Category: Monuments

This highlight video of the 2022 Paris Roubaix is courtesy of ASO

Race report here

Ineos Grenadiers‘ Dylan van Baarle capped a superb day of team work to take a solo win in Roubaix. The Dutchman launched his decisive move with 19 kilometres to go, on the Camphin-en-Pévèle cobbled sector, dropping his breakaway companions Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl).

The first 47 kilometres featured numerous unsuccessful attacks, doomed by hard riding by Ineos Grendadiers. The pace resulted in the bunch split into two groups, thee first featuring Ineos, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl and Bora-Hansgrohe, and the second led by Trek-Segafredo and Alpecin-Fenix.

The split saw some big names distanced including, Alexandre Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal), Christophe Laporte, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Iván García Cortina (Movistar Team) or Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).

With 72km raced and the first cobbled section looming the gap between the two pelotons is staying around 1’15”. At 96km they finally hit the cobbles and its bone-shaking wake-up for many but not for the likes of the race’s youngest competitor, the 19 year-old American Magnus Sheffield riding for Ineos Grenadiers as they force the pace at the front of group one. Three years ago he took part in the junior version.

The opening secteurs see a flurry of crashes, Swiss Champion Dillier goes down in the second group, then Felix Gross (UAE Team Emirates) and Leonardo Basso (Astana Qazaqstan) hit the deck. Then just at the beginning of the Saint-Python (km 110,1 – 1,5 km) ** cobbled sector, a huge crash happens, hindering most of the riders in the front group.

At 110km raced tThe winner of the 2014 edition of Paris-Roubaix Niki Terpstra of TotalEnergies finds himself alone at the front of the race. Out of the Saint-Python (km 110,1 – 1,5 km) ** cobbled sector he has 10” over the small group following him.

The small group, led by Filippo Ganna, becomes quite a substantial group comprising imo Roosen, Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Filippo Ganna, Ben Turner, Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), Davide Ballerini, Yves Lampaert, Florian Sénéchal, Jannik Steimle (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies), Nikias Arndt (Team DSM), Sebastian Langeveld, Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost), Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates), Max Kanter (Movistar Team) and Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen).

At km 117 Terpstra has 25″ over the Ganna group, 40″ over a second group with Van der Poel group at over 1’30”.

Ganna’s group finally reel in Terpstra and by the Haussy (km 123,7 – 0,8 km) ** cobbled sector, there is a group of 18 riders at the front: Timo Roosen, Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Filippo Ganna, Ben Turner, Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers) Davide Ballerini, Yves Lampaert, Florian Sénéchal, Jannik Steimle (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss, Niki Terpstra (TotalEnergies), Nikias Arndt (Team DSM), Sebastian Langeveld, Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost), Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates), Max Kanter (Movistar Team), Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen).

A flurry of short brutal secteurs see further crashes. including a second by Dillier. It also sees a courageous attack by Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen), who accelerates at the beginning of the Saulzoir to Verchain-Maugré (km 130,6 – 1,2 km) ** cobbled sector. It lasts only about seven kilometres but his team will have been pleased about the publicity.

A mechanical for Van Baarle, who was riding on the Ganna group, means a change bikes. It’s quick but he is still caught by the second group led by Groupama-FDJ.

At the front as the race lead hits the midway point of the Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161,9 – 2,3 km) * cobbled sector ridden Ganna is putting on quite a show. He has attacked at the front of the bunch with Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Groupama-FDJ) and an Intermarché-Wanty Gobert rider in pursuit of Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe). The attacks stutters and is caught by the bunch

At the Hornaing to Wandignies (km 174,7 – 3,7 km) **** cobbled sector the race lead is occupied by Davide Ballerini (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Casper Pedersen (Team DSM), Tom Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic).

A sector 15, Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières (km 185,6 – 2,4 km) **** this group has 2’20” on the peloton which has briefly remerged though much reduced in size.

Ineos Grenadiers lead the remains of the bunch into the Beuvry-la-Forêt to Orchies (km 192 – 1,4 km) *** cobbled sector with Michal Kwiatkowski on the ffront, with Ben Turner and Dylan van Baarle on his wheel. Ganna though has been dropped his mammoth efforts to drive the Ineos tank successful but exhausting.

With over 200km raced it’s a three man lead group comprising Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic), chased by 12 men, Mathieu van der Poel, Guillaume van Keirlsbuck (Alpecin-Fenix), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Ben Turner, Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), Yves Lampaert, Florian Sénéchal (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Adrien Petit, Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates).

Midway through the Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée (km 203,1 – 2,7 km) **** cobbled sector Van Baarle launches his attack. Up ahead Pichon has a mechanical and loses contact with the his fellow leaders. Next to have a problem is Matej Mohoric. The Slovenian national champion has had to stop right out of the Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin (km 218 – 1,4 km) *** cobbled sector in order to get a new rear wheel. It leaves Devriendt is now alone up front.

At the the 232km mark a new front group has emerged with Mohoric linking up Dylan van Baarle and Lampaert to snag Devriendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert)
+40” Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic) Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert).

