Omega Pharma really hates your team...

At war with Omega Pharma, hope you give it to them good style

Welcome to the Hell of the North! The 112th edition of Paris - Roubaix, the 3rd cycling monument of the year. Since last year, Roger De Vlaeminckx has to share the title of record wins with Fabian Cancellara, as Spartacus took his 4th cobble-trophy.




258 kilometres from Compiègne to the vélodrome in Roubaix, featruing 27 cobbled sections. Some easy, some (Trouée d'Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l'Arbre) that bad, that it is a miracle most riders can stay on their bikes.










*** Tom Boonen (Katusha), Matti Breschel, Fabian Cancellara (Sky).
** Juan Antonio Flecha (Euskaltel), Filippo Pozzato (BMC), Johan Vansummeren (Rabobank).
* Alessandro Ballan (BMC), Nick Nuyens (Saxo Bank), Niki Terpstra.


Given the fact that Boonen and Pozzato are some tough nuts to crack, and Cancellara seems to be in good form, a top 3 will be great. But we will still aim for that win!

GO MATTI!

I believe he will win this!!

A bunch of cobbles-nobodies arrives at the first cobbled section of the day, Troisvilles à Inchy. AG2R's Yoann Barbas has the highest Co-stat of the 14, and that is 60. So as they'll be caught very soon, I won't bother you with the other names.



Shortly before secteur 21 (Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes - Famars), we see the first important breakaway. Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil, Co 74) and Martin Koch (Sony Ericsson, 73) are the ones.



Syill 100 kilometres to go and the leading duo has become a threesome. Katushas Fabio Felline (Co 76) has bridged the gap and the 3 have a margin of 4'04 to the peloton.



The normal nervosity of the favourites before secteur 16, the Trouée d’Arenberg, doesn't happen. Our riders start the long cobbled road through the forest among the first ranks of the peloton, 6'18 behind the 3 leaders.



Secteur 12 (Orchies) is done and the pace of the peloton remains pretty low. The margin to the 3 leaders has decreased by only 1'22 in the last 28 kilometres. So we decide to make the race a lot tougher, also because a 2nd peloton with some big names in it has lost contact with the first peloton. Most important "victims" are Nick Nuyens (Co 81), Geraint Thomas (77), Bobbie Traksel (77), Sebastian Langeveld (80), Bernhard Eisel (77), Jetse Bol (81) and Alessandro Ballan (80).
The best way to make the race hard, is that one of our protected riders attacks. Since Niki Terpstra feels that he hasn't got the legs today to win (daily form -3), he attacks out of the peloton with 58km to go.



The race enters it's final at secteur 10, Mons-en-Pévèle. Devolder, Felline and Koch are still in the lead, with Terpstra following at 1'10. The first "peloton" of 17 riders follows at 2'22, and in it are: Cancellara (83), Pozzato (82), Flecha (79), Boonen (82), Van Zandbeek (77), Roelandts (77), Maaskant (81), Vansummeren (82), Vermeltfoort (78), Breschel (82), Visser (74), Reihs (73), Hushovd (79), Gaudin (75), Chavanel (78), Boom (78) and Vanmarcke (76). The 2nd peloton with Ballan, Bol and Langeveld follows at 4'46.



His bad legs make that Terpstra already gets caught by the first peloton. Then Thor Hushovd attacks out of it and he is the first one to bridge the gap to the 3 leaders, with 32km to go. The peloton, that has become a small group of 16 riders, follows at '31.



The 4 leaders get caught, and then at secteur 7 (Moulin de Vertain), the French favourite Sylvain Chavanel has to wait because of a puncture.



Also bad luck for Filippo Pozzato. At the end of secteur 7 he punctures. Luckily for him, the neutral motorcycle with spare wheels is close behind him, so he doens't loose much time and can close the gap to the leading group again.



Secteur 6, Cysoing à Bourghelles. Pozzato is back in the leading group. 16 riders are left up front that have a chance to win Paris - Roubaix. Chavanel follows at 2 minutes, joined by Ballan, Bol and Langeveld.



Then the first attack out of the group of favourites, and again it is Thor Hushovd. He attacks at secteur 5, Camphin-en-Pévèle, with Pozzato and Flecha trying to counter the attack.



Hushovd creates a maximum margin of 20 seconds, but at secteur 4, the Carrefour de l'Arbre, the other favourites catch him. 8 riders are left to compete for the win: Hushovd, Pozzato, Flecha, Maaskant, Breschel, Vansummeren, Cancellara and Boonen.



Exiting the Carrefour de l'Arbre, Hushovd attacks for the 3rd time. This time he gets countered by Johan Vansummeren. Knowing that Summy is too dangerous, Boonen and Cancellara also counter. We stay calm, using the fact that Breschel (daily form +1) has a team mate (Martijn Maaskant, daily form +2) that can do the work for him.



And Maaskant does a fantastic job in bringing Breschel (and also Pozzato) back to the 4 leaders. Consequently, Flecha has been dropped, so 7 left.



Maaskant takes over the pace of the leading group, ensuring it is that high, that no one dares to attack. He is the first to enter the Vélodrome, cheered by thousands of spectators. Cancellara is in his wheel, followed by Boonen and Breschel. Boonen looks the most fresh of the 7, and also has the best sprint of them.



With 2km to go, the sprint has started, with all 7 still in the same position. Our Danish sprinter has told me that he feels okay, but not great....



Vansummeren tries to surprise the better sprinters with a long sprint, on the low side of the Vélodrome. Hushovd and Pozzato are in his wheel. This is the sign for Boonen to start his sprint on the high side.



Maaskant has fallen back and will finish in 7th. Also Pozzato drops back, having to spend too much energy because of his puncture. Summy still leads the sprint, but Boonen is gaining ground quickly, urging for his 4th PR-win. Also Cancellara and Breschel are gaining ground to Summy and Hushovd.



And Tom Boonen continues his strike of monument wins this season. First La Primavera, then last week De Ronde and now his 4th Paris - Roubaix, meaning he becomes the record holder together with Roger De Vlaeminck and Fabian Cancellara.
Cancellara finishes in 2nd place, with Matti Breschel taking another 3rd place, just as in De Ronde!

1	Tom Boonen	Katusha Team	7h08'02
2	Fabian Cancellara	Sky ProCycling	s.t.
3	Matti Breschel	Petronas - Monster Energy	s.t.
4	Thor Hushovd	Dexia	s.t.
5	Johan Vansummeren	Rabobank Cycling Team	s.t.
6	Filippo Pozzato	BMC Racing Team	s.t.
7	Martijn Maaskant	Petronas - Monster Energy	+ 35
8	Juan Antonio Flecha	Euskaltel - Euskadi	+ 1'03
9	Sylvain Chavanel	Garmin - Barracuda	+ 1'19
10	Jetse Bol	Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team	+ 1'54

ANother 3rd place, and in contrary to last week, we feel that this was the maximum result. Terpstra did a great job in the attack, and after that Maaskant in helping Breschel. Boonen was simply too strong!

So close yet again for Matti Breschel

Wow, loove the picture of 2km left to go!!

Another great race, only the win is missing.

It looks like a scene from a track points race

Hey, five more pages! Hope you make it before the world ends!

What has happened with the crowd in your game?

They were too cold so they went inside to watch it on Eurosport

He he, very nice answer

Well, then you better hope the world doesn't end!!

We have to spam the page to make it

Nah, the world doesn't end the 21st. I have bought a 2013-calender that says the world continues in 2013....