot of riders are able to ride in the gutters on either side of the road but Shack's train is riding right down the centre of the pave.

Mat Hayman leads the break through the final stretches of the sector as Klier puts his arm up, it looks like he might have punctured.

News filters through that Offredo is out of the race. That's a big blow for FDJ but they still have a few cards to play.

As the leaders stretch their advantage to 39 seconds as they hit Quérénaing - Maing.

Cancellara's men continue to set the pace and are making the rest of the peloton suffer. How long can they maintain this pace though?

42 seconds for the four leaders with Hayman still doing the majority of the pace setting.

Yaroslav Popovych who was in the final break at Gent-Wevelgem is on the front of the peloton working for Cancellara but the four leaders now have 55 seconds.

It looks like Greipel who backed out of a mid-week race in order to prepare for today is now on the attack. Lotto have missed the Steegmans move so they need to try and have a man up the road.

112km remaining from 254km

Greipel has a tough task trying to catch the leaders but he'll be hoping that more riders come across to him in the next few kilometres.

Europcar have come to the front, Garmin too, with Klier trying to position his teammates before the next cobbled section.

Cancellara has dropped back to the team car to have a chat with Demol, another former winner of the race, as the lead for the foursome is up to 2 minutes.

Van Avermaet is also near the back of the bunch too.

And Hushovd needs a new bike. He'll be fine getting back to the bunch as they've started to sit up.

Saying that, Saxo Bank have moved to the front and their entire team is setting the pace.

As Greipel sits up and waits for the peloton.

The leaders reach Haveluy , another 4 star sector, with a gap of 1'59. Europcar with Turgot in their ranks move to the front and start working with Saxo Bank.

QuickStep come to the front, they're not chasing of course, they just want good position ahead of the next sector of pave.

Greipel is about to be caught as Saxo lead the peloton onto the dusty cobbles.

Another crash and it's a Blanco rider on the deck this time.

Hushovd still hasn't made it back to the bunch and what's telling is that he's not got any teammates around him. Is he really BMC's team leader?

The former world champion finally makes it back to the bunch but he'll have to weave and fight his way to the front of the peloton now and that's going to take out a lot of energy.

Gorgeous blue skies for the race, although it's still chilly out there. There's very little wind as well.

Riis is clearly confident in Breschel today because he's making the entire Saxo team sit on the front and set the pace for the Danish rider.

95km remaining from 254km

As they hit the approach the Arenberg.

Steegmans is first, O'Grady second.

The road narrows and now the peloton are coming up to the forest.

And the peloton hit the cobbles and it's BMC on the front at the moment.

The entire peloton is strung out and there's a split in the field.

The gap to the leaders is down to around 50 seconds with the bunch starting to close.

A BMC rider has been joined by a rider from Argos but no name checks yet I'm afraid. They have around 30 meters on the peloton. It might be Phinney.

As Thomas has a mechanical problem on the side of the road.

The four leaders now leave the section

It is Phinney who is leading the bunch through the Forest. He's doing all the work but the Forest hasn't been that decisive yet.

Phinney sits up as he exists the forest and takes a drink, allowing more riders to move back to the front of the peloton.

Lars Boom is near the front of the bunch, Chavanel too as BMC launch an attack.

The move is quickly shut down by Omega and Blanco though and there are around 40-50 riders in the main peloton.

This stop start pace  is playing into the hands of Cancellara who can sit tight for now. In 2010 he took off with around 50km to go, so it will be interesting to see if he does the same here today or wait for the final sector of cobbles.

Cofidis send a rider up the road now, and three riders counter the move.

The four leaders have 24 seconds but there's a chase group of 7 just behind them.

O'Grady is pushing on but the bunch looks like it's going to catch the 7 man counter attack.

And RadioShack once again have come to the front of the peloton. They'll want to shut the counter attack down but they may leave the four leaders out there for a while yet.

The seven man move is caught as Hayman leads onto the Hornaing - km 170.5, (3,700 m) ****

The leaders only have 11 seconds though and this section could end their escape as Cancellara's men continue to speed up.

