# Paris-Roubaix *SPOILER*



## Flying_Monkey (10 Apr 2009)

Let's stop talking about Lance, and get back to the important stuff - i.e. who's going to win The Hell of the North this year?

Has Boonen been saving himself for this one? Will Devolder carry his form through? Will Haussler finally get a 1st place rather than a 2nd? Will my fav, Flecha, finally win something? 
A last hurrah for Big George? Who else has a chance?


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## Noodley (10 Apr 2009)

The Mighty Thunder of Thor...


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## mondobongo (10 Apr 2009)

Weather is showing cloudy with some drizzle in the morning moderate breeze and 14-16 degrees.

Hincapie to take the win.
__________________


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## rich p (10 Apr 2009)

mondobongo said:


> Hincapie to take the win.
> __________________



Is that a flying pig I see?

I'll go for Boonen to come good


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## Flying_Monkey (10 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> The Mighty Thunder of Thor...



As in:

'I'm Thor!'

'Well, you thould have worn in your thaddle before the rathe, thilly...'


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## oxbob (10 Apr 2009)

Hincapie/Devolder


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## mondobongo (10 Apr 2009)

rich p said:


> Is that a flying pig I see?
> 
> I'll go for Boonen to come good



He knows what has to be done is definitely in great form and has a team including Cav willing to fall on swords for him. I feel its Hincapie's year.


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## Priscilla Parsley (10 Apr 2009)

Hincapie Hincapie Hincapie


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## John the Monkey (10 Apr 2009)

Hincapie - as others have said, Columbia are a great team, and this could be his year, if his luck has changed.


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## Priscilla Parsley (10 Apr 2009)

warming up, with A Sunday in Hell and a Pinot Noir


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## Keith Oates (11 Apr 2009)

I would be very happy if Hancapie did get the win but I think Boonen will be the man of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## DanRVV2006 (11 Apr 2009)

TOM BOONEN, is my pick for the win, in great shape and well motivated and defending champion!
As for george, great guy and a deserving winner, but someone needs to tell him hes never going to win the ronde van vlaanderen or Roubaix riding 50mm deep carbon rims!!!
So Hincapie is not going to get close to a victory!!!
Watch out for Chavanal though, big outsider this coming sunday


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## rich p (11 Apr 2009)

Here are the odds FWIW 



Boonen, T 5/2 Quinziato, M 22/1 Arvesen, KA 50/1 
Cancellara, F 8/1 Breschel, M 25/1 Langeveld, S 50/1 
Devolder, S 8/1 Hushovd, T 25/1 Guesdon, F 50/1 
Flecha, JA 10/1 Boasson Hagen, E 28/1 Rast, G 50/1 
Pozzato, F 10/1 Burghardt, M 28/1 Klier, A 50/1 
Hincapie, G 12/1 Van Avermaet, G 28/1 Leukemans, B 50/1 
Cavendish, M 16/1 Nuyens, N 33/1 Iglinskiy, M 50/1 
Maaskant, M 16/1 Hammond, R 33/1 Goss, M 50/1 
Hoste, L 16/1 Steegmans, G 40/1 Weylandt, W 66/1 
Chavanel, Syl 18/1 Eisel, B 50/1 Posthuma, J 66/1 
Haussler, H 18/1 Elmiger, M 50/1 Hunt, J 80/1


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## Skip Madness (11 Apr 2009)

rich p said:


> Cavendish, M 16/1


Those are pretty short odds for someone who is not even riding - I hope no-one places that bet.

Edit: Shorter odds than Roger Hammond? Even if he was riding, that is silly.

I will go for Aleksandr Kuschynski.


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## dan_bo (11 Apr 2009)

Me. I'll win. I've just poured the last of my guiness down the sink and i'm getting an early night. I've even laid off the pudding and chips today. Put your money on me people- it's safe.


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## Chuffy (11 Apr 2009)

dan_bo said:


> Me. I'll win. I've just poured the last of my guiness down the sink and i'm getting an early night. I've even laid off the pudding and chips today. Put your money on me people- it's safe.


