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Paris-Roubaix (2011) Photos April 10th

« Paris-Roubaix Live Dashboard


Stage 1:  2011 Friday's Recon  Full Results and Report

There is always serious action in the Arenberg Forest just ahead

It looks like this "road" hasn't been used since last year's race

Europcar doing recon on the Arenberg Trench (and cutting the grass)

Retired Paris-Roubaix winners Johan Museeuw and Andrea Tafi were out doing recon too

Spain's best classics rider Juan Antonio Flecha leading Team Sky over the stones

Quiet now, but not on race day...

... Tom Boonen leading the strung-out peloton through the Arenberg Forest in 2009

Team Lampre trying to put this week's bad team news behind them

These aren't fun to land on, but there will be lots of mishaps on race day

Cobblestones panoramic

Katusha's Filippo Pozzato doesn't wheel-suck when he's doing a photo-op

With Leopard-Trek having done their recon early (Thursday), Friday's focus was on QuickStep

QuickStep entering cobblestone sector #12 "Orchies" as the banner indicates

Almost the identical angle of Orchies on race day in 2009

Nice weather like this is expected for race day...

... it will be a dusty Paris-Roubaix again this year

Stage 2:  Race Photos  Full Results and Report


Another hot, dusty Paris-Roubaix. The peloton on the Vertain a Saint Martin sur Ecaillon cobblestone sector with 120 of 258 kms of sheer hell completed.

As George Hincapie said post-race, this can't be healthy for you!

Ag2r's Martin Elmiger, the Swiss National Champ, was instrumental in the early success of the main break

Sirotti captures a variation of this shot every year. The peloton entering sector 12, Orchies, with 60 km to go

The main break with the eventual winner going over some of the worst cobblestones on the route in the Arenberg Forest where Friday's recon photos were taken

It was a bad day for Team QuickStep. There problems started in the Arenberg forest when team leader and one of the race favorites, Tom Boonen, had a mechanical and had to wait several minutes for his team car. He later crashed behind Bradley Wiggins just before he would have rejoined the peloton

A close-up of the dusty, slick cobblestones of the Carrefour de l'Arbre sector with 17 km to go

Garmin's Johan van Summeren (BEL) rode away from the 13 man break on the Carrefour de l'Arbre with 16 km to go

Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank in pursuit

Followed by Grégory Rast (Swi) RadioShack

The rear of the chase group coming through a minute later. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky and Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank were seen arguing in the latter half of the race

Fabian Cancellara, Thor Hushovd and A. Ballan played cat and mouse in the chase group. Hushovd had no incentive to chase with his teammate in the lead

Johan van Summeren continued to extend his lead over the remaining cobblestone sectors...

... until Fabian Cancellara made his move in the final kilometers

Johan van Summeren had enough time to enjoy a victory lap on a flat tire

The most unlikely of winners, a reminder that cycling really is a team sport...

Garmin-Cervelo's domestique Johan van Summeren wins the fast and dramatic 2011 Paris-Roubaix. Prior to today, he had three minor wins since turning pro in 2003 and now he's the new Paris-Roubaix Champion. “Today I feel like it’s justice for the guy who spends 99 per cent of his career dragging his ass on the front for Farrar, Hushovd and all our climbers”, Jonathan Vaughters said post-race.

Winning Paris-Roubaix is never pretty

Fabian Cancellara closed the gap dramatically in the final kms and won the sitting bunch sprint for second 19s back. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank was thrilled with third (video)

The media descending on the winner and his soon to be announced, fiancé

You have to really like this guy for what he did today regardless of how bad he looked (and smelled?) at the finish

Such a lovely couple and van Summeren proposed to his girlfriend, Justine, after the race

Thor Hushovd, 2nd and 3rd previously at Paris-Roubaix, played a big role in Garmin's team win over Fabian Cancellara

"Damn. [Last] 5 kms on a flat! Johan is a stud" tweeted Jonathan Vaughters

The young Canadian David Veilleux (Europcar) had an impressive debut at Paris-Roubaix spending time in the main break until he was dropped near the end. He ended up 25th (+3:45).

A well-deserved coke for Cofidis. Kevin Ista wins the award for best post-race helmet hair.

The traditional hoisting of the winner's cobblestone trophy

Uh, oh!

Johan van Summeren can just barely clean and jerk the winner's trophy which weighs 31 lbs. Luckily, he normally does his heavy lifting with his legs.

Your 2011 Paris-Roubaix Podium: 3rd Maarten Tjallingii +0:19 (Ned) Rabobank, 1st Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin-Cervelo 6:07:28, 2nd Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Leopard Trek +0:19

Wonder what Fabian Cancellara is thinking?