Michael Schär (BMC) has attacked from the peloton. Shack have given him a few seconds already.

The four leaders have split with Steegmans and Hayman going clear. The bunch are at 31 seconds with  Schar somewhere in between.

Steegmans and Hayman have extended their lead. Interesting, Lefevere talked about a possible alliance between his team and Sky coming into the race.

73km remaining from 254km

The Sky rider is back up and chasing but that's certainly not going to help his chances as Kortesky punctures.

Schar has made it to O'Grady's wheel though so BMC have a rider well placed.

It could be all over for Pozzato who is losing ground as up ahead RadioShack continue to do all the work on the front of the peloton.

O'Grady isn't giving the BMC rider any support though as Hayman and Steegmans move their advantage to one minute.

If Schar can catch the two leaders then I'm guessing O'Grady will start working again.

O'Grady simply doesn't have it and he's been left behind by Schar.

68km remaining from 254km

As Hushovd makes it back to the peloton once more. Still, he had to do that all on his own with no teammates to help him. If Cancellara had a flat he'd been surrounded by teammates for the chase back.

64km remaining from 254km

As O'Grady is caught by the bunch as Maarten Wijnants (Blanco) goes on the attack.

At the moment RadioShack's plan is to keep every move within a minute or two, hold them and then wait for Cancellara to attack, safe in the knowledge that he can close the final gap himself.

The two-time winner is going to start to run out of teammates at some point though. It looks like he has two left at the moment.

It looks like the Blanco move was shut down but Gaudin has attacked but there's been another crash. Four riders hit the deck and FDJ's poor luck continues with Matthieu Ladagnous one of the riders caught up. He's on the bike and chasing, which is a good sign.

Orchies where Cancellara has attacked before. It's a very tough section but Schar is cutting over the cobbles nicely here.

Vacansoleil leading onto the cobbles, 58km to go

And Schar makes it three riders at the front of the race.

Will the BMC rider try and blast past them or will the three teams work together?

Gaudin is bashing away on the pedals but is style is at least effective. He grabs a bidon and then carries on his chase as O'Grady is dropped from the peloton.

An attack from Cannondale Boasson Hagen marks it, with a BMC rider on his wheel. Omega shut the move down and the favourites all look at each other. There are a lot of strong riders left.

Bonnet, Stannard and Breschel are in a counter attack with two other riders.Guarnieri and Elmiger are the other two men.

They only have about 50 meters and it doesn't look like the peloton will let them go.

Gaudin is still plugging away and he has the leaders at just 15 seconds.

51km remaining from 254km

He's brought about 30 riders with him.

Chavanel , Hushovd, Eisel they are all there. Cancellara has a major fight on his hands.

Cancellara upped the pace and he's causing major panic behind. The main favourites are all there though. Chavanel is second wheel and he looks good.

Turgot and Boom are there as Ramon Sinkeldam attacks.

Gaudin is about to catch the leaders too. And does so.

An attack from Blanco now as Cancellara takes his foot off the gas. Hushovd moves up and sits on the front with Vansummeren, a former teammate on his wheel.

The race is on a knife edge as a number of riders are trying to slip clear. Cancellara is trying to force the others into playing their cards too soon, perhaps.

Terpstra hits the front with Paolini on his wheel because Vansummeren has a little gap with one other rider.

As Omega begin to close everything down with 48km to and onto the Mons-en-Pévèle - km 205, (3,000 m) *****

Terpstra has the race strung out and now the break has been caught.

Lars Boom is now on the front but he's not going at full speed. He sits up and allows the rest of the peloton to catch him, Vansummeren has a puncture.

The field is at about 20 rider as Flecha takes over and Boom gets on his wheel.

John Degenkolb is in trouble now and is dangling off the back  of the peloton.

Omega are really winding up the pace with Terpstra in second wheel.

They come through the sector and look back at the damage they've done.

