Paris- Roubaix Spoiler Alert - Van Summeren - Cancellara - Tiallingii

crashes and tactics win the day

The sun shone and it was blue skies rather than mud that greeted the
combatants on today's Paris Roubaix. On a spectacular day of crashes,
splits and dust it was Johan Vansummeren who soloed off the front off
the leading group to take the line at the Roubaix velodrome and
salvage Garmin-Cervelo's classics season after all Cancellara's
efforts were only enough to score him second place.

Bradley Wiggins (Sky) had an early poke off the front and was joined
by five other riders to build up an early lead before being reeled
back in with 190km still to run. Martin Elmiger (Ag2r) was the next to
drag a break away from the peloton, and that group had a 50-second
lead by the time they hit the first stretch of cobbles. By the 100km
to go mark the lead group had settled to 11 riders and the advantage
was nearly two minutes.

At the Arenberg the chase started in earnest but the famous trench
claimed Tom Boonen (Quick Step) who first pulled over with mechanical
problems and then took down Sky's Geraint Thomas in a crash just after
he restarted. Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel was the next to go,
falling heavily on a paved section as he chased to rejoin the main
group after a puncture. The Belgian made it back on to his bike but
pulled up with 52km to go.

The crashes came thick and fast and Pozzatto (Katusha), Hammond
(Garmin Cervelo) and Haussler (Garmin Cervelo) all hit the deck as the
pace increased. With just less than 50km to go it was Thor Hushovd who
fired himself off the front. His burst of pace, with Cancellara
following his wheel, was the move that finally broke up the group
containing the main contenders. Juan Antonio Flecha was struggling to
stay in touch with Ballan also in tow. As the clock ticked down past
30km to go Cancellara sat up and seemed to say in no uncertain terms
that he wasn't happy doing all the work, and the slowing of pace
allowed Juan Antonio Flecha to bridge back to the leaders.

Ahead of them the leading group had swelled to 16 riders: Lars Ytting
Bak (HTC-Highroad), Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Manuel
Quinziato (BMC Racing Team), Frederic Guesdon (FDJ), Baden Cooke (Saxo
Bank-SunGard), John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad), Tom Leezer (Rabobank),
Gabriel Rasch (Garmin-Cervelo) Gregory Rast (RadioShack), Maarten
Tjallingi (Rabobank), Martin Elmiger (AG2R-La Mondiale), Timon Seubert
(Team NetApp), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Mitchell Docker (Skil-
Shimano), David Boucher (Omega-Pharma Lotto), David Veilleux
(Europcar), Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) Koen de Kort (Skil-
Shimano), Gorazd Stangelj (Astana), and Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-
Cervelo). Vansummeren, Rast, Tjallingii and Bak managed to sneak off
the front and their advantage was up to 25 seconds at the Carrefour de
L'Arbre.

A minute back Hushovd and Cancellara had decided that it was make or
break time, and Cancellara had to use all of his bike skills to avoid
getting sideswiped by a motorcycle outrider as he upped the pace.
Johan Vansummeren chose exactly the same point of the race to launch
his solo attack for glory. Hushovd and Cancellara soon dropped Ballan
and Boom and scythed through the rest of the leading group to move up
to fifth and sixth on the road with 13km to go, and Vansummeren almost
reeled back in by Tjallingi at the 8km mark with Rast and Bak chasing
hard.

With 5km to go Vansummeren's advantage had grown again to 30 seconds
and with no chasing pack it looked like it would be enough as the
Belgian navigated the final section of pavé. A magnificent attack by
Cancellara at 3km saw him fly off the front of the leading group to
solo up to the chasing three and shot by them in an attempt to close
the gap and he almost made it: as Vansummeren took the bell for the
final lap of the velodrome the chasers were already on the boards. But
nothing was going to deny Vansummeren his day in the sun, and he took
the line arms aloft as behind him Cancellara outsprinted Tjallingii to
take second place.

Johan Vansummeren (Garmin Cervelo) 6h 07m 28s
Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) 19s
Marten Tjallingii (Rabobank) 19s
Gregory Rast (Radio Shack) 19s
Lars Bak (HTC Highroad) 21s
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) 36s
Bernard Eisel (HTC Highroad) 47s
Thor Hushovd (Garmin Cervelo) 47s
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) 47s
Matthew Hayman (Sky) 47s

Anton Berlin wrote:
Johan Vansummeren (Garmin Cervelo) 6h 07m 28s
Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) 19s
Marten Tjallingii (Rabobank) 19s
Gregory Rast (Radio Shack) 19s
Lars Bak (HTC Highroad) 21s
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) 36s
Bernard Eisel (HTC Highroad) 47s
Thor Hushovd (Garmin Cervelo) 47s
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) 47s
Matthew Hayman (Sky) 47s

Must be some time since QS didn't make the top 10.

On Apr 10, 4:03*pm, Anton Berlin wrote:
crashes and tactics win the day

The sun shone and it was blue skies rather than mud that greeted the
combatants on today's Paris Roubaix. On a spectacular day of crashes,
splits and dust it was Johan Vansummeren who soloed off the front off
the leading group to take the line at the Roubaix velodrome and
salvage Garmin-Cervelo's classics season after all Cancellara's
efforts were only enough to score him second place.

Bradley Wiggins (Sky) had an early poke off the front and was joined
by five other riders to build up an early lead before being reeled
back in with 190km still to run. Martin Elmiger (Ag2r) was the next to
drag a break away from the peloton, and that group had a 50-second
lead by the time they hit the first stretch of cobbles. By the 100km
to go mark the lead group had settled to 11 riders and the advantage
was nearly two minutes.

At the Arenberg the chase started in earnest

I dunno about that - everyone, leaders and chasers - seemed to take a
breather for a while. I wouldn't say the Arenberg played that big a
role this year. Boonen could have had trouble anywhere on the
course. I must say I can't remember seeing a team leader have to wait
that long for a team-mate to happen along. Astonishing really,
leaving aside the fact that you'd have expected somebody to be with
him anyway at that stage of the race.

UD