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Colbrelli wins epic Paris-Roubaix classic

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Sonny Colbrelli battled to victory as the Paris-Roubaix 'Hell of the North' lived up to its name.
Camera IconSonny Colbrelli battled to victory as the Paris-Roubaix 'Hell of the North' lived up to its name. Credit: EPA

Sonny Colbrelli became the first Italian to win the Paris-Roubaix Monument classic in 22 years when he prevailed in a three-man sprint finish at the end of a gruelling race on Sunday.

His whole body covered in mud after 257.7 kilometres featuring 30 cobbled sectors, Colbrelli burst into tears as he collapsed on the grass of the Roubaix Velodrome after triumphing in the first rain-hit edition of the Hell of the North since 2002.

The European champion, of Team Bahrain Victorious, pipped Belgian Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal) and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), who were second and third respectively.

Australian Heinrich Haussler came 10th, 76 seconds behind, while Luke Durbridge and Simon Clarke were 52nd and 53rd, a dozen minutes adrift and Robert Stannard also finished.

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Van der Poel, one of the pre-race favourites, came up just short after doing most of the work in a small group chasing Italian Gianni Moscon, who seemed to be heading to victory before a puncture and late crash ruined his chances.

Moscon (Ineos-Grenadiers) eventually finished fourth, 44 seconds off the pace, leaving his compatriot Colbrelli to become the first Italian to win here since Andrea Taffi in 1999.

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Van der Poel, who was also making his debut on the Paris-Roubaix in the first edition since April 2019 after the Covid-19 pandemic prompted organisers to put off the event, matched his father Adrie's podium finish from 1986.

Countless crashes marred the race with triple world champion Peter Sagan hitting the deck and Swiss Stefan Kueng going down three times.

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