Paris-Roubaix 2017

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April 9, 2017, Compiegne, France, Road - WorldTour

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Live coverage of the 2017 Paris-Roubaix.

It looks set to be a warm and dry day in Hell, with a bit of a tailwind to boot, and for that reason, the organisation has delayed the start by 15 minutes to ensure the race reaches the finale (and that level crossing) in and around the planned time. The race was set to roll out of Compiegne at 10.55 local time, but they peloton will instead be flagged away at 11.10. 

The grandees of the Roubaix peloton are rolling up to sign on at the start on the  Place du Général de Gaulle in Compiegne, including last year's winner Mathew Hayman (Orica-Scott). The Australian's unexpected triumph drew comparisons with another veteran winner, Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. Duclos, of course, won the race aged 37 in 1992... and then won it again the following year.

The grandees of the Roubaix peloton are rolling up to sign on at the start on the  Place du Général de Gaulle in Compiegne, including last year's winner Mathew Hayman (Orica-Scott). The Australian's unexpected triumph drew comparisons with another veteran winner, Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. Duclos, of course, won the race aged 37 in 1992... and then won it again the following year.

There are 29 sectors of cobbles on the agenda today, beginning after 95 kilometres at Troisvilles. The full rundown and ratings (in reverse order, as raced):

As you may or may not have heard, a certain Tom Boonen is hanging up his wheels immediately after today's race. For Boonen - and for the Flemish journalists detailed by their newspapers to shadow Tommeke's every move during his last 100 days as a pro rider - tomorrow is the first day of the rest of their lives. Boonen, of course, is looking to make the last day of this part of his life count too. "'As a rider you start your career and end it. My day is coming soon," Boonen said on Friday. These were his thoughts before his last Sunday in Hell.

Boonen, Peter Sagan and company have lined up and are awaiting the delayed start of the 2017 Paris-Roubaix.

The bunch rolls away from the Place du Général-de-Gaulle and begins to negotiate the short neutralised zone. 

Peter Sagan, Marc Madiot said last year, "doesn't need to win in order to exist." All the same, the world champion would see Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne victory as a disappointing return from his spring campaign, particularly considering his form. Stephen Farrand has all the details on the world champion's custom bike for the cobbles. 

Christian Prudhomme emerges from the sun roof of the race director's car and drops the flag at kilometre zero. The 2017 Paris-Roubaix is officially underway...

There is an immediate flurry of attacks, with Fortuneo-Vital Concept prominent. A week ago at the Tour of Flanders, the early break slipped clear instantly, but it might take a little longer this morning. 

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Brecht Decaluwé reports that Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise manager Walter Planckaert spoke at the start on the importance of putting a rider in the early break. “It’s like a brick of gold that drops into your hands from heaven,” Planckaert said. “For the riders it’s ideal too, because they have a lot of space.” Directeur sportif Hans De Clerq added: “It’s the only race where all the teams want to have somebody in the breakaway.”

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The quintet nudges its lead out to 25 seconds as they enter Saint-Quentin, but there are plenty of riders trying to hurl themselves across the gap.

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Tom Boonen's every move and utterance has been documented for posterity over the past three months. As he rolled to the start of his final race in Compiegne this morning, this is what he had to say: "I’m still in my normal shape and my normal way of being. I’m not exploding with emotions or anything but you have to realise… this morning I woke up and I realised that today would be my last race. I also realised having all the stress before the race, I’m going to miss it. It’s the last time we rode up to the square yesterday and it all starts building up. It’s something that will never happen again and everything that happens between here and the track in Roubaix will hopefully be a nice, happy day but it’s still a race and it has to be ridden. Anything can happen."

The atmosphere was relaxed, Boonen said, on the Quick-Step bus before he went to sign on. "We had a great song on so we were dancing on the bus, we didn’t really talk. It’s too stressful," Boonen said. "At this moment, I’m looking forward to stopping. I’m looking forward to racing the race but then I know at the finish line it is all over and I am ready for it. Last year, when I took the decision, I had it in my mind to give it one more go, everything for Paris-Roubaix and also the other Classics. Now, at this point, I’m happy that I took the decision. My family is also happy that I will be home a bit more. It was just time."

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Sky and Quick-Step are well-placed towards the head of the bunch on this first sector of cobbles. The pace is brisk rather than excessive across this opening salvo of pave.

Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) shows himself at the head of the peloton. It will be fascinating to see what the German - winner of the Tour stage on the cobbles in 2015 - can achieve this afternoon.

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Martinez is distanced by Delage and Wallays on this second sector of cobbles. Katusha-Alpecin set the pace in the peloton. The Russian-sponsored squad has set its stall out aggressively today, and we can perhaps expect to see Martin on the offensive relatively early.

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Naesen has remounted and rejoined the rear of the peloton. There is a touch of wheels in the bunch between sectors 28 and 27, meanwhile, and Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) is among the riders to come down.

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Oliver Naesen caught the back of the bunch - but the bunch has already been split, and he is having to pick off dropped riders as he chases back up towards the front.

Iljo Keisse (Quick-Step) lays down the tempo at the head of the peloton. Boonen and Sagan are among the contenders well-positioned near the front.

