2015 Paris–Roubaix

2015 Paris–Roubaix
2015 UCI World Tour, race 10 of 28
Post-race podium
Race details
Date 12 April 2015
Distance 253.5 km (157.5 mi)
Winning time 5h 49' 51" (43.48 km/h or 27.02 mph)
Palmares
Winner  John Degenkolb (GER) (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)
27 Troisvilles to Inchy 98.5 2200
26 Viesly to Quiévy 105 1800
25 Quievy to Saint-Python 108 3700
24 Saint-Python 112.5 1500
23 Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon 120.5 2380
22 Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing 130 1600
21 Quérénaing to Maing 133.5 2500
20 Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon 136.5 1600
19 Haveluy to Wallers 149.5 2500
18 Trouée d’Arenberg 158 2400
17 Wallers to Hélesmes 164 1600
16 Hornaing to Wandigniess 170.5 3700
15 Warlaing to Brillon 178 2400
14 Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières 181.5 2400
13 Beuvry-la-Forêt to Orchies 188 1400
12 Orchies 193 1700
11 Auchy-lez-Orchies to Bersée 199 2700
10 Mons-en-Pévèle 204.5 3000
9 Mérignies to Avelin 210.5 700
8 Pont-Thibaut to Ennevelin 214 1400
7 Templeuve - Moulin-de-Vertain 220 500
6 Cysoing to Bourghelles 226.5 1300
Bourghelles to Wannehain 229 1100
5 Camphin-en-Pévèle 233.5 1800
4 Carrefour de l'Arbre 236.5 2100
3 Gruson 238.5 1100
2 Willems to Hem 245.5 1400
1 Roubaix (Espace Crupelandt) 252 300
Total cobbled sections 52700

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) 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

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