There's a split in the field with Cancellara having made the use of Omega's tactics. Langeveld is there, Terpstra, Stijn Vandenbergh and a few others.

Two groups are forming now at the front of the race and Chavanel is there, two from Europcar as well.

Haussler is there, and Paolini.

There is one Sky rider in the break, I think it's Eisel, Kristoff is there as well as they start the next section of cobbles with Omega , who have three riders, on the front.

41km remaining from 254km

BMC have just one man in the move and it's not Phinney or Hushovd. Gaudin is looking for Turgot but he can't sit up and wait for his leader.

Eisel is sticking on Cancellara's wheel and he's not moving one inch. The two former Mapei riders know each other so well.

And Chavanel needs a new bike.

As Stijn Vandenbergh  pushes on at the front as the leaders reach Pont-Thibaut - km 214.5, (1,400 m) ***

The Belgian is setting a furious pace on the front with Langeveld glued to his wheel. And Paolini has launched a move. Stybar is in the lead group, with Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh.

The leaders are: Stybar, Terpstra et Vandenbergh (OPQ), Gaudin (EUC), Cancellara (RLT), Van Avermaet (BMC), Eisel (SKY), Boom et Vanmarcke (BLA), Paolini (KAT), Langeveld (OGE) and Flecha (VCD).

Van Avermaet is trying to get others to work with him but everyone is looking at each other, and especially Cancellara, who at the moment is just sitting in.

Pozzato is in a chase group with Haussler.

A reminder of the leaders: Stybar, Terpstra and Vandenbergh (OPQ), Gaudin (EUC), Cancellara (RLT), Van Avermaet (BMC), Eisel (SKY), Boom and Vanmarcke (BLA), Paolini (KAT), Langeveld (OGE) et Flecha (VCD).

Cancellara looks cooked. He's at the team car and even though he's being marked he looks to be in trouble.

The race is slipping away and Van Avermaet and Flecha are clear.

Half the group went back to the Shack car with Cancellara, they were that worried about marking him, but they may have lost the race now.

So in the lead now: Vandenbergh, Gaudin, Vanmarcke, Langeveld,

The Cancellara group look in trouble and the RadioShack rider, if he has anything left, needs to make a move on the next section of cobbles.

Cancellara is 20 seconds off the four leaders.

The two lead groups reform but behind Cancellara attacks and drops Terpstra, Boom and Eisel. That was a great move.

Cancellara has distanced three of his biggest rivals and with 30 km to go he's coming back to the leaders. Who are sitting up and waiting for him.

Vandenbergh doesnt want to wait and him and Vanmarcke are pushing on.

The new leaders are :

The two leaders have 10 seconds on the Cancellara group.

And now Terpstra has made it over to the Cancellara group too.

27km remaining from 254km

Cancellara is so relaxed. He's clearly strong but he's making everyone else do the chasing at the moment. The two leaders have 20 seconds.

Vanmarcke is having a great race though and is using the QuickStep tactics to help forge a decent lead.

30 seconds is the gap. How long before Cancellara makes a move?

Flecha is pushing the pace now

Here' s a review of the bike Cancellara is currently riding.

Flecha doesn't want the Chavanel group coming back but the two leaders up the road now have 40 seconds with 24km to go.

Flecha has the chasers strung out and Paolini has a puncture.

Gaudin attacks again. Terpstra is trying to bridge across.

Gaudin is caught as Flecha and Langeveld, two former Rabobank teammates talk at the back of the group.

And Cancellara hits the front with Stybar on his wheel.

Van Avermaet is chasing but Cancellara is riding away with just Stybar for company at the moment.

Terpstra looks to have blown and he cant/wont chase with Stybar with Cancellara and Van Avermaet has blown too.

Cancellara is going to make it two Omega riders in the front group if he can close this gap. It's at 22 seconds.

Cancellara will want to make the catch before the Le Carrefour de l'Arbre.

The gap is down to 15 seconds. Cancellara, at the moment, is just picking apart his rivals one by one.

