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.
56km to go
Mathieu van der Poel’s group has amalgamated with those ahead, including his Alpecin-Fenix teammate Jasper Philipsen. They are 50 seconds or so down on the lead group of three, and the gap behind van der Poel and co. is only widening - a minute, maybe, or 600m of distance, if you prefer.
57km to go
A brief lull in the action but news from Germany, where Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Mark Cavendish has won the Münsterland Giro.
Might it also be also be a member of the Wolfpack who wins in the velodrome? You wouldn’t bet against it, but Yves Lampaert is in trouble again - a second, I think, bike change required for the Belgian.
58km to go
A question from a former rider, now among the most insightful pundits in the sport. Any answers?
61km to go
Just to add to the potential carnage, there are a few whispers of a developing cross tail-wind in the next ten kilometres or so to further explode the race.
36 seconds from the first group to the second, and a further 20, or so, back to Mathieu van der Poel and his mates. The peloton still about 30 seconds down on the Dutchman.
The presence of Jasper Philipsen in that second group is of intrigue - might van der Poel use his teammate as a conduit when he next attacks? On to Sector 13 of cobbles...
63km to go - Front group splinters
And just as I type the front group has splintered. Moscon, Vermeersch and Van Asbroeck now lead from the other five riders, each of them plastered from head to toe in French mud.
65km to go
My word. That was quite something from Mathieu van der Poel and he’s put 30 seconds in to the group of favourites! Remarkable.
The six clear at the front have become eight, and are 50 seconds ahead: Gianni Moscon (Ineos Grenadiers), Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), Tosh van der Sande, Florian Vermeersch (both Lotto-Soudal), Max Walscheid (Qhubeka-NextHash), Tom van Asbroeck (Israel Start-Up Nation) and 2017 winner Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R Citroen). Van Avermaet has produced a canny race so far.
67km to go - Mathieu van der Poel launches!
OH MY MATHIEU VAN DER POEL! This is a devastating attack from the Dutchman, first distancing Yves Lampaert, then powering into the Sonny Colbrelli group, and then accelerating away from them! He’s so strong that none of that number can even follow him - and even van der Poel isn’t happy to go solo with 65km to go, so drops back in to wait for some willing accomplices.
68km to go
What can Wout Van Aert do in response? Once again, the Jumbo-Visma man appears to have got his positioning wrong and he’s caught amongst slower bodies and trying to jump between them in pursuit of his great rival.
70km to go - Mathieu van der Poel attacks!
Here goes Mathieu van der Poel!! A savage acceleration into the cobbles by Alpecin-Fenix’s cohort in the peloton and away they go, van der Poel coninuining on. Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain-Victorious) and Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) go with him...
Haussler can’t stick with them, though - down to two. Van der Poel and Lampaert are away. It’s early, but that is a mighty, might strong pair.
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