Paris-Roubaix 2019 [FULL RACE]

April 14, 2019

Paris-Roubaix 2019 – Compiègne – Roubaix : 257 km

The 117th running of Paris-Roubaix will roll out of Compiègne on Sunday, April 14, for 257km of frenetic one-day racing over 29 cobbled sectors spread across 54.5km. The bone-jarring cobbles begin around the 100km mark after the village of Troisvilles. Two small changes to the 2019 route include shortened sectors through Troisvilles and Trouée d’Arenber. The peloton will also have an opportunity to honour the memory of Michael Goolaerts between Briastre and Viesly.

Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) moved a step closer to completing a full set of Monuments when he beat Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) in a two-up sprint to claim victory at the end of an unrelenting edition of Paris-Roubaix.

It was fitting that Gilbert and Politt were the last men standing at the end of such a slugging match over the cobbles, as each rider had landed more telling blows than most during a breathless day of racing.

The decisive move had its genesis in Politt’s canny attack at the end of the second feed zone with 67km remaining, when Gilbert was the first to react to the German’s probing effort. That attack triggered the denouement, and the race took definitive shape just before the cobbles at Mons-en-Pévèle with 45km remaining. There, the pair emerged in an elite group of six along with defending champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First).

That sextet collaborated smoothly to build up a lead of a minute over a flagging and disorganised chasing group, and their unity only started to ebb when the Quick Step duo of Lampaert and Gilbert began their probing on the cobbles at Wannehain and Carrefour de l’Arbre.

A tiring Van Aert, who had earlier chased back on twice after a mechanical and a crash, lost contact ahead of the Carrefour de l’Arbre, but the pivotal moment came on the following sector at Gruson. With 14.5km remaining, Politt unleashed a determined acceleration that only Gilbert could follow.

With Lampaert policing a fading Sagan and a Vanmarcke beset by mechanical issues, the Gilbert-Politt tandem quickly built up a buffer of 40 seconds over their erstwhile companions, and the duo continued to work together deep into the run-in towards Roubaix.

It was only in the final 3 kilometres, when Gilbert got word that Lampaert was now chasing alone, that their alliance stalled. The canny Gilbert duly ensconced himself on Politt’s wheel through the final sector of pavé in the streets of Roubaix and allowed the German to lead them though the gates of the famous old velodrome.

Amid raucous cheers, Politt climbed the banking of the velodrome and slowed the pace, but while Gilbert is a relative Paris-Roubaix novice – this was just his third participation – few riders have his kind of sangfroid at the end of a 250km race. Just as he patiently disposed of the Schleck brothers in the sprint at Ans in Liège-Bastogne-Liège eight years ago, he bided his time before unleashing a powerful sprint to see off Politt.

“I’m not afraid of long attacks. They’ve often worked out in my favour,” Gilbert said afterwards. “I got down to work with Politt who is also quite a brave rider. It was ideal to be in his company. In the finale, we rode flat out together, and in the end, it came down to who was the strongest – and that was me.”

Gilbert’s teammate Lampaert came home alone to take third place in the Belgian champion’s jersey, just as his directeur sportif Tom Steels did twenty years ago behind his teammate Andrea Tafi. Vanmarcke slipped away from Sagan to take 4th, while Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck-QuickStep) won the sprint for 6th place, 47 seconds down on his teammate Gilbert.

How it unfolded

It was a very chilly morning for the riders who took to the start at the Palais Impérial in Compiègne on Sunday, where fever victim Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) was a late withdrawal. A headwind early on meant countless unsuccessful attacks in the first two hours of racing through the Oise, Somme and Aisne regions, with an average of 44km/h for the peloton.

Only when entering the Nord region and approaching the first pavé sectors did any riders manage to gain a significant gap on the peloton. A group of nine reached the first cobbles at pavé sector 29 in Troisvilles. Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Nils Politt (Katusha) and European champion Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) were among the notable names to make the group, while soon afterwards, three more groups came together to form a break of over 20 riders.

As the leaders reached the second pavé sector, named after the late Michael Goolaerts, they had an advantage of 50 seconds on the Bora-Hansgrohe and Sky-led peloton. The punctures and mechanicals came thick and fast thereafter, with Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), André Greipel (Arkea-Samsic) and Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Dimension Data) among those dropping from the peloton as the cobbles took their toll.

Up front, Trentin suffered a similar fate, having to take a Mavic neutral service wheel before dropping back to the peloton. Bahrain-Merida worked at the head of the peloton to limit the gap, and by sector 23, with 120km to race, the lead group was already caught back.

Peter Sagan lost a valuable helper when Daniel Oss crashed on sector 22, while the next sector saw Kristoff puncture once again. It wasn’t to be his day. Due to the general chaos of the race, the peloton split in two pieces in the run-up to the Arenberg, with Kristoff, Sagan, Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) and Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) trailing in the chase group.

On sector 20 at Haveluy à Wallers, those groups merged, though Kristoff didn’t make the cut, while Slovenian champion Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida) crashed out of the peloton just before Arenberg.

Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) led onto the famous sector, where Van Aert swerved out of the peloton with a mechanical problem, switching bikes with teammate Pascal Eenkhoorn before mounting a lone chase, some 40 seconds down. He ended up racing alongside Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain-Merida), blasting through the sectors and past trailing riders as he bridged back to the peloton with the Australian.

