CYCLING Live

Paris-Roubaix - *Paris-Roubaix

Live Comments

  1. - - Maaskant is fourth, at 3:39, with defending champion O'Grady, Hoste and Devolder following. Van Summeren takes eighth with Hincapie ninth and Fabio Baldato completing the top ten.

  2. 5:58 - Ballan leads at the bell with 500m to go around the velodrome. But Boonen comes from the back around the final corner and surges away to win his second Paris-Roubaix. Cancellara is second ahead of Ballan.

  3. 1km - They are still together under the Flamme Rouge - who will it be?

  4. 7km - Off sector 2 and the elite trio remain together.

  5. 13km - There is a long flat run towards the last significant section of cobbles, Hem, and this could well end in a sprint on the velodrome.

  6. 16km - A big effort from Cancellara on section #3, Gruson.

  7. 20km - On section #5, Camphin-en-Pévèle. It's 1800m - who will attack first?

  8. 25km - O'Grady and Devolder have left Hoste and Maaskant but they are 68 seconds behind the leading trio.

  9. 27km - The podium places look settled but in which order, the lead is 55 seconds as they begin section #6, Cysoing-Bourghelles.

  10. 32km - 15 seconds is the gap with Hoste having shot his bolt, leaving Maaskant to do the chasing.

  11. 35km - Boonen, Cancellara and Ballan go clear over section #7, Le Moulin de Vertain.

  12. 40km - Over section #8, Pont-Thibaut, and the lead group is back up to seven after an acceleration by Leif Hoste. Van Summeren has lost contact and the peloton are at 1:32 - their race is up.

  13. 43km - The crack duo lead by 18 seconds.

  14. 45km - Devolder has been joined by O'Grady - the top two teams both have riders ahead. Who will chase?

  15. 47km - Belgian champion Devolder has put the pressure on going over the 3km section #10 of cobbles, Mons-en-Pévèle.

  16. 50km - The last three winners - CSC pair Stuart O'Grady and Fabian Cancellara plus Quick Step's Tom Boonen - are at the head of affairs as eight men go clear. Flanders winner Stijn Devolder is there as is Silence- Lotto team leader Leif Hoste and team-mate Johan Van Summeren. Lampre's top man Alessandro Ballan is also in the group and the surprise package is Martijn Maaskant of Slipstream.

  17. 55km - 22 riders out in front but George Hincapie is not one of them after a back tyre problem.

  18. 58km - Three riders come off at the same corner - Cooke, Sebastian Langeveld and Aurélien Clerc.

  19. 60km - Marcus Ljungqvist has gone off the front as CSC look to play the old one-two as they enter section #12 at Orchies.

  20. 65km - Pozzato and Cooke now have regained contact as the lead group went through the feedzone.

  21. 70km - Flecha has rejoined the lead group after section 14. Amazing stuff but the extra effort may hit the Spaniard later. Leif Hoste and Baden Cooke are out of the lead group after punctures.

  22. 75km - Former winner Servais Knaven is also in the Flecha, Pozzato group but, after section #16 Hornaing-Wandignies, they remain 54 seconds behind the lead group.

  23. 80km - Jan Kuyckx has had a flat and that leaves Matthé Pronk as the sole leader.

  24. 85km - Through section #17 (Wallers-Hélesmes) and Pozzato and Flecha are over a minute back, their chances look to have ended.

  25. 90km - Massive crowds in the Arenberg and an elite group of around 30 has formed - Tom Boonen, Stuart O'Grady, Fabian Cancellara, George Hincapie and Britain's Roger Hammond included.

  26. 95km - Disaster for two of the favourites, Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) and Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas), who get caught up in a crash just before Arenberg and lose valuable ground.

  27. 96km - CSC increased the tempo on section 19 and caused a split as they head to the Trouée d'Arenberg.

  28. 95km - Yuriy Krivtsov has gone head over heels in a crash but is back on his bike.

  29. 100km - The race really starts now and the leaders have to battle with some serious sidewinds. Martin Elmiger (AG2R) is the latest rider to hit the deck.

  30. 105km - Bernhard Eisel (High Road) takes a tumble as the leaders hit the tough four-star section #19 Haveluy.

  31. 110km - The three leaders stretch their lead to six minutes. Each section of cobblestones has a rating from one to five stars and the first of those super tough five star cobbles - the Trouée d'Arenberg is forthcoming.

  32. 115km - Raul Alarcon Garcia (Saunier Duval) is exposing his backside after a crash on the cobbles. And George Hincapie (High Road) has punctured on section #22 Verchain-Maugré - Quérénaing.

  33. 120km - Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) has also abandoned. 2006 winner Fabian Cancellara towards the back of the peloton as the riders prepare themselves for the big shake-up in the Arenberg forest.

  34. 130km - The latest gap is 5:40 with the leaders over six of the 28 sections of cobblestones.

  35. 150km - The first 4km of cobbles have been negotiated - #28 Troisvilles and #27 Viesly. The leading trio are 3:20 ahead of the peloton with Pieter Ghyllebert (Topsport Vlaanderen) marooned between.

  36. 170km - Shortly before the first of the 28 sections of pave, Matthé Pronk (Cycle Collstrop), Jan Kuyckx (Landbouwkrediet) and Alexander Serov (Tinkoff) have gained a minute on the pack.

  37. 200km - There have been a few short-lived attacks but nothing has stuck. 52.8km of cobblestones yet to come.

  38. 230km - There is a strong tailwind early on. Ermanno Capelli (Saunier Duval) has abandoned after a crash.

  39. 10:00 - The 259.5km 'Hell of the North' is underway!