Fabian Cancellara (CSC) has scored the biggest victory of his career, winning the 104th...
Fabian Cancellara (CSC) (Image credit: AFP)
Controversy as second to fourth places disqualified
Fabian Cancellara (CSC) has scored the biggest victory of his career, winning the 104th Paris-Roubaix with a powerful attack with 18 km to go on the Camphin-en Pévèle sector. Cancellara initially had Vladimir Gussev (Discovery) with him, but quickly dropped the Russian and rode to the finish alone. He had over a minute to the next group when he entered the velodrome, and had plenty of time to celebrate.
In second place, somewhat controversially, was Tom Boonen (Quick.Step), ahead of Alessandro Ballan and Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank). The World Champion actually crossed the line in fifth place, but Leif Hoste, Peter Van Petegem and Gussev (2nd through 4th) were all disqualified after ducking through a closed train crossing with 10 km to go. None of them - even Boonen - were particularly happy with the commissaires' decision.
The race followed a fairly predictable path before that: A lead group of four containing Joost Posthuma (Rabobank), Nicolas Portal (Caisse d'Epargne), Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile) and Dmitri Konyshev (LPR) was caught by the peloton through the Arenberg Forest section with 96 km to go. Then a leading group of 17 men formed, containing most of the favourites. Discovery Channel's chances diminished when George Hincapie snapped his steerer tube on Mons-en-Pévèle with 45 km to go and dropped out of the race. Tom Boonen was isolated, but managed to handle most of the attacks until Cancellara's final move with 18 km to go. Then it was Cancellara versus Hoste, Gussev and Van Petegem, with Boonen's trio unable to regain contact.
