Cancellara Takes Paris-Roubaix Classic

Last updated : 11 April 2010 By Covsupport News Service

Fabian Cancellara stormed to victory in the Paris- Roubaix Classic this afternoon.

Brit Jeremy Hunt from the Cervelo Test Team was in a nineteen man group that included two HTC Colombia riders and Henderson and Sutton from Team Sky, which broke free and led for 120km of the 182.5km race over cobbles and pot holed roads in the North of France.

Whilst the likes of David Millar were suffering after crashes, the leading group were pulled back by the work of Team Saxo Bank. They were caught and with 42km to go, Fabian Cancellara made his move and stormed clear.

The Swiss superstar built up a lead over over three minutes in a race first run in 1896. Brit Roger Hammond led a chase with Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha who had a brief spell in second before he was caught by a group which included Hammond and winner of the last two Paris-Roubaix's Tom Boonen.

Flecha and Thor Hushovd tried to close down the three minute 12 second lead that Cancellara had built up. With 10km to go, the gap stood at 2 minutes 50 seconds as the leader closed in on the velodrome at Roubaix.

Another twenty seconds had been wiped off with three kilometres to go but the smile on the Swiss rider, who has been hailed as one of the greatest ever all round cyclists, was getting bigger as he hit the cobbles for the final time with a kilometre to go.

He entered the velodrome and cruised round to win in a time of 6hr,35 and 10 seconds.

Hushovd beat Flecha to take second place with Roger Hammond fourth and Tom Boonen fifth.