April 08, 2012 (France) –  Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep rewrote the history books as planned but with even more style than expected to win his fourth Paris-Roubaix,258km, in a textbook 110th edition of the Queen of Classics. It was widely forecast that the Belgian would equal Roger De Vlaeminck’s record but the way he did it, by breaking clear with 55 kilometres to go and remaining on his own for more than an hour, was a fantastic display of sheer class. Boonen timed his move perfectly, launching a first attack after his unlucky team-mate Sylvain Chavanel punctured on the 200-kms mark.

The first blow did not finish off his two leading rivals, Alessandro Ballan (BMC) and Filippo Pozzato (FAR) but the two Italians bowed when the Tour of Flanders winner struck again with Dutch team-mate Niki Terpstra two kilometers further. At the finish, Boonen raised a cobble for the fourth time, with a special smile on his face. After two years of struggle, the 31-year-old Belgian also became the first man to win the Ronde and the Hell of the North in the same year twice. He is now arguably the strongest man in history in the Flanders classics with 21 wins in the region.

Twelve lead the way
The race started without Francisco Ventoso (MOV), sending 194 riders to tackle the 257.5-kms ride. Several attempts took place from the gun but the pace was too high (48.4 kph in the first hour) for a break to emerge. At kilometer 67, Veuchelen (VCD) and Dehaes (LTB) broke clear and were quickly joined by ten other riders. The twelve were Van Keirsbulck OPQ), Popovych (RNT), Dehaes (LTB), Veuchelen, Lindeman (VCD), Boucher (FDJ), Morkov (SAX), Klemme (ARG), Mangel (SAU), Veilleux (EUR), Saramotins (COF) and Janorschke (APP). With eleven teams involved, the break gained momentum and held a 4:10 lead into the first cobbled sector at km 97.5. A first crash occurred in sector 22, forcing two riders out, but sector 21 was also merciless. A massive pile-up took place in the bunch, holding 1997 winner Frederic Guesdon and splitting the peloton. Pozzato (FAR) also found himself in the second part of the bunch, which finally regrouped.

Ballan tries
In the Arenberg Trench, three of the 12 escapees – Boucher, Janorschke and Van Keirsbulck – crashed heavily while Dehaes punctured. Tom Boonen led the peloton into the Trench with French champion Sylvain Chavanel on his heels. At the end of the sector, the gap had gone down to 1:50 between the eight remaining escapees and the peloton. At kilometer 180, two pre-race favorites, Alessandro Ballan (BMC) and Juan-Antonio Flecha (SKY) tried to take Boonen off his guard. They caught Mathieu Ladagnous (FDJ) and Jimmy Casper (ALM) before being joined by Maarten Wynants (RAB) and Sebastien Turgot (EUR). They held a maximum lead of 20 seconds before being reined in.

Unlucky Chavanel
At the end of sector 13, Sylvain Chavanel attacked and found himself in the lead with Ladagnous, Turgot and Mangel . But the French champion was unlucky to puncture at the worst possible time (km 200) and his leader Boonen seized the opportunity to counter-attack. Cautiously, Ballan and Pozzato replied and joined him. But they were forced to admit defeat when they were caught by another Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider, Niki Terpstra, who raised the pace and led the way for his leader. Launched like a rocket, Boonen then broke on his own, never to be seen again.

Boonen goes
Behind the Tour of Flanders winner, the other big names lost ground one by one. Thor Hushovd (BMC) crashed and later punctured. Chavanel punctured once more. Pozzato crashed and faltered. Only Ballan and Juan-Antonio Flecha (SKY), helped by three team-mates, kept fighting. Despite a brave team effort by Flecha, Boasson-Hagen, Hayman and Stannard, the gap kept increasing and reached the minute with 29 kilometres to go. There was no denying Boonen a well-deserved victory as the chasing group blew to splinters and was left to battle it out for the podium places. France’s Sebastien Turgot surged on the line to take second place ahead of Alessandro Ballan, third for the third time.

