2015 Paris–Roubaix

2015 Paris–Roubaix
2015 UCI World Tour, race 10 of 28
Post-race podium
Race details
Dates 12 April 2015
Stages 1
Distance 253.5 km (157.5 mi)
Winning time 5h 49' 51"
Results
  Winner  John Degenkolb (GER) (Team Giant–Alpecin)
  Second  Zdeněk Štybar (CZE) (Etixx–Quick-Step)
  Third  Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (BMC Racing Team)

The 2015 Paris–Roubaix was the 113th edition of the Paris–Roubaix one-day race. It took place on 12 April and was the tenth race of the 2015 UCI World Tour.[1][2] It was won by John Degenkolb in a sprint ahead of Zdeněk Štybar and Greg Van Avermaet. Degenkolb became only the second German to win the race, after Josef Fischers victory at the very first edition 119 years earlier.

Route

The 2015 Paris–Roubaix was 253.5 kilometres (157.5 mi) in length, slightly shorter that the previous editions. Despite the name suggesting that the race starts in the French capital, it actually starts in Compiègne, 80 km north of Paris. After a short, neutralised section, the race began in Clairoix. The first (almost) 100 km were virtually flat and quiet, before the riders hit the 27 cobbled sections that total 52.7 kilometres (32.7 mi), the hardest being Trouée d'Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l'Arbre. Three sections (Quiévy, Saint-Python and Verchain-Maugré) will be included in stage 4 of the 2015 Tour de France. The last 750m were in the velodrome in Roubaix.

Cobbled sectors

Section
Number
Name Kilometre Marker Length
(in m)
27Troisvilles to Inchy98.52200
26Viesly to Quiévy1051800
25Quievy to Saint-Python1083700
24Saint-Python112.51500
23Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon120.52380
22Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing1301600
21Quérénaing to Maing133.52500
20Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon136.51600
19Haveluy to Wallers149.52500
18Trouée d’Arenberg1582400
17Wallers to Hélesmes1641600
16Hornaing to Wandigniess170.53700
15Warlaing to Brillon1782400
14Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières181.52400
13Beuvry-la-Forêt to Orchies1881400
12Orchies1931700
11Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée1992700
10Mons-en-Pévèle204.53000
9Mérignies to Avelin210.5700
8Pont-Thibaut to Ennevelin2141400
7Templeuve - Moulin-de-Vertain220500
6Cysoing to Bourghelles226.51300
Bourghelles to Wannehain2291100
5Camphin-en-Pévèle233.51800
4Carrefour de l'Arbre236.52100
3Gruson238.51100
2Willems to Hem245.51400
1Roubaix (Espace Crupelandt)252300
Total cobbled sections52700

Teams

As Paris-Roubaix is a UCI World Tour event, all 17 UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and were obliged to send a squad. Eight Professional Continental teams received wildcard invitations and thus completed the 25-team peloton.

UCI WorldTeams

UCI Professional Continental teams

Pre-race favourites

Two former multiple winners of the event missed the race for injury. Four time winner Tom Boonen was ruled out after dislocating his shoulder in a crash during Paris-Nice in March,[3] whilst three-time winner Fabian Cancellara missed out after fracturing two vertebrae in his lower back in a crash at E3 Harelbeke.[4]

Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) was tipped by as the favourite to win the race,[5] having won three stages and the General Classification of the Three Days of De Panne, the Tour of Flanders and Scheldeprijs in the fortnight leading up to the race.[6] Defending champion Niki Terpstra also showed good form, having been runner up to Kristoff in the Tour of Flanders and also placing second in Gent–Wevelgem a week earlier.[7] He was likely to share leadership of Etixx-Quick Step with Zdeněk Štybar, who was also in good form with a victory at Strade Bianche and second place at E3 Harelbeke earlier in the classics campaign.[5]

Bradley Wiggins riding the 2015 Paris-Roubaix

Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was riding the event as his final race for Team Sky before moving to his new WIGGINS squad to begin his preparations for a return to track racing at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[8] He was expected to share leadership of Sky with Geraint Thomas, winner of E3 Harelbeke, and Ian Stannard, winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.[7] Other likely contenders for victory included Sep Vanmarcke (Team LottoNL-Jumbo), the runner up in the 2013 edition of the race,[9] John Degenkolb (Team Giant-Alpecin), the runner up of the 2014 edition,[10] Lars Boom (Astana Pro Team) who won Stage 5 of the 2014 Tour de France which featured some of the Paris-Roubaix cobble sectors,[11] Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team)[12] and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo).[12]

Results

Cyclist Team Time UCI World Tour
Points
1  John Degenkolb (GER) Team Giant–Alpecin 5h 49' 51" 100
2  Zdeněk Štybar (CZE) Etixx–Quick-Step s.t. 80
3  Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) BMC Racing Team s.t. 70
4  Lars Boom (NED) Astana s.t. 60
5  Martin Elmiger (SUI) IAM Cycling s.t. 50
6  Jens Keukeleire (BEL) Orica–GreenEDGE s.t. 40
7  Yves Lampaert (BEL) Etixx–Quick-Step + 7" 30
8  Luke Rowe (GBR) Team Sky + 28" 20
9  Jens Debusschere (BEL) Lotto–Soudal + 29" 10
10  Alexander Kristoff (NOR) Team Katusha + 31" 4

Controversy

The level crossing, the day of the 2013 Paris–Roubaix

The race was marred by controversy when it emerged that dozens of cyclists had unsafely crossed a level crossing while the barriers were down. Further cyclists were only stopped from crossing when a police motorbiker intervened. Seconds later, an SNCF TGV high-speed train passed through the crossing.[13]

The SNCF called for police to take action following the incident, stating that there could easily have been a tragedy.[14]

References

  1. "UCI confirm WorldTour Calendar 2015". Cycling News. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. "2015 UCI Calendar". UCI. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  3. "Lefevere rules out Tom Boonen's Paris-Roubaix return - Cycling Weekly". Cycling Weekly. 1 April 2015.
  4. "Fabian Cancellara ruled out of Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix after crash". the Guardian.
  5. 1 2 Barry Ryan. "Paris-Roubaix 2015: Preview - Cyclingnews.com". Cyclingnews.com.
  6. "Alexander Kristoff continues winning streak with Scheldeprijs victory". Cycling Weekly. 8 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 "BBC Sport - Paris-Roubaix: Geraint Thomas expects dual leader role with Wiggins". BBC Sport.
  8. "Bradley Wiggins's 'fairytale' ending at Paris-Roubaix - Cycling Weekly". Cycling Weekly. 8 April 2015.
  9. "Sep Vanmarcke: 'Bad moments come and go' - VeloNews.com". VeloNews.com.
  10. Cycling News. "Video: Top 10 riders to watch at Paris-Roubaix". Cyclingnews.com.
  11. "Lars Boom aims to go supersonic at Roubaix". VeloNews.com.
  12. 1 2 "Paris-Roubaix 2015: Who will win?". Cycling Weekly. 9 April 2015.
  13. Cary, Tom (13 April 2015). "Paris-Roubaix 2015: Riders almost hit by train at level-crossing as SNCF call for barrier jumpers to be prosecuted". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  14. "Paris-Roubaix: Train company wants police action taken". BBC Sports. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
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