Paris-Roubaix 2021 LIVE: Latest updates and result from men’s race after multiple crashes
Follow all the latest updates and reaction as the famous one-day classics race returns for the first time in 18 months
Italian Sonny Colbrelli won the Paris-Roubaix Monument classic, a 257.7-km ride from Compiegne, on Sunday.
European champion Colbrelli of Team Bahrain Victorious, outsprinted Belgian Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal) and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), who were second and third respectively.
Follow all the latest updates and reaction from the iconic race below.
Sonny Colbrelli wins 2021 Men’s Paris-Roubaix
SONNY COLBRELLI HOISTS HIS BIKE ALOFT HIGH ABOVE HIS HEAD, HOWLING WITH THE EMOTION OF TRIUMPH! What a win! The European champion timed his final surge perfectly, splitting his fellow sprinters and doing it by half a bike length or so from Vermeersch.
And he is screaming like a madman! Across the grass he rolls and rolls, sobbing in utter, utter delight. On debut, Sonny Colbrelli!
van der Poel leads, Colbrelli behind, Vermeersch is going long.
Here goes the Belgian, can they reel him in? Here comes Colbrelli! Here comes Colbrelli for the finish! IT’S ITALY AGAIN!
SONNY COLBRELLI IS THE WINNER OF PARIS-ROUBAIX!!!
One and a half laps of the Roubaix Velodrome
Into the velodrome, and there is the bell...who will take this marvellous return for Paris-Roubaix?
1km to go
Over the final cobbles, but these are mere child’s play compared to what has come before. Into the city centre over the final 200m of pavé and under the Flamme Rouge.
2km to go
Florian Vermeersch dances on his pedals, shaking off his legs. Might he have another go? He is running out of time. I think Mathieu van der Poel and Sonny Colbrelli will be happy enough to sprint at this stage. Can van der Poel right the wrongs of the Tour of Flanders when he was beaten in a final sprint? It was two-up earlier this year - it will be three who contest this one.
3km to go
HE DOESN’T WANT A SPRINT! An attack from Vermeersch! Just about closed down by Colbrelli with van der Poel on his wheel. But boy does the young Belgian look strong...
4km to go
Don’t rule out Florian Vermeersch, though - I’ve been having a gander through his past results and he has out-sprinted a host of fast finishers before, including Jasper Philipsen and Pascal Ackermann. This is very, very different, but he might just be in the mix.
6km to go
A first aerial panning across the Roubaix skyline and on to the concrete velodrome the helicopter camera-man focusses. Time yet for a final dig or does a three-up sprint around the famous circuit await? Still the three look evenly-matched, exhausted, obviously, but still with enough strength in the legs to take turns at the front.
7km to go
Past the legends of Paris-Roubaix the leading trio go, monuments to the monuments men at the side of the road as we move towards the velodrome. Florian Vermeersch looks so, so strong - where have Lotto-Soudal been hiding him?
9km to go
To the front comes Mathieu van der Poel, tongue lolloping about in his mouth as he sucks in air and prepares for these final few kilometres. Behind him, Sonny Colbrelli looks cool, hidden behind his shades. He’s shown the best recent racing legs but you’d say van der Poel’s back is fully healed.
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