I bet you'd be at longer odds than this chap, and according to his name he's dead.

Posthuma, J 66/1


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## Noodley (11 Apr 2009)

Chuffy said:


> ...according to his name he's dead.



But only Joost


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

My money's on Fabian Cancellara.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

They're off. 259km to go, with about 53 on cobbles. Mind those fillings!!!


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

10:37 -




235km: It is raining in Paris and also at the finish, which will make the infamous cobbles slick. There could be trouble ahead then for our brave boys on bikes..


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

225km: Glenn D'Hollander, Maciej Bodnar and Angelo Furlan have attempted to escape; however they were quickly seized by the bunch.
- - 230km: The race usually leaves riders caked in mud and grit as they traverse the cobbled roads and rutted tracks of northern France's former coal-mining region.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

205km: A group of 11 including Flanders winner Devolder have opened up a gap of 30 seconds. Kasper Klostergaard (Saxo), Angelo Furlan (Credit Agricole), Steven Cozza (Garmin), Greg Henderson (Columbia), Yoann Offredo and Wesley Sulzberger(Francaise des Jeux), Joost Posthuma (Rabobank), Knaven (Milram), Steve Chainel (Bouygues) and Andreas Klier (Cervelo) are the other men in the break.
- - 210km: Quick Step have dominated this race in recent years with five wins in the last 11 years and in double champion Tom Boonen (2005 and 2008) have the race favourite. Stijn Devolder, the winner of Flanders last week, and Sylvain Chavanel give manager Patrick Lefevre plenty of options.
- - 220km: "The best I could do would be to describe it like this - they plowed a dirt road, flew over it with a helicopter, and then just dropped a bunch of rocks out of the helicopter! That's Paris-Roubaix. It's that bad - it's ridiculous." Chris Horner on the race.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 195km: The advantage for the escape group is now one minute.
- - 200km: Columbia and Cervelo have been prominent in the spring classics and have cards to play with George Hincapie, Gent-Wevelgem victor Edvald Boasson Hagen and Marcus Burghardt heading the American team and Flanders runner-up Heinrich Haussler, Thor Hushovd and Britain's Roger Hammond the most dangerous of the men in black.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 170km: Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank), Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto), Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) and Martijn Maaskant (Garmin) have all been mentioned in dispatches as possible winners while Liquigas could have a couple of dark horses in Aleksandr Kuschynski, who performed strongly in Wevelgem, and Flanders chief sulker Manuel Quinziato.
- - 180km: Frederic Guesdon (1997), Servais Knaven (2001) and Fabian Cancellara (2007) are the other past winners in the field with the Swiss having in-form Matti Breschel also on his Saxo Bank team.
- - 190km: Barry Hoban (1972) and Hammond (2004) are the only British riders to have made the podium at Paris-Roubaix, both finishing third. Hammond along with Cervelo team-mate Jeremy Hunt and Bradley Wiggins (Garmin) are carrying British hopes today.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 165km: Gatis Smukulis (AG2R) is trying to bridge the gap to the lead 11. The Quick Step man in the lead group is not Wouter Weylandt but Maarten Wynants. Race radio misidentified the two Belgian riders


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 160km: The nations with most victories are Belgium (52), France (30), Italy (11) and Holland (5). Seven countries have shared the other nine wins although Spain have yet to break their duck. Flecha and Euskaltel's Koldo Fernandez will be hoping to end that barren spell.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 145km: Quick-Step, Team Columbia and Vacansoleil head the peloton which is 3:55 behind the leaders as they pass through section 25 from Quievy to Saint Python (3.7km) and section 24 through Saint-Python (1.5km).
- - 155km: The lead has blown out to 3:35 after the first two sections of pave, Troisvilles to Inchy (2.2km) and Viesly to Quievy (1.8km). Only 25 more to come. Smukulis is back in the main pack.