On the Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 237,3 – 1,8 km) ****, Van Baarle manages to open a gap of 50m over Mohoric and Lampaert… and to eliminate Devriendt altogether. At Willems to Hem (km 249 – 1,4 km) **, van Baarle has further increased his gap, up to 50” over Lampaert and Mohoric and 1’10” over Van Aert and Küng, who have caught Devriendt.

Lampaert who was chasing hard suddenly found his race hopes in tatters when he clipped a clapping spectator and catapulted himself across the cobbles. He was up and chasing quickly but never managed to get back in contention and is been caught by Van der Poel, Stuyven, Petit and Pichon, who trail two minutes behind Van Baarle.

Baarle never looks like being caught and could probably have suffered a bike change if need be. Fortunately the last few kilometres are uneventful and he is able to enter the velodrome stadium and enjoy sole occupancy completing his victory lap before a quartet of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Devriendt and Mohoric arrived 1’47” later to fight over the remaining podium places with van Aert and Kung successful.

Post race interview with Dylan Van Baarle:

How to do you feel like to be the winner of Paris Roubaix?

It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t believe it when I got on the velodrome. I looked at the other side to see if there were some other guys but I was completely alone#. When the DS came next to me I really started believing it. It’s been crazy.

Is the race you wanted to win?

It’s a Monument so of course I want to win a Monument. To be second on Flanders and winning Roubaix I am lost for words.

Was the plan always for the entire team to be on the front from the beginning?

It was not planned at all but it turned out like this. We were super focused from the gun. We wanted to be on the front foot and for other teams to chase. I knew from that moment things would change and we would use less energy than everyone else. We were a bot unlucky. I had a puncture and I think everyone had something but we just kept going and this result is amazing.

When you took off was that planned?

No, but we wanted to make the race hard before the second feed zone and that’s what we did. Afterwards we felt strong enough to ride for me. I can’t thank the team enough.

This is the first win at Roubaix for Ineos or Sky

It’s been a great Spring Classics season so far. We have to enjoy this. We have worked so hard for it over the last couple of years. We have had some bad luck but now everything is going in the right direction. The whole team is lifting on that.

Stefan Kung expressed his delight at makiong the podium after a early hiccup:

“It was a really hard and tactical race today. To react all the time was not easy. I had had to stop for a nature break and that’s why I was behind when the peloton split after 47k. By the time the group were organised to chase, the first bunch had a minute over us. After going through all that happened today, it is nice to be at least on the podium. This is a big achievement at my favourite race“

The frantic racing resulted in an incredible average speed of 45,8 km/h making it the fastest-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix – and the maiden victory for Ineos Grenadiers (including its previous incarnation, Team Sky) at the Hell of the North.

Top 10 Results – Full results available here

Cobbled secteurs:

30 : Troisvilles to Inchy (km 96,3 – 2,2 km) ***
29 : Viesly to Quiévy (km 102,8 – 1,8 km) ***
28 : Quiévy to Saint-Python (km 105,4 – 3,7 km) ****
27 : Saint-Python (km 110,1 – 1,5 km) **
26 : Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon (km 117,9 – 2,3 km) ***
25 : Haussy (km 123,7 – 0,8 km) **
24 : Saulzoir to Verchain-Maugré (km 130,6 – 1,2 km) **
23 : Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing (km 134,9 – 1,6 km) ***
22 : Quérénaing to Maing (km 137,6 – 2,5 km) ***
21 : Maing to Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (km 140,7 – 1,6 km) ***
20 : Haveluy to Wallers (km 153,7 – 2,5 km) ****
19 : Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161,9 – 2,3 km) *
18 : Wallers to Hélesmes (km 167,9 – 1,6 km) ***
17 : Hornaing to Wandignies (km 174,7 – 3,7 km) ****
16 : Warlaing to Brillon (km 182,2 – 2,4 km) ***
15 : Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières (km 185,6 – 2,4 km) ****
14 : Beuvry-la-Forêt to Orchies (km 192 – 1,4 km) ***
13 : Orchies (km 197 – 1,7 km) ***
12 : Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée (km 203,1 – 2,7 km) ****
11 : Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208,6 – 3 km) *****
10 : Mérignies to Avelin (km 214,6 – 0,7 km) **
9 : Pont-Thibault to Ennevelin (km 218 – 1,4 km) ***
8 : Templeuve – L’Epinette (km 223,4 – 0,2 km) *
8 : Templeuve – Moulin-de-Vertain (km 223,9 – 0,5 km) **
7 : Cysoing to Bourghelles (km 230,3 – 1,3 km) ***
6 : Bourghelles to Wannehain (km 232,8 – 1,1 km) ***
5 : Camphin-en-Pévèle (km 237,3 – 1,8 km) ****
4 : Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 240 – 2,1 km) *****
3 : Gruson (km 242,3 – 1,1 km) **
2 : Willems to Hem (km 249 – 1,4 km) **
1 : Roubaix – Espace Charles Crupelandt (km 255,8 – 0,3 km) *

Milano-SanRemo, 293km.