Cancellara has the gap at 11 seconds.

20km remaining from 254km

19km remaining from 254km

The four leaders have 34 seconds on the Terpstra group as the start the Camphin-en-Pévèle - km 234, (1,800 m) ****

Stybar sits at the back, will Cancellara fear an attack from the Quickstep rider?

The second group is at 34 seconds.

Vanmarcke and Stybar are pretty handy in the sprint so Cancellara will want to attack on the next section, the hardest section between now and the finish.

On the most critical section left as Vanmarcke leads.

Vandenbergh who was struggling to keep up crashes into a fan.

Vanmarcke still leads with Cancellara on his wheel and Stybar there too.

Vanmarcke still  leads and Cancellara now stamps on the pedals.

The RadioShack rider can't get a gap.

And Vanmarcke hits the front once again.

Stybar isn't moving from Cancellara's wheel.

And now Stybar clips a fan and he's dropped as he just manages to keep upright. He's not going to come back. what bad luck for the Omega rider.

14km remaining from 254km

The leading pair have 10 seconds on Stybar.

Vanmarcke is a good sprinter, he's beaten Boonen before. This is a much longer and more difficult race but it will be fascinating to see whether Cancellara tries to drop the Blanco rider before the finish.

Stybar now runs a corner wide. He's simply exhausted,  and needs to pull a foot from a pedal. He'll be caught by the Terpstra group soon.

Cancellara and Vanmarcke are sharing the work.

The leading duo have 28 seconds.

11km remaining from 254km

The gap is at 32 seconds and continues to grow. Vanmarcke who has been plagued by injury throughout the spring is matching Cancellara pedal stroke for pedal stroke. The RadioShack rider gives his last rider a stare as he comes through and takes a turn.

There's just one section of cobbles left. Cancellara takes another long turn and Vanmarcke looks like he's struggling. Cancellara starts asking for help but it's not coming.

But Vanmarcke comes through, and is in a prime position for Cancellara to  attack him.

Cancellara is following.

The Blanco rider still on the front.

He even has a meter or two on Cancellara.

The gap is closed.

The gap is now at 1'21.

The Blanco rider is leading all the way through this section and Cancellara again appears to be suffering.

The RadioShack riders takes up the pace again, he didn't take a tap on the front in the last section of cobbles.

Stybar still has 30 seconds on the chase group of Terpstra and Flecha.

5km remaining from 254km

And out of no where Stybar has been joined by Flecha.

Stybar and Flecha have been caught.

And Cancellara attacks.

4km to go and the move is closed down.

Now Vanmarcke is glued to Cancellara, he taps through and takes a short, tentative turn, and then Cancellara follow.

As Flecha attacks but is caught again in the second group.

3km to go and the gap is at 1'19.

The pair are talking now and Cancellara drifts back before taking another short turn on the front. They'll be at the velodrome soon enough.

Cancellara has ridden everyone off his wheel today, but he's still got Vanmarcke with him.

Into the final km and they've slowed right down.

Cancellara is on the front as they come onto the track.

Vanmarcke comes down off the banking and will lead out.

The bell!

Vanmarcke leads...

Cancellara takes it.

Cancellara tried to come over the top but had to check his line, Vanmarcke dived onto the inside but the RadioShack rider just had enough to come through and take the win.

Riders are still trickling over the line but we'll bring you the top ten as soon as we can.

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Leopard 5:45:33
2 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team Blanco 0:00:00
3 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick Step 0:00:31
4 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC 0:00:31
5 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:31
6 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma Quick Step 0:00:39
7 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:39
8 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM 0:00:39
9 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 0:00:50
10 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:50

So Cancellara seals his third Paris-Roubaix title in the most impressive fashion. He wasn't just the strongest today, he was also perhaps the smartest. The way in which he disposed of Boom, Eisel and Terpstra before jumping from group to group were the defining moments of an excellent Paris-Roubaix.

You can read our report, and results here. We're just uploading race images now too.

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