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

I don't know if you are all watching the same coverage as me (I presume so) because their is some truly excellent camera work. Those motorcycle camera guys especially are getting some superb footage.

A shot before of Posthuma's rear wheel was incredible, the chain bouncing around on the pave!


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## Keith Oates (12 Apr 2009)

I'm 'watching' it on cyclingnews but it's still exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Hmmm, 88km to go and haussler keeps grinning at the cameras?


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## Priscilla Parsley (12 Apr 2009)

anyone got English audio link?


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Big George has just had a p*ncture, but has got Bossen Hagen to pull him along.

Cervelo with, Hunt and Hammond in there.

Wiggins down!!!!


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

75km: The main bunch is now around 50 riders and is 1:30 behind the 10 leaders as they head to section 15 from Warlaing to Brillon which is 2.4km long and has a three star rating. Devolder has just had to change his bike but has worked his way through the cars and is back in contact.
- - 80km: Cervelo, with five riders in the lead group, were driving the pace but didn't get much help and that allowed the Quick Step duo of Devolder and Sylvain Chavanel plus some more Columbia riders to join them as they hit the 3.7km section 16 from Hornaing to Wandignies-Hamage.
- - 85km: A formidable group has formed and they are currently 1:30 behind the ten leaders. All the big favourites seem to be in there including Britain's Roger Hammond and his Cervelo team-mate Jeremy Hunt. Saxo Bank are another team well represented.
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90km: BIG CRASH ON THE ARENBERG!! Hayden Roulston is among those to go down and that has caused decimation in the main bunch with a whole bunch of riders delayed. Haussler is now setting the tempo at the front with about 20 riders in pursuit and Cervelo are well represented.
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95km: There is a big pile-up in the run-in to the Arenberg and Tom Leezer (Rabobank) hits the deck quite badly. Aurélien Clerc and Maaskant are also delayed and have to work hard to latch on to the back of the pack in time for the vital section 17 of pave.
- - 100km: If you want to watch Arenberg and the final two hours of the race, subscribe to the Eurosport Player. Paste this link into your browser for details - http://video.eurosport.co.uk/eurosport-player/teaser.shtml
- - 105km: The Arenberg Forest has become the symbol of Paris-Roubaix and is coming up with 95km to go. The 2400m of cobbles were laid in the time of Napoleon. Until 1998 the entry to the Arenberg pavé was slightly downhill, leading to a sprint for best position but the route was reversed in 1999 to reduce the speed after Johan Museeuw's crash which nearly cost him his leg to gangrene. The bunch will split here and the pace in the main pack has been increased in preparation, the gap of the leaders is now under three minutes.
- - 110km: Get the thoughts of Italian rider Filippo Pozzato of Katusha. Paste this link into your browser to watch the interview - http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/12042009/58/pozzato-paris-roubaix.html
- - 115km: Sections 20 and 19 are in quick succession - Quérénaing to Maing and then Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon covering over 4km.
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120km: The weather is dry as the leaders cross the 1600m of cobbles from Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing that is section 21. Offredo is struggling to stay in contact with his fellow 10 escapees who lead the Lotto led peloton by a shade over four minutes.
- - 125km: Martijn Masskant tells Eurosport that Tom Boonen is still the man to beat. Paste this link into your browser to watch the interview - http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/11042009/58/maaskant-praises-boonen.html
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130km: AG2R La Mondiale team leader Martin Elmiger has crashed and loses touch with the bunch as they pass section 22 Capelle-sur-Écaillon - Le-Buat (1.7km). The 11 escapees lead by 3:40.
- - 135km: Silence-Lotto have no one in the lead group and are leading the main group through section 23 - Vertain à Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon (2.3km).
- - 140km: Haussler was in modest mood when discussing his chances in the Paris-Roubaix. Paste this link into your browser to watch the interview - http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/11042009/58/haussler-plays-chances.html
- - 145km: Quick-Step, Team Columbia and Vacansoleil head the peloton which is 3:55 behind the leaders as they pass through section 25 from Quievy to Saint Python (3.7km) and section 24 through Saint-Python (1.5km).
- - 150km: Heinrich Haussler recently spoke to Eurosport about his chances - see what he had to say by clicking here.
- - 155km: The lead has blown out to 3:35 after the first two sections of pave, Troisvilles to Inchy (2.2km) and Viesly to Quievy (1.8km). Only 25 more to come. Smukulis is back in the main pack.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