Sanremo, 19 March 2022 – Matej Mohoric took a spectacular win in the 113th Milano-Sanremo riding away from the group of favourites on the descent of the Poggio. Mohoric became the first Slovenian to win La Classicissima after pushing his descent to the limit with his unprecedented use of the ‘dropper’ seat post .

In second spot was Frenchman Anthony Turgis who had also escaped on the descent while Mathieu van der Poel, who was roped in as a substitute for a sick teammate, outsprinted the rest of the contenders to take third spot on the podium.

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, Matej Mohoric said: “I’ve been thinking about this race for the whole winter. I’ve worked on being in good shape for Milano-Sanremo even though I got sick in February and I crashed at Strade Bianche. I never stopped believing I could win. My plan was to do my best descent and risk it a little bit. I went full gas. It’s amazing to win Milano-Sanremo!”

165 riders took the start in Milan with Australian Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Fenix) the only non-starter. Eight riders, Yevgeniy Gidich and Artyom Zakharov (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Filippo Tagliani and Ricardo Alejandro Zurita (Drone Hopper – Androni Giocattoli) Samuele Rivi and Diego Pablo Sevilla (EOLO-Kometa, Filippo Conca (Lotto Soudal), made an immediate break which persisted for most of the day.

At 45 km covered the break has a lead of 5’10” covering the first hour at an average speed of 45.7 km/h (28.4 mph). The gap continued to grow reaching 7’00” after 173km. The peloton then started pushing hte pace but the break still enjoyed 5’40” with 75km to go (km 218).

At the approach to Capo Berta Zaharov, Tagliani and Zurita are the first to throw in the towel. Next is Conca on the climb leaving four riders to push on. Back in the bunch Peter Sagan (Total Energies) has to change his bike after a mechanical problem and never gets back into contention.

The Cipressa at 270.5km raced scythes through the break’s gap cutting it to 42″ and leaving Tonelli and Rivi out front with Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) driving the peloton.

Tonelli and Rivi are finally caught by the bunch at the foot of the Poggio. Tadej Pogačar of UAE Emirates is the first of the favourites to launch an attack but Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) reels him straight back in. The Slovenian stays on the front though and pushes the pace to the point he, Kragh Anderson, Mathieu van der Poel and Van Aert have a few seconds over the peloton.

It’s Mohoric who gets clear and gains 5″ by the time the road levels out. At the flamme rouge he is still riding solo but Turgis is gaining but not fast enough to thwart Mohoric’s quest for victory.

The winning margin though is only 2″ to Turgis, Van der Poel, Michael Matthews, Pogačar, Pedersen, Kragh Andersen and Van Aert. It’s 5″ then to Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Victorious) and 11″ to Arnaud Demarre (Groupama-FDJ) and a small bunch of eight with the fractured peloton spread out over the next 21 minutes.

Podium Quotes

The winner Matej Mohoric, said: “We had a plan through the whole winter to use a seat post experienced in mountain-biking, but much lighter. Since the Poggio has a very technical descent, it suits me, so I was open to the idea, but I wanted to try it first in training. I was surprised how fast I could go. Therefore I was looking forward to the race. I crashed behind Julian Alaphilippe at Strade Bianche. I hurt my knee very badly. A ligament was inflamed. But I’m very stubborn. I didn’t give up. I was finally able to do some proper training on Wednesday and I was always telling myself that the other guys were also having problems like sickness. On the downhill of the Poggio, I was super focused the whole time. I went off-road when I attacked but I jumped back on the road. The second time I slipped both wheels and I lost lot of time there as well. On the flat I dropped my chain on last corner. Maybe I pushed too much and I should have kept some energy but I’m glad I could pull it off.”

Matej Mohoric is the first Slovenian winner of Milano-Sanremo. This is his 16th pro victory but only his second one-day race triumph after the 2018 GP Larciano, also in Italy. His win adds to a stage win in each of the three Grand Tours.

Runner-up Anthony Turgis said: “To climb on the box at the podium ceremony is already a good thing. But once again, first place was in reach. I’m a little bit disappointed but it’s a reward for the day of the team. Peter Sagan got a mechanical so some riders were asked to wait to bring him back. Then the race was very hard and a group was formed with the strongest riders. Milano-Sanremo is a superb race. The more we get close to the finish, the harder it is. I hope I can win one day.”

Third placed Mathieu Van der Poel said: “Even if I was not supposed to race, I’m still disappointed. Maybe the big favorites were in the sprint for third place, it’s a pity we couldn’t sprint for the victory today. Milano-Sanremo is a very difficult race to win. Suddenly, Mohoric had a gap. I didn’t expect he would. There was Pogacar on his wheel. We all know that Matej can do quick descents but I thought the group was big enough to close the gap. He deserves the win as well. There was also a lack of cooperation behind. We were three riders with Pedersen and Van Aert who really tried to close the gap. We need one or two teammates to close it for us. I hope I’ll come back for winning but I’m getting older and this is a missed chance again.”

Top Ten Results (Full results available here)