Paris-Roubaix 2000 [FULL RACE]

April 10, 2000

Paris-Roubaix 2000 – Compiègne – Roubaix : 273 km

Not everyone likes the Queen of the Classics but Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix will be guaranteed to put the winner up along the great names in cycling. “I hated it but I had to have a go at it,” said five-times Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault of France who mastered the Hell of the North in 1981. “The big problem is a bad fall. The race itself isn’t any more dangerous than other events but an injury now could ruin a rider’s preparations for the Tours of Italy or France,” he added.

The 98th edition of the Paris-Roubaix certainly was a “Queen of the Classics”. The usual high drama, atmosphere and danger that mark this race were present in full force, and the winner was the best man on the day. Mapei Quick-Step’s Johan Museeuw had just on 250 metres when he crossed the finish line in the hallowed Roubaix velodrome, lifting his left leg in triumph as he did so. He demonstrated his enourmous will to return to the top after injuring it so badly in the Arenberg forest in 1998. An impressive ride backed by a great team.

Peter van Petegem (Farm Frites) led the shattered top group home for 2nd, with Telekom’s Erik Zabel putting in another fantastic ride for third, increasing his overall World Cup lead. The strong men rounded out the top 10: Tristan Hoffman (MC J&J),Stefano Zanini (Mapei), George Hincapie (USPS), Marc Wauters (Rabobank), Franco Ballerini (Lampre), Steffen Wesemann (Telekom) and Andrea Tafi (Mapei). The latter had pucntured with just a few kms to go, or he could well have gained a top 5 spot. The only rider missing was Lotto’s Andrei Tchmil, who had punctured and fallen early in the race and could only manage 24th.

The race came down, as it usually does, to whichever team could place the most riders at the front. Mapei, Farm Frites, and Telekom had probably the strongest at the start, but only Mapei was prepared to send a man in the early break: Belgain Tom Steels, 3rd last year, was the designated sacrificial lamb and he went with 11 others at the 35 km point on a break that was to last 160 km. With him went Dimitri Konychev (Fassa Bortolo), Jan Boven (Rabobank), Jacky Durand (Lotto), Robert Hunter (Lampre), Marty Jemison (USPS), Sebastien Joly (Bonjour) and Matthew White (Vini Caldirola). These were the eight that remained after the first two cobbled sections at 115 km, and they gained three and a half minutes lead at the maximum. No representatives from Farm Frites or Telekom, who had to rely on the fact that the break would exhaust themselves.

Punctures and crashes are a key feature of this race, and Andrei Tchmil (Lotto) experienced both in the first 100 km. Although he was able to rejoin the peloton, it did not bode well for later when he needed the stength. Up front, his teammate Durand punctured in the break at the 140 km point. He suffered from a slow wheel change and was caught by the rapidly thinning bunch, which was being driven by Farm Frites, Lampre and Telekom now.

Up front, the break entered the famous Arenberg cobbled section (170 km) and the six (Boven punctured as well) were reduced to four – Steels, Hunter, Konychev and White with a lead of less than two minutes. Over the next 25 km, this came down as White was dropped and the remaining three were caught at 195 km. Franco Ballerini had already tried to attack the leading group of 25, but was swiftly brought back by Mapei with Tafi prominent. Lampre still had Spruch, Serpellini and Hunter so could afford a little aggression.

Mapei had more though, and sent Max van Heeswijk up the road with 75 kilometres to go on the Tilloy pavé. All the big names were in the top group, but Mapei were playing the numbers game. Other teams: Francaise des Jeux (Michaelsen, Hoj and Guesdon) and US Postal (Hincapie, Andreu, Ekimov) also had quite a few up front and were doing their best to keep in the running. Telekom had Zabel, Wesemann, Aldag and Hundertmarck although the latter two were dropped soon after, and Farm Frites had Knaven and Van Petegem.

Van Heeswijk was caught by teammate Museeuw who takes Frankie Andreu (USPS) with him at 59 kms to go. They established a gap that quickly went over minute, with Mapei and the Posties slowing things down in the bunch, having seven riders between them. Van Heeswijk didn’t last long, and Museeuw decided to go alone at 38 kilometres to go on the pavé at Ennetières.

