It's time for the Hell of North! An today we are looking to an historic day, as Sam Bewley might equal Tom Boonen's all-time record of Paris-Roubaix wins, if the New Zealander is able to win the race by the fifth consecutive time
Seven riders are in the BotD, and surprisingly, as in Flanders, Bewley has put a team-mate in the breakaway while his team control the race in the bunch
Habtom Edmondson Young Kumara Mundle Boev Kuroeda
After 100 km of flat roads, we are finally in the first cobbled sector of the day. The gap to the breakaway is 7 minutes, and in the bunch both Evonik and Moser are working
With the cobbles it comes the crashes. There were a few in the back of the bunch, not involving anyone important, but what was more surprising was to see a breakaway rider in the ground. It’s Kuroeda
Around 100 riders in the bunch when the race is on the mythical cobbled section; Trouee de Arenberg. The gap with the breakaway is only 2 minutes now
Wisniowski is on the ground! One of the favourites for a top5 place today has crashed together with a team-mate right before when the race will start to explod. Terrible time for a crash. Insausti was also involved in the same crash
The breakaway is about to be caught with 60 km to the finish, but what’s more important, Mons-en-Pevele is coming in only a few kms
We are now in Mons-en-Pevele and we can clearly see that the rhythm has been increased a lot, with Polnicky and Naud trying to split the group, having riders like Lampaert or Wisniowski in the back of it
There are 50 riders in the first group with only 35 km left, but it’s really weird that Bewley and Summerhill are in the two first places of the group instead of their team-mates. They might want to avoid any splits by being in the front, but if they don’t push either nothing is going to happen
And finally goes Bewley! Still 30 km to go, but the New Zealander wants to win his record-fifth Roubaix in a solo show. Summerhill is the only one even trying to follow him
Bewley and Summerhill are now together in the front, having half a minute on the bunch, where some riders are trying to either attack or bring them back. If the leading duo can work together, the race is over for the rest
That was incredible from Declerq. He has brought Bewley and Summerhill back without any help working for Blythe. If he can do this later, Blythe will be in a great position for a top result
Festina on the ground! Both riders that were left in the group of the team have crashed together: David and Jacobs. This is the end of the race for both, as a comeback with only 20 km left is impossible
Meanwhile, in the front, Senechal is attacking and has brought with him both Bewley and Summerhill. Behind them, only 15 riders are left in the fight, with Kluge doing the chase working for Maes
Kluge, Maes Van Avermaet Fenn Breen, Trentin Blythe Wisniowski Zepuntke Vanspeybrouck Gusev, Sulimov Vanmarcke Baugnies Walsleben
Only 12 km left and the leading trio is going to start the final cobbled section of the race. Is not too long, so chances that anyone will be dropped there are slim, but Senechal or Summerhill have to try it. They can’t go with Bewley to a sprint. Van Avermaet is doing the chase in the group now, being half a minute behind the 3 in front
Nothing changed after this last cobbled section, but Bewley didn’t look as strong as always, like if there had been a longer cobbled section, he might have been dropped
Bewley was doing no work, and the other two didn’t want to drag him to the finish, so the group behind has caught them. 13 riders fighting for the glory in the Velodrome
Bewley, Summerhill, Senechal, Van Avermaet, Vanspeybrouck, Fenn, Blythe, Zeputnke, Sulimov, Trentin, Maes and Vanmarcke
We are entering the Velodrome and it’s confirmed that we are going to have to biggest ever group to arrive here. Bewley is still the clear favourite
Senechal knows he stands no chance in the sprint and with 4 km to go, he is making his move for the win. Bewley is still acting weird. He doesn’t have a great day clearly, but he should still be able to win this
Bewley starts his sprint really early seeing that if not, Senechal is going to get the win
Really smart Bewley now, as instead of keep sprinting when he reached Senechal, he has put on the French’s wheel. Both riders have a 12 seconds gap to the group, where Sulimov is the one pulling there
Final km for the leading duo. Bewley is gaining the inside line, so Senechal’s only option is to take that line, making Bewley to slow down and having to go in the outside
But Bewley is so much faster that Senechal didn’t even have time to try that. With 700 metres left, he has already a gap to guarantee him the win for the fifth year in a row
Zepuntke is taking the lead in the group for the third place, while Van Avermaet looks boxed by Sulimov
Sam Bewley wins Paris-Roubaix! And with this win, he is now the all-time leader in Paris-Roubaix wins, with 5
Florian Senechal takes a very deserved second place - and very unfortunate to have some lapped riders while the first group is finishing their race -
In all this mess of lapped riders, Van Avermaet has been able to steal third place from Zepuntke in the last 50 metres.
Sulimov takes a surprising fifth place ahead of rather dissappointed Summerhill, who hoped for a more selective race
Big photo-finish for seventh place, with Fenn giving Pendleton’s massive points in this race ahead of Trentin, Vanspeybrouck, and Baugnies. Maes and Blythe, despite possibly being the best sprinter of the group, finished outside the top10
Vanmarcke was dropped during the sprint and will take a 13th place today
Ferreiro beats Kluge for 14th place, while Breen, Wisniowski, Walsleben, Gusev and Nooytens complete the top20 of the race
Sam Bewley steps in the podium to receive his trophy of Paris-Roubaix winner by the fifth year in a row, equalling Tom Boonen’s five wins in the “Hell of the North” Historic day for the rider from New Zealand
As expected, lots of riders finishing outside the time limit, losing their "guaranteed" 5 poiints from the race