After switching to his own spare bike, Van Aert slid out on a corner, meaning he faced another a lone chase once again, this time with a minute to make up on the peloton. Soon after, his compatriot Benoot’s race came to an unfortunate end when he collided with a Jumbo-Visma team car, exiting the race in tears with a bloody knee.

Out front, Wesley Kreder (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) now led the race with small advantage over the peloton, but a rare lull in pace allowed Van Aert to catch up before sector 15.

At the feed zone, Politt accelerated, and he was joined by Gilbert and Rüdiger Selig (Bora-Hansgrohe). The trio bridged to Kreder and reached sector 14 at Beuvry à Orchies with a small advantage.

On sector 12, Sagan put on the power, attacking the peloton and taking several riders with him, including Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First). The group absorbed Gilbert and Politt, forming an elite lead group heading into the final 50km.

The six leaders reached the famous sector 11 at Mons-en-Pévèle with a lead of half a minute on the chase group, which consisted of around 20 riders. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Van Avermaet tried to bridge from the peloton, but with Zdenek Štybar (Deceuninck-Quick Step) smothered their moves. It was already clear that the winner would come from the six leaders.

Gilbert put in the first dig from the lead group with 23km to race, shortly after sector 6 at Bourghelles à Wannehain. The lead group was split in two pieces as Sagan and Politt quickly reacted while Vanmarcke, Van Aert and Lampaert lagged behind.

A tiring Van Aert was left behind by his countrymen as they hit sector 5 at Camphin-en-Pévèle, with Vanmarcke and Lampaert catching the lead trio at the end of the cobbled sector. On the Carrefour de l’Arbre – the only five-star sector remaining – Quick Step attacked first with Lampaert and then Gilbert, though Sagan was wise to both accelerations.

Next it was Politt’s turn – the German went on the offensive at the next sector at Gruson. Gilbert was the only man to make it across, while Sagan, Vanmarcke and Lampaert chased. The gap opened, and it soon became a two-man race.

A week ago, Gilbert had been diminished by illness at the Tour of Flanders, but his wealth of experience told here. He becomes the first man since Sean Kelly to win four of cycling’s five Monuments. Paris-Roubaix joins the Tour of Lombardy (2009 and 2010), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2011) and the Tour of Flanders (2017) on his palmarès.

“I still have this dream of winning all five monuments. It’s a bit of a crazy dream that has inspired me for ten years and little by little I’m getting closer to it,” said Gilbert. “When I decided to take on this challenge three years ago, many people told me the cobbles weren’t for me. I’ve won the Tour of Flanders and now Paris-Roubaix. I was able to transform my qualities as a puncheur. Now, I’m a different rider and I’m very happy to have done it.”

Results :
1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 5:58:02
2 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha-Alpecin
3 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:13
4 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First 0:00:40
5 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:42
6 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:47
7 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
8 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep
9 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence
10 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education First
11 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
12 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team
13 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
14 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:24
15 Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:01:25
16 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha-Alpecin 0:01:36
17 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
18 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
19 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
20 Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
21 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky 0:01:40
22 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:01:42
23 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:14
24 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
25 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:02:36
26 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
27 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:38
28 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:00
29 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:03:06
30 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:03:39
31 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:04:25
32 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
33 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:07:06
34 Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Team Katusha-Alpecin 0:08:14
35 Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:09:09
36 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale 0:09:11
37 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
38 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
39 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:10:19
40 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma
41 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
42 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team 0:10:20
43 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
44 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:11:51
45 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
46 Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
47 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team
48 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
49 Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
50 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
51 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
52 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
53 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
54 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
55 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
56 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:14:15
57 Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
58 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Team Katusha-Alpecin
59 Boris Vallee (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:14:18
60 Matti Breschel (Den) EF Education First 0:15:47
61 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
62 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb
63 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
64 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
65 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
66 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
67 Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
68 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
69 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
70 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
71 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
72 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
73 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
74 Lars Boom (Ned) Roompot-Charles
75 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb
76 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First
77 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) CCC Team 0:15:51
78 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team
79 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
80 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team
81 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Groupama-FDJ
82 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
83 Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
84 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky
85 Rick Zabel (Ger) Team Katusha-Alpecin 0:20:25
86 Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data 0:23:26
87 Jan Tratnik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
88 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
89 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
90 Corentin Ermenault (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
91 Lars Bak Ytting (Den) Dimension Data
92 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Total Direct Energie
93 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Roompot-Charles
94 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First
95 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:23:37
96 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
97 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels 0:23:43
98 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:24:12
99 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
100 Filippo Fortin (Ita) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:27:17
OTL Rasmus Fossum Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 0:29:56
OTL Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
OTL Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb
OTL Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
OTL Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:31:24
OTL Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team
OTL Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Charles 0:39:54
OTL Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) Delko Marseille Provence 0:40:00
OTL Joseph Areruya (Rwa) Delko Marseille Provence
OTL Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:47:35
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Kamil Gradek (Pol) CCC Team
DNF Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) CCC Team
DNF Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) EF Education First
DNF Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First
DNF Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Team Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Jens Debusschere (Bel) Team Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Romain Cardis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Pim Ligthart (Ned) Total Direct Energie
DNF Jack Bauer (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal
DNF Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
DNF Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
DNF Filippo Ganna (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
DNF Tom Bohli (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis Solutions Credits
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis Solutions Credits
DNF Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana Pro Team
DNF Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team
DNF Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team
DNF Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF André Greipel (Ger) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotels
DNF Senne Leysen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
DNF Justin Timmermans (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
DNF Iuri Filosi (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence
DNF Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence
DNF Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
DNS Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates