Paris-Roubaix, the Hell of the North. The race is 259km long, and 51km of that are cobbled. Boonen won Ronde van Vlaanderen, Cancellara won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Bewley won the East Midlands Cicle Classic and Gent - Wevelgem. Who will take it today?
The start is in Compiegne, and the race director is still waving his flag as the first attack occurs. Yatsevich is the man gunning for a 259km solo ride.
There is a lot of interest in following him away. Flaksis, Bar, Lebris, Monterastelli and Van der Sande initially, but soon even more try to follow.
Too many riders, and this move is not going anywhere.
Vandewalle, Monterastelli, Haas, Yatsevich, Croket and Lebris form the next move to build an early gap but then more - such as Gallego Martin, Haedo and Konig try to bridge across, and we are back to one big peloton again.
The next attempt has Einsle, Flaksis, Konig, Gallego Martin, Lavoine, Reckweg and Blot.
But after that also fails, the next round of attackers are McCarthy, Reckweg, Bar, Lindeman, Mourey and Blot.
And finally, we have a group that sticks. Away they go.
They build a lead of 1'30, but this does not mean the end of early attacks.
Croket, Insausti, Lebris, Monterastelli and Nordhaug are not happy to have missed the move.
But Simply Red Bull and Pokerstars are quite happy to only have 6 riders out front, and close this new attack down.
Next up it is Lavoine, Nordhaug, Monterastelli, Insausti and Belkov.
Still they are chased down. Is that it? No, as Matthews and Einsle give it a go.
And this time they do get away, there's a 2 minute gap to cross to the breakaway of 6, and they manage it. By 150km to go we have reached Troisvilles à Inchy, the first cobblestones of the race.
The best cobbled riders in the move are Mourey and Lindeman with a 74 cobbles stat. Good move by them to get in to the breakaway.
And we have the first crash of the day in the peloton: Brus. Shortly followed by a crash in the breakaway, Matthews' time at the front did not last long.
A puncture for Kamyshev and Kruopis and crash for Champion, and as Matthews is about to be absorbed by the Simply Red Bull and Pokerstars led peloton, we are getting our first sizeable groups dropped off the back.
It is still over 100 strong, and those dropped are only those who simply weren't designed to ride cobbled races. Always going to be a long day for them.
Up front there is some more bad luck for the breakaway as Bar punctures.
Attack time in the peloton aswell - 6th in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was Vanmarcke, but today he is going for a long one. He is joined by the surprise winner of that race in 2012, Verbist, plus Sinkeldam and Kamyshev, already recovered from that earlier puncture.
Bar managed to rejoin the break, but is just being dropped again as the 4 new attackers complete their bridge of the 2'30 gap.
Rojas, the team leader of Aker, punctures while Bpost have sent a couple of riders forward to join Simply Red Bull and Pokerstars with the pace setting. Vanspeybrouck feeling good?
Einsle is dropped on Arenberg, with Reckweg struggling and soon to follow.
But very interesting developments as the peloton hit the much-hyped section of cobbles, as Burghardt and Cancellara come forwards to the front of the group.
The section almost passes without incident, but then Dufrasnes hits the floor right at the end of it.
And Arenberg is the start of the pattern for Burghardt and Cancellara. Every piece of cobbles now, they drift forwards to take a relay. Surely not the best use of energy?
Into the final 60 kilometres, and the break is continuing to splinter. Just 5 remain now: Sinkeldam, Vanmarcke, Verbist, Mourey and Kamyshev. Mourey being the last survivor of the early move. Their lead is still above 4 minutes.
They've warmed their legs up a bit, and now they attack. Cancellara and Burghardt strike out against Pokerstars.
They only get a small gap, but it is a gap nontheless. Boonen responds by taking to the front of the peloton, leading his teammates Nolf, De Vocht and Kluge.
Bewley and Blythe have moved up towards the front, but Cancellara and Burghardt are inching away. 35 seconds is the lead now.
Don't forget that this duo are the strongest on cobbles of the whole field, so this is starting to look dangerous and ... CANCELLARA CRASHES
Suddenly Burghardt has lost a key ally, but his lead is now up to 48 seconds.
Coinciding with Cancellara's crash, the peloton has torn itself to pieces. Couldnt be worse timing for Spartacus.
Here in the front group of 22 are: Bewley Blythe, Fenn Nolf, Boonen, De Vocht, Kluge Vanspeybrouck, Albert Summerhill, Eeckhout Ballan, Fouquet Gusev Wynants, Nuyens Franzoi Steurs Langeveld Drucker, Kruijswijk Trentin
Broers, Rowe, Joseph, Van Impe, Ingels and Geslin are next, and then it is Cancellara. Already about a minute and a half behind the peloton.
He has Sibilla for company, as they bid farewell to another teammate Turgot.
Burghardt's lead is holding at around 43 seconds, as Bewley and Summerhill stretch the peloton but don't appear capable of closing that gap.
And the 'peloton' is reduced to 13. Blythe, Boonen, Franzoi, Summerhill, Bewley, Gusev, Vanspeybrouck, Ballan, De Vocht, Steurs, Albert and Nuyens
They are 40 seconds behind Burghardt, and now 2 minutes ahead of the next group which is now led by Sibilla and Cancellara. It's so important that Cancellara has Sibilla right now to help, but it's not looking good at the moment.
Burghardt catches the break ... and they all sit up. So frustrating.
37km to go and it's all together. Except for Cancellara, trailing at 2 minutes. But he is coming...
He leaves Sibilla behind as the gap is down to 1 minute, and at 30km to go ... he is back!
Burghardt has remained on the front - he doesnt know what else to do maybe. But coming through to join him is Cancellara. What a recovery by him.
18 riders left in this race still: Cancellara Burghardt Boonen, De Vocht Bewley, Verbist Summerhill Blythe, Fenn Gusev Ballan Vanspeybrouck, Albert Steurs Franzoi Nuyens Sinkeldam Vantomme
But Vantomme, Sinkeldam, Nuyens and Albert are soon in trouble
Even 14 riders seems like too many riders left to decide the race. 19km to go, it's all to play for still and here goes Summerhill onto the attack. Blythe follows.
Ballan, Gusev and Franzoi follow.
Steurs trys to close the gap, but he has got the 4 big names on his wheel
Bewley makes his move. Cancellara struggling to follow, with Boonen in tow.
He catches up to Franzoi, Summerhill, Gusev, Ballan and Blythe and the Kiwi goes straight past them!
Franzoi, Gusev and Ballan jump to his wheel, but the gap is now opening on Boonen, Cancellara, Blythe and Summerhill.
This is such a big moment in the race and Bewley is relentless. Franzoi can't keep up, nor can Ballan or Gusev.
Summerhill, Boonen and Cancellara join those 3. But Blythe is struggling now and is 40 seconds back down the road in the Burghardt group.
The German who looked so strong earlier is struggling now. Fenn, Steurs, Vanspeybrouck and Verbist are with them while Nuyens and Albert have recovered a little to also get back in touch.
There are 11km to go and Bewley is off on a solo ride. 20 seconds is his lead.
Summerhill reduces that to 14. He needs support from Boonen but the Belgian is not looking great. And what does Cancellara have left after his rollercoaster day?
The Top 7 could be decided now because the other 9 are almost a minute down the road. Vanspeybrouck is setting the pace and while Burghardt is on his wheel, the rest seem to be on their limit.
Boonen and Cancellara move forward to help Summerhill. I don't think they can expect much of the other 3 who have already been blown off Bewley's wheel.
But look at this, Vanspeybrouck is riding himself right back into the race, and bringing Burghardt with him
But Burghardt cannot match the pace of the ProContinental rider and is dropped, while again it has been left to Summerhill to chase down Bewley
Sam Bewley has finished 2nd in a Monument four times now: Milan SanRemo twice, Ronde van Vlaanderen last week, and Paris-Roubaix last year. Is he on the verge of his biggest career victory? That gap is growing as the last cobbles sector comes and goes.