Results

1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  5:55:22
2. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar  1:39
3. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
4. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling
5. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
6. Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team  1:43
7. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank  3:31
8. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
9. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda
10. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
11. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team
12. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
13. Grégory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan  4:23
14. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team
15. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team  4:37
16. Steve Chainel (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
17. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
18. Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
19. Jimmy Casper (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
20. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
21. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
22. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team
23. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team
24. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
25. Damien Gaudin (Fra) Team Europcar  4:58
26. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
27. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
28. Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne  6:22
29. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
30. Jean-Lou Paiani (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
31. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  6:25
32. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda
33. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team  6:27
34. Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat  7:46
35. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
36. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
37. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
38. Saïd Haddou (Fra) Team Europcar
39. Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
40. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
41. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat
42. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling
43. George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
44. Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller  7:48
45. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  7:50
46. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
47. David Veilleux (Can) Team Europcar  9:09
48. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team  9:11
49. Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  9:37
50. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Esp) Movistar Team
51. Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling
52. Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
53. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
54. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat  
55. Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
56. Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling  0:11:07
57. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team
58. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
59. Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank
60. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
61. Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team
62. Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team
63. John Degenkolb (Ger) Argos – Shimano
64. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre – ISD  0:13:05
65. Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
66. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
67. Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
68. Gael Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
69. Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
70. Blaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp
71. Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team NetApp
72. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
73. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
74. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
75. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
76. Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha Team
77. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
78. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
79. Jon Izagirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
80. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Team Europcar
81. Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
82. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
83. Bert De Backer (Bel) Argos – Shimano
84. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda
85. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep  0:17:17
86. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
HD  Reto Hollenstein (Sui) Team NetApp
HD  Markus Eichler (Ger) Team NetApp
HD  Ruben Perez Moreno (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
HD  Christophe Laborie (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
HD  Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned) Argos – Shimano
HD  Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Argos – Shimano
HD  Roger Kluge (Ger) Argos – Shimano
HD  Dominic Klemme (Ger) Argos – Shimano
HD  Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
HD  Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale
HD  Rafai Chtioui (Tun) Team Europcar
HD  Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
HD  Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) Lampre – ISD
HD  Dmytro Krivtsov (Ukr) Lampre – ISD
HD  Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
HD  Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank
HD  David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
HD  Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
HD  Martin Mortensen (Den) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
HD  Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
HD  Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
HD  Jens Keukeleire (Bel) GreenEdge Cycling Team
HD  Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
HD  Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling
HD  Roberto De Patre (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
HD  Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
HD  Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin – Barracuda
DNF  Timon Seubert (Ger) Team NetApp
DNF  Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team NetApp
DNF  André Schulze (Ger) Team NetApp
DNF  Grischa Janorschke (Ger) Team NetApp
DNF  Laurent Pichon (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Mathieu Halleguen (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Guillaume Blot (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne – Schuller
DNF  Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
DNF  Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Esp) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
DNF  Edwig Cammaerts (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
DNF  Pablo Urtasun Perez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF  Adrian Saez (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF  Alan Perez Lezaun (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF  Pierre Cazaux (Fra) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF  Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF  Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
DNF  Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
DNF  Rony Martias (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
DNF  Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur – Sojasun
DNF  Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF  Ruben Plaza Molina (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF  Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF  Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF  Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF  Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF  Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF  Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF  Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Argos – Shimano
DNF  Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos – Shimano
DNF  Romain Lemarchand (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF  Steve Houanard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF  Martin Elmiger (Sui) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF  Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF  Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF  Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF  Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF  Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF  Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF  Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF  Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) Lampre – ISD
DNF  Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF  Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF  Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre – ISD
DNF  Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF  Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
DNF  William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
DNF  Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
DNF  Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team
DNF  Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha Team
DNF  Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Greg Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF  Matthew Wilson (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
DNF  Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team
DNF  Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team
DNF  Brett Lancaster (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
DNF  Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
DNF  Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan
DNF  Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
DNF  Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan
DNF  Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
DNF  Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Sky Procycling
DNF  Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Cristiano Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
DNF  Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
DNF  Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
DNF  Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
DNF  Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
DNF  Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
DNF  Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda
DNF  Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
DNF  Andreas Klier (Ger) Garmin – Barracuda