Shakedown on the pavé: Mat Hayman's epic Paris-Roubaix win

Mathew Hayman wins 2016 Paris-Roubaix
Mathew Hayman wins 2016 Paris-Roubaix ahead of Tom Boonen and Ian Stannard (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

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This article featured in Procycling magazine issue 224 2016

The spring of 2011 produced a series of Classics in which the natural order was in disarray, when the kings were momentarily deposed. Matt Goss was the best sprinter to make the starry eight-man group to contest Milan-San Remo. Nick Nuyens bluffed his way to victory in a pulsating edition of Flanders against, on paper, a much stronger group of rivals. And Johan Vansummeren became the last in a decently long list of usurpers to have their moment in the surprisingly strong northern French sunshine at Roubaix. 

Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.