70km: George Hincapie has punctured and has some trouble in getting a new wheel. Edvald Boasson Hagen and Bernhard Eisel have dropped back to help him regain contact with the bunch but his cause is not being helped as Saxo Bank drive the pace on section 14 from Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières. He finally makes it but that effort would have taken its toll.


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Apr 2009)

It looks like the breakaway will not stay out - the question is whether when the peleton comes back together there will be enough time for another late breakaway or whether it will come down to a sprint...


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Tom Boonen giving it big legs on the front, and it's getting quite strung out.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Motorbike into the crowd!!!


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## mickle (12 Apr 2009)

OW! Bet that motorcycle hurt!


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Group Boonen 20 seconds down from the Tete de la Course


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 65km: Saxo Bank with Fabian Cancellara have really upped the pace as some crosswinds buffet the riders and that has caused splits in the bunch. Our 10 breakaway riders still hold a 1:30 lead going into the 1.4km section 13 from Beuvry-la-forêt to Orchies.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Hunt Hushovd and Hammond looking good?


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

60km: Boonen has put the hammer down on section 13 and that has decimated the main bunch. But the race action has been overshadowed as a spectator is hit by a motorcycle - that looks an awful incident.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

J A Flecha is up there too


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Boonen catches lead group


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Haussler pushing it along at the front, Chavanel has a pop at the front.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Chavanel goes again.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 50km: 1 Tom Boonen (Quick Step), 2 Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), 11 Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank), 14 Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank), 41 Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto), 48 Johan Van Summeren (Silence-Lotto), 56 Gregory Henderson (Columbia), 61 Frederic Guesdon (Francaise Des Jeux), 151 Roger Hammond (Cervelo), 154 Thor Hushovd (Cervelo), 155 Andreas Klier (Cervelo) and 161 Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) are the chasers.
- -




55km: The breakaway riders are caught on section 12 through Orchies. Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo), Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank), Kasper Klostergaard (Saxo Bank), Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step) and Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) now have gone ahead and lead a chase group of a dozen by 15 seconds.


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

That lead group (Boonen et al) are taking turns to go hard. Can they keep doing that? That could take its toll and they may find themselves being caught - there's still a way to go.

The lady (?) hit by the motorbike went down hard. It didn't look good.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 45km: Mons-en-Pévèle is the 10th section of pave before the finish and its 3000m are rated the hardest level of difficulty, five stars. Boonen is driving the pace with Pozzato glued to his wheel. Hushovd and Flecha follow with Hoste and Van Summeren coming up from behind. Hammond has lost contact and is back in the Hincapie group which is one minute behind.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

yello said:


> That lead group (Boonen et al) are taking turns to go hard. Can they keep doing that? That could take its toll and they may find themselves being caught - there's still a way to go.
> 
> The lady (?) hit by the motorbike went down hard. It didn't look good.



40+k to go, 25 miles? As long as they share it, then they're all up to the task. The problem begins when people start playing games, looking up and not pushing.


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Apr 2009)

There's more than a few riders in there who favour the sneaky break - Flecha especially. That might destroy the move, but I think they are all aware of how small the gap is right now. The longer it stays together the more you have to favour Boonen or if it comes down to a proper sprint, Hushovd, I reckon.


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

They've settled down now and are playing together. It seemed for a while that they were taking pops at each other! Still, that chase group are not going to give up.... they're, what, a minute down?