Burghardt has managed to catch the chasing group - which perhaps is bad news for the speed of the group. It seems that Summerhill and Vanspeybrouck may be the strongest here with the Bpost rider having come straight to the front.
But this is the moment Cancellara has been waiting for and he attacks!
What a story it would be if he could win this.
Summerhill is onto his wheel, and it doesnt look like theyve been able to force a gap as Bewley enters the velodrome. But the lead is now coming down again!
Cancellara leads the chase now and may be forced to lead out. Boonen has been unconvincing but is now in a perfect position to try to sprint down Bewley.
The bell rings out around the Velodrome as Bewley starts his final lap.
The Blythe/Fenn/De Vocht/Nuyens/Albert/Steurs group is now in the velodrome too. Steurs has got a little gap that Blythe is struggling to close.
And Cancellara does indeed have to lead off the sprint in the chasing group, with Summerhill and Boonen right on his shoulder.
The Swiss rider is left behind as Summerhill surges into 2nd. Boonen battling it out, with Ballan also looking good now.
But that is surely a sprint for 2nd place, the gap isnt going to close...
Sam Bewley wins the 2013 Paris-Roubaix!
Super ride from the Milka rider. He has been the best rider over the cobbles this season, as this race proves.
It's a tough old sprint for second place, and an exhausted Boonen just about manages to beat Summerhill on the line
Cancellara fights back in the closing stages to take 4th place - the least that he deserved really. Did that crash deny him victory?
Ballan takes 5th ahead of Vanspeybrouck, Gusev and Franzoi. Just 9th for Burghardt. Two big what ifs over his race. What if Cancellara hadnt crashed, and what if he had just ridden past the early break and maintained that solo lead? He was surely more capable than 9th today.
Niels Albert will complete the Top 10. He denies the late attack of Steurs and also Blythe who seemed to just hit a wall at about 15km to go, and faded away.
De Vocht just managed to outsprint Nuyens for 13th - a great ride for him today. Fenn was a somewhat anonymous 15th after making the Top 10 last year, while in the background Verbist will cap a great day for Milka with 16th.
Vanmarcke and Sinkeldam are next, hanging on after being in that mid-stage breakaway. Sinkeldam is one to watch for the future in this race.
A gap after that to see who would complete the Top 20. Plenty of riders sat up after falling away, and so a 47 rider group enters the Velodrome to fight for it, led in by Sibilla.
Luke Rowe made an early move for 19th, but would have to settle for 20th as he was overhauled by Trentin.
More riders continue to struggle in and over the line, ultimately we will have 129 finishers with a significant number missing the time limit. Its the end of another memorable Paris-Roubaix, none more so than for the victor Sam Bewley.
1
Sam Bewley
Milka - AVG
6h46'01
2
Tom Boonen
Pokerstars.com
+ 23
3
Danny Summerhill
Wikipedia
s.t.
4
Fabian Cancellara
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
5
Alessandro Ballan
Koenigsegg
s.t.
6
Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Team BPost
s.t.
7
Vladimir Gusev
Pendleton's
s.t.
8
Enrico Franzoi
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
9
Marcus Burghardt
Team Bacardi
s.t.
10
Niels Albert
Team BPost
+ 1'43
11
Adam Blythe
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
12
Geert Steurs
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
13
Wim De Vocht
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
14
Nick Nuyens
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
15
Andrew Fenn
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
16
Evert Verbist
Milka - AVG
+ 2'47
17
Sep Vanmarcke
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
+ 4'12
18
Ramon Sinkeldam
Project 1t4i
s.t.
19
Matteo Trentin
Project 1t4i
+ 11'14
20
Luke Rowe
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
21
Michel Sibilla
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
22
Frederik Nolf
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
23
Alexandr Nepomnyachsniy
Milka - AVG
s.t.
24
Roger Kluge
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
25
Sebastian Langeveld
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