Sagan hits the front, more to stay out of trouble than to force the pace. A determined delegation from Katusha moves up just as the bunch emerges from the third sector of pave. Just the 26 to go.

Luke Durbridge was among the riders caught up in the first crash of the day, and the Australian is chasing alone to latch back up to the bunch ahead of the fourth sector of cobbles from Viesly to Biastre.

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Another crash midway down the peloton on sector 26 reduces it in size still further. Katusha and Bora-Hansgrohe keep their men Kristoff, Martin and Sagan out of trouble near the front. Boonen and Stybar are well-placed not far behind them.

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Wallays and Delage's adventure comes to an end, meanwhile. They sit up and await the bunch a couple of kilometres shy of sector 24.

Oliver Naesen has finally latched back up to the peloton, but he will need to move up ahead of the next sector of cobbles of he risks being caught behind all over again.

A puncture for Ian Stannard (Sky) just ahead of sector 24, and the Briton is going to have to negotiate these cobbles on a flat rear tyre. 

Luke Durbridge had only just caught the rear of the peloton as they reached sector 24, but as Katusha-Alpecin force the pace, he risks being caught behind all over again unless he can move up in this group quickly.

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There's a brief respite of 10 kilometres or so before the next cobbles at Wallers, a four-star sector of 2.5 kilometres, which serves as an introduction to the five-star Forest of Arenberg immediately afterwards.

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Some running repairs for Greg Van Avermaet at the rear of the bunch, and when he is forced to put his foot down at a bottleneck, he finds himself distanced by 50 metres or so, and he is forced to chase back on with three BMC teammates.

Despite their earlier punctures, Mat Hayman and Ian Stannard have found their way back into this main peloton ahead of the Arenberg Forest.

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2014 winner Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra abandons the race as a consequence of his earlier crash, though Quick-Step, of course, still have a range of options at their disposal.

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Greg Van Avermaet goes down in a crash at the beginning of the cobbles at Wallers, and he needs a replacement bike. He springs to his feet and starts walking backwards in search of his team car. He gets a quick bike replacement, but he is going to have to put in a big, big effort to get back on ahead of the Arenberg. He is already 40 seconds behind the peloton, and 1:19 behind the escapees.

There was an injection of pace in the reduced bunch even before that crash. Now Boonen hits the front with Tony Martin on his wheel...

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Next up, the Trouée d'Arenberg. As if any introduction is needed, it's 2.4km long and, of course, given a five-star difficulty rating.

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Sagan and Boonen both move up on opposite sides at the same time. Boonen takes up the reins at the front, Sagan on his rear wheel...

Boonen strings things out in the main peloton on the cobbles at Arenberg with Sagan and Degenkolb tucked in behind him.

Trentin leads the bunch off the Arenberg cobbles with Sagan and Stuyven just behind him.

Delage was shaken loose by the leaders on the Arenberg. Vandenbergh and Wallays remain in front, 20 seconds ahead of the peloton, which came through the Arenberg without shedding too many bodies.

Delage was shaken loose by the leaders on the Arenberg. Vandenbergh and Wallays remain in front, 20 seconds ahead of the peloton, which came through the Arenberg without shedding too many bodies.

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Chavanel and Wallays have 25 seconds on the bunch on sector 18 from Wallers to Hélesmes. Van Avermaet is still chasing, 45 seconds down on the leaders.

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Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) is also in this Van Avermaet group, incidentally. They are almost within touching distance of Boonen, Sagan et al, but nothing is a given at Paris-Roubaix...

Wallays overshoots a right-hand corner and Chavanel is suddenly alone at the head of the race, but he will likely wait for the Belgian. The bunch is 40 seconds back the road, and has now swelled to include the Van Avermaet-Kristoff-Boom group.

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Gaps are beginning to drift open in the peloton under the weight of Trek's forcing. Juraj Sagan is among the riders caught behind. His brother Peter, meanwhile, is very prominent towards the front. The world champion has rarely been out of the front ten riders on the cobbles.

The Trek forcing has split the bunch. Sagan, Van Avermaet and Degenkolb are in a group of ten riders that doesn't contain any Quick-Step riders... Boonen accelerates to give chase... Balen, do we have a problem?

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Van Avermaet chases in a bid to bring this group up to Sagan. Stybar leads the pursuit in what we can call the main peloton, which contains Boonen.

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Boonen takes over in the chasing group on the cobbles and stretches things out. He knows he can't allow Sagan's advantage to yawn open past 30 seconds.

An unspecified problem for Sagan, and Bodnar waits for him. Stuyven and Oss press on without them.

It appears Sagan had a puncture. He has Bodnar for company in the no man's land between our leaders Stuyven and Oss, and the chasing peloton.

Sagan is caught at the entry to sector 15 at  Tilloy, though he opts to set the pace at the front of the group rather than melt back into it.

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Tom Boonen accelerates on the cobbles at Tilloy and his forcing looks like splitting this chasing group. Sagan and Degenkolb scramble to follow.

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Tony Martin pegs back Demare on the cobbles of sector 14, and continues to force the pace in the chasing peloton. The German's effort string things out and some gaps are beginning to open.