At the 247 kilometre point, his gap was 2.40 with just 26 kilometres to go into a stiff headwind. However, he knew that his team was strong and Tafi was doing a sterling job chasing down everything that moved. When one of the favourites in the race is acting as a domestique, there are not too many things to worry about.

Telekom’s Steffen Wesemann put in a strong attack with 16 kilometres to go on the third last pavé section, and he was followed by Hincapie and Vainsteins. The gap was being rapidly reduced – now to 1.20 with 14 km to travel, and Museeuw is visibly tiring. There was still some work to be done. However, Wesemann and the rest were caught and the bunch slowed enough to keep Museeuw’s lead at a minute with 5 kilometres to go. This was enough for the man from Gistel and the winner of this race in 1996.

His faithful teammate, Andrea Tafi punctured at the worst possible moment with 3 kilometres to go, but still was able to finish 10th in front of the next group of nine led home by Mapei’s Wilfried Peeters. The 8 strong front group closed the gap significantly to Museeuw in the closing kilometres, but were unable to nail him and they finished nearly a lap of the Roubaix velodrome behind him. No 1-2-3 this time, but an emphatic victory nonetheless.

Many were impressed, especially team manager Patrick Lefevre. They had to take him to hospital after the race, as he was so overwhelmed he fainted. All was well though, he was just too happy for Johan and the team.

Results :
1 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 6.47.00 (40.172 km/h)
2 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Farm Frites 0.15
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) Deutsche Telekom
4 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memorycard-Jack&Jones
5 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
6 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service
7 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank
8 Franco Ballerini (Ita) Lampre Daikin
9 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 0.21
10 Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1.18
11 Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 1.38
12 Servais Knaven (Ned) Farm Frites
13 Marco Serpellini (Ita) Lampre Daikin
14 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
15 Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) Lampre Daikin
16 Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal Service
17 Fréderic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
18 Marco Milesi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
19 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Credit Agricole 2.08
20 Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service 3.15
21 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 3.17
22 Lars Michaelsen (Den) La Francaise Des Jeux
23 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
24 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto Adecco
25 Dmitri Konyshev (Rus) Fassa Bortolo
26 Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
27 Frank Hoj (Den) La Francaise Des Jeux
28 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 3.22
29 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis 4.18
30 Koen Beeckman (Bel) Lotto Adecco 4.26
31 Jacky Durand (Fra) Lotto Adecco 4.30
32 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Deutsche Telekom
33 Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis
34 Jann Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance
35 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei-Quick Step
36 Kai Hundertmarck (Ger) Deutsche Telekom
37 Dario Pieri (Ita) Saceo Valli&Valli 5.24
38 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank 5.44
39 Robert Hunter (Rsa) Lampre Daikin 8.07
40 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
41 Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 8.08
42 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) US Postal Service
43 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis
44 Geert Van Bondt (Bel) Farm Frites 8.16
45 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto Adecco 9.38
46 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 10.52
47 Denis Zanette (Ita) Liquigas Pata
48 Nicola Loda (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
49 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Farm Frites
50 Lauri Aus (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance
51 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat – Auber 93
52 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
53 Ruben Galvan (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
54 Arvis Piziks (Lat) Memorycard-Jack&Jones
55 Rossano Brasi (Ita) Team Polti
56 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
57 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
58 Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step
59 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Lampre Daikin
60 Andreas Klier (Ger) Farm Frites
61 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank 14.32
62 Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat – Auber 93 19.30
63 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
64 Franck Perque (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
65 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
66 Fabian De Waele (Bel) Lotto Adecco

Finished, but unclassified:

67 Olivier Pereaudeau (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel 20.31
68 François Simon (Fra) Bonjour-Toupargel
69 Juan Carlos Vicario Barbera (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
70 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Festina-Lotus
71 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole 32.27
72 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Saceo Valli&Valli
73 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
74 Jean-Michel Thilloy (Fra) VC Saint-Quentin-Oktos
75 Benoit Joachim (Lux) US Postal Service
76 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina-Lotus
77 Remco Van Der Ven (Ned) Farm Frites
78 Damien Nazon (Fra) Bounjour-Tourpargel
79 Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola 43.04