Edit: 40 seconds


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 40km: Section nine from Mérignies to Pont-à-Marcq is only 700m and it is the Saxo Bank trio who are driving the eight-man chase group which is 24 seconds behind our six leaders - Boonen, Pozzato, Hushovd, Flecha, Hoste and Van Summeren.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

What a lovely windmill.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Gap steady at a minute 30k to go


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 35km: Cancellara, Breschel and Klostergaard have got no help from Quinziato and Guesdon and the chase group now trail by 40 seconds. Haussler and Klier are not working with Hushovd up ahead nor will Quick Step with Boonen so strong.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Boonen bike change!!!!!


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

- - 30km: The gap is now over a minute and one of the leading six men will contest the title - remember Lotto have two men. We have three Belgians, an Italian plus a Spaniard and a Norwegian looking to notch the first Paris-Roubaix victory in their nations' history.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Tom looks like he got a bit of road rash???

Must have had an off in the break?


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

J A Flecha pushing on


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Gap out to 1:30+


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

25km: BOONEN HAS A PUNCTURE!! The two-time champion gets a new bike and rejoins the lead group before the two-part 2.5km section six from Cysoing to Bourghelles to Wannehain.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Gap steady at 1:32


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Cancellara out the back of the pursuers. Bang goes my prediction!!


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Flecha is looking good


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

oxbob said:


> Flecha is looking good



Good shout, although he's alone, then again so is Boonen (no team mates)


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Chavanel pushing from pursuing group


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Feck!!!


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Aaargh!!


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Coke head to win?


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Quote"its all gone to cock" eurosport


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## oxbob (12 Apr 2009)

Well done tommy, now leave the sherbet alone!!!


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Apr 2009)

That was a great ride by Boonen today - he had the strength and the tactics were spot-on.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Daughter woke up, went to see her, and the race went bang. Loads of fallers and Boonen time-trialed away at the end.


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

16:20 - Boonen takes the plaudits in the Velodrome, finishing in 6:15.54, some 46 seconds ahead of Pozzato. Hushovd beats Hoste and Van Summeren in the sprint for the final podium place. Flecha is sixth - over two minutes behind the winner - ahead of Haussler and Chavanel who came out of the second group on the run-in. Stay tuned to our cycling pages for a full report, results and reaction plus any news we get on the motorcycle crash involving the spectators earlier.
- - 1km: Boonen will join six other men as a three-time winner of the race - Octave Lapize (1909, 1910, 1911), Gaston Rebry (1931, 1934, 1935), Rik Van Looy (1961, 1962, 1965), Eddy Merckx (1968, 1970, 1973), Francesco Moser (1978, 1979, 1980) and Johan Museeuw (1996, 2000, 2002). He will chase Roger De Vlaeminck's record of four next year.
- - 3km: Pozzato has cracked and now is 27 seconds behind Boonen.
- - 5km: Looking good for the home fans with Boonen now 18 seconds ahead of Pozzato. Hushovd and Hoste will contest third place but the gap is 48 seconds to the leader.
7 - 7km: Boonen stretches his lead to 16 seconds over the penultimate 1.4km section of pave from Willems to Hem.
- - 9km: Still 13 seconds as Pozzato chases Boonen, looking for Italy's first win in 10 years.
- - 11km: It's a time trial to the finish and the gap is now 13 seconds.
- - 13km to go: Pozzato was the only other man of the top six not to crash and is chasing Boonen - the gap is 10 seconds. Hushovd, Hoste and Van Summeren are 42 seconds back with Flecha's chances gone.
- - 15km: The five star section four at Carrefour de l'Arbre is often pivotal and Hushovd attacks. Drama behind as Flecha goes down on a corner and takes both Lotto riders with him. Boonen and Hushovd are clear but the Norwegian then runs wide and crashes himself. Incredible scenes and Boonen is at the front all alone.
- - 20km: Flecha steps on the gas across section six but fails to shed any of his five rivals. Cancellara has dropped out of the chase group, seemingly without either the desire or the legs to fight for a seventh place.


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

Well, not exactly how I like to see a race won but P-R is not your ordinary race! Top marks to Boonen for being in the right place all the time and toughing it out. That last 15km hurt!