Boonen comes through and then follows through with interest. His surging effort stetches those gaps a little further as they emerge from sector 14. Edvald Boasson Hagen, who recently punctured, is among the riders caught behind, and he looks to be irretrievably distanced.

Boonen relents once they hits smooth roads and the group increases in size once again. Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) senses the lull and attacks to set off in lone pursuit of Oss and Stuyven.

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Onto sector 13 at Orchies, and Boonen takes up the reins in the chasing group once again. The Belgian has been increasingly active on the pave sectors as the race reaches its denouement.

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Oss and Stuyven lose a clutch of seconds every time the race rattles over the cobbles and then pad their advantage out again as soon as the favourites sit up and look at one other on smooth roads. That kind of stop-start rhythm has helped surprise winners at Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders over the years, but Oss and Stuyven's lead remains very manageable for their pursuers.

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Boonen, Sagan, Van Avermaet, Degenkolb, Hayman, Van Baarle, Stybar, Martin, Demare and Kristoff are all still in this main peloton, which is 50 seconds down on Oss and Stuyven. Gianni Moscon (Sky), Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Soudal) and Dimitri Claeys (Cofidis), incidentally, are in a counter-attack just 16 seconds down.

The peloton hits the cobbles at Mons-en-Pévèle, and Zdenek Stybar instantly hits the front and forces the pace for Quick-Step.

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Sagan has Stybar locked onto his wheel on the cobbles at Mons-en-Pévèle, and they open a gap over the Boonen group.

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Boonen, Van Avermaet, Hayman and Degenkolb are among the riders who have caught back up to Sagan and Stybar just before the end of the Mons-en-Pévèle sector. This has the feel of a decisive selection, but we will see how the dust settles, so to speak...

Boonen, Van Avermaet, Hayman and Degenkolb are among the riders who have caught back up to Sagan and Stybar just before the end of the Mons-en-Pévèle sector. This has the feel of a decisive selection, but we will see how the dust settles, so to speak...

Boonen, Van Avermaet, Hayman and Degenkolb are among the riders who have caught back up to Sagan and Stybar just before the end of the Mons-en-Pévèle sector. This has the feel of a decisive selection, but we will see how the dust settles, so to speak...

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A mechanical issue for Keukeleire, and the Belgian loses contact with this elite front group. The remnants of the race, including a desperate Kristoff is reportedly almost a minute behind.

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Disaster for Sagan. A rear wheel puncture just as he was attempting to bridge up to Stybar, Roelandts and Van Baarle. 

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Van Avermaet puts in a ferocious dig at the beginning of the Carrefour de l'Abre. He won't have five riders for company out the other end...

Van Avermaet sets the pace, Stybar is on his wheel. Langeveld and Stuyven follow but Moscon and Roelandts are distanced.

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And then there were three.. Stybar leads Van Avermaet and Langeveld at the head of the race. They seem to have shaken Stuyven loose.

Boonen, Degenkolb and Naesen have formed a chase group, 29 seconds down on Van Avermaet, Stybar and Langeveld. A struggling Sagan has lost all hope, and is 59 seconds back.

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Van Avermaet leads onto the velodrome. Stybar moves up to the top of the banking.

Stybar leads into the final lap at the top of the banking, with Van Avermaet behind him. They soft pedal around the crown of the bend, and Stuyven and Moscon have caught them!

Moscon goes immediately...

Stybar opens his sprint and comes around Moscon with Van Avermaet on his wheel...

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) wins Paris-Roubaix ahead of Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step Floors).

Sebastien Langeveld (Cannondale-Drapac) takes third ahead of Moscon and Stuyven.

Van Avermaet joins the club and becomes a Monuments man. The multi-talented James Startt captures the moment for posterity on the grass in the centre of the Roubaix velodrome.

Result:

 

Arnaud Demare (FDJ) won the sprint for 6th place, 12 seconds back. A disappointed Tom Boonen came home in that sizeable group.

Result:

Greg Van Avermaet speaks: "In the end I was a bit afraid of Stybar because he wasn’t working with us. I’m really happy to have finally won a Monument because I’ve had a long wait for this. I had a bit of bad luck before the Arenberg but the team did good work. Everybody was in the right place for me and Daniel Oss did really good work and everything came together for me.

The average speed for this Paris-Roubaix was 45.204kph. This was the fastest in history, out-stripping Peter Post's longstanding 1964 record when, of course, the race featured far fewer kilometres of cobbles.

 

Tom Boonen finished his final race in 13th place, 12 seconds down on Van Avermaet. After a shower aboard the Quick-Step bus, he performed his final media duties as a professional bike rider in the scrum that formed outside.

Defending champion Mat Hayman finished in 11th place, in the same group as Boonen.

Peter Sagan, meanwhile, came home in 38th place, 5:12 down on Van Avermaet, his race undone by two punctures. So it goes.

Result:

 

Thanks for joining our live coverage on Cyclingnews today. A full report, results and pictures will follow here, and we'll have all the news and reaction from Stephen Farrand, Sadhbh O'Shea and Brecht Decaluwe in Roubaix.

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