A memorable Hell of the North with riders dressed in cloaks of mud and overwhelming emotion from the winner
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Sonny Colbrelli absorbing the moment(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Stefan Bissegger's bright pink EF-Nippo kit is barely visible(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Gianni Moscon (Ineos Grenadiers) makes what seemed to be the winning move(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Nils Eekhoff (Team DSM) covered in mud(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
That's Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) behind the mud mask(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The podium placers of Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), before the oder was decided(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Colbrelli leading the way(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Colbrelli comes through the middle to capture the win, celebrating while a worn Van der Poel bows his head in disappointment(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
A wave of emotion hits Sonny Colbrelli(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sonny Colbrelli(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Colbrelli laughing, crying or perhaps both at the same time(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The grass of Roubaix welcomed many exhausted riders on Sunday, but none before Colbrelli(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix): "Even though it was my first edition I feel it’s one for the history books and never to forget."(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sonny Colbrelli gets a hug from Heinrich Haussler who – racing in his 14th Paris-Roubaix – made it into the top ten(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Teammates Haussler and Colbrelli(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Max Walscheid collapsed on the infield, having survived more than one crash(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal) found a reason to smile(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) after finishing 25th(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) made it to the finish despite having mechanical problems, at some stages of the race using his foot on the rear wheel to brake(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Blood dripping from Max Walscheid's elbow, with the Qhubeka Nexthash rider finishing 12th despite the damage(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Max Walscheid's hand(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) seemed upbeat after making it over the line in 34th place(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
A memorable race to retire on for Michal Golas (Ineos)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Laugh about(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
And reflect on.(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Guillaume Boivin put in a huge ride(Image credit: Getty Images)
Some were able to muster a smile(Image credit: Getty Images)
The winner with mud everywhere(Image credit: Getty Images)
Van der Poel soaks up the disappointment(Image credit: Getty Images)
Anthony Turgis(Image credit: Getty Images)
Van der Poel at the finish(Image credit: Getty Images)
Bert Van Lergberghe(Image credit: Getty Images)
Max Walscheid had a rough day out(Image credit: Getty Images)
The podium with Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) first, Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal) in second and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) in third(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sonny Colbrelli overcome with emotion on the podium(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
A day to remember for just more than Sonny Colbrelli(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Paris-Roubaix is no normal race, with the titles of 'Queen of the Classics' and 'Hell of the North' only worthy of one with the toughest of reputations. Even by those standards, this was no normal Sunday in hell.
A coating of mud soon made the usually multicoloured mass of riders a uniform brown, the decisive moves came early while both the smooth roads and challenging cobbles were at times as slippery as skating rinks and home to crash after crash.
Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) emerged through all this, in his first Paris-Roubaix, as the victor. The 31-year-old made it into the right move and then, when in it, stuck to the wheel of a master of muddy conditions, world cyclo-cross champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).
As a result, Colbrelli rode into the hallowed Roubaix velodrome in a group of three, at that stage almost guaranteed a podium spot alongside Van der Poel and Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal). Through the mud and cobbles, the sprinter Colbrelli had now moved into the territory that played to his strengths as the trio vied for the top step, although there was no telling what could happen in a dash for the line after the arduous 258 kilometres the trio of race debutants had experienced in hellish conditions.
The youngest went first, with 22-year-old Vermeersch launching from behind with a half a lap to go and surging ahead. Colbrelli and Van der Poel were closing on the right, the trio lined up beside each other as they charged through the final metres and then the experienced Italian managed to hit the front just when he needed to.
There was no mistaking the depth of Colbrelli’s emotion at capturing the victory. Excitedly leaping off his bike and holding it into the air and then crashing to the ground with exhaustion-filled, yet joyful, sobs as the gravity of the moment washed over him. Colbrelli, after all, had just taken the biggest win of his career in a dramatic edition of the Paris-Roubaix that will be long remembered.
Click or swipe through our gallery of photos above to see the mud, pain and joy on the faces of the riders after the first wet Paris-Roubaix since 2002. You can also find a gallery filled with action from out on the road in our race report.
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