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## Skip Madness (12 Apr 2009)

It was not mere luck for Boonen that the others were involved in crashes - a couple obviously could not help it, but it took immense tactical nous to be in the winning move once more and excellent bike-handling and concentration to avoid the problems that were the downfall of his rivals.

The crowds at the Carrefour de l'Arbre were unbelievable.


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## aran20 (12 Apr 2009)

The best Classic there is. An utter joy to watch... You just never know whats going to happen.


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## Mortiroloboy (12 Apr 2009)

aran20 said:


> The best Classic there is. An utter joy to watch... You just never know whats going to happen.




The bike racing equivilant of the Grand National


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Apr 2009)

User259iroloboy said:


> The bike racing equivilant of the Grand National



Very true, except that you don't get shot if you break your leg in P-R...


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## aran20 (12 Apr 2009)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Very true, except that you don't get shot if you break your leg in P-R...




Unless you get blood poisioning and may have to have it amputated instead... a-la-Johan Meuseew


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## ComedyPilot (12 Apr 2009)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Very true, except that you don't get shot if you break your leg in P-R...



....and the words '_boucheries chevalines_' doesn't scare the shoot out of you.


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

Skip Madness said:


> It was not mere luck for Boonen that the others were involved in crashes



I hope you're not suggesting I thought it was! 

Of course, there is obviously some luck involved in not being caught up in a crash but there's also knowing where to be and where not to be. I do think Paris-Roubaix is more of a lottery than other races but that's not to take anything away from any winner. It's a tough tough race to win. No question, Booned deserved it.

That said, I would have prefered to see a few others contesting the finish!


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## dragon72 (12 Apr 2009)

So, who's the smart money on for the Amstel Gold?


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## yello (12 Apr 2009)

10 were injured when that motorcycle went into the spectators, 3 seriously

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/8451704


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## mondobongo (12 Apr 2009)

A fantastic race Boonen took the win well. Prior to that bend taking out Flecha and then Hushovd falling it was looking like a really dramatic finish. Flecha looked powerful when he tried to jump off the front.


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## roadiewill (12 Apr 2009)

best race of the year so far, everything is so unpredictable. I had it on downstairs and every 2 seconds the commentators would be screaming over something so i'd run back down..


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## Domestique (12 Apr 2009)

One of the best Paris Roubaixs I can remember seeing for a long time, but the motorcycle incident has took the shine off for me


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## Flying_Monkey (12 Apr 2009)

One result, looking down the list, that really surprised me in a good way, was Bradley Wiggins finishing 25th. I really didn't think he had the strength for P-R. Roger Hammond and Jeremy Hunt, you almost expect to be up there around the Top 20 because they are hard bastards who love this kind of race, but Bradley has sometimes seemed like he didn't have the courage and the strength for the hard races. Well, he's starting to show he has and good for him.


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## mondobongo (12 Apr 2009)

That looked to be a nasty off that Wiggins had as well, so a good finish for him.


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## Keith Oates (13 Apr 2009)

Boonen will be relieved to get that win under his belt and from what I read about it he handled the race very well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Skip Madness (13 Apr 2009)

yello said:


> I hope you're not suggesting I thought it was!


No, I did not think that. I wanted to see everyone stay upright, too, and thought that had Thor made it to the velodrome he would have been the favourite. His loss of concentration was exactly the kind of mistake that Boonen does not make, which is what I was getting at.


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## John the Monkey (14 Apr 2009)

Did anyone pick "Rear Tyre" for the Bike Show's "What will go wrong on George Hincapie's Bike Sweepstake", by the way?


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## John the Monkey (14 Apr 2009)

Just had chance to watch the video on Eurosport (I was camping in Matlock on the day itself). Gutted for Hushovd, I think he would have given Tommeke a run for his money for sure.


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## Steve Austin (14 Apr 2009)

Top result for Boonen. He put so much pressure on those around him, they made mistakes. Pity that there wasn't a closer finish, but you make your luck, and Boonen certainly did that.


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