Basking within the glowing late afternoon daylight and the glow from hundreds of his delighted followers within the Roubaix Velodrome, tears streaking his mud-encrusted face, Johan Museeuw (Domo-Farm Frites) crossed the end line to win the one centesimal Anniversary version of Paris-Roubaix after his runner-up spot final yr.Â
Museeuw sealed his win with an unbelievable 41km solo break and a victory salute of ten outstretched fingers, signifying his tenth profession World Cup win. After his emotional second place to Andrea Tafi final week within the Tour of Flanders, Museeuw additionally took over first place within the 2002 World Cup standings.Â
“After Flanders, I used to be very upset,” Museeuw advised French TV within the velodrome infield,” so right this moment I needed some revenge – to come back again and win my third Paris-Roubaix.”Â
The truth is, Museeuw was so vexed after final week’s loss in “his” Flanders (a 3 time victor, he needed to crown his profession with a record-breaking fourth Flanders win) that he threatened to give up, however as has occurred earlier than in Museeuw’s profession, the hard-headed Belgian has what it takes to beat defeat just like the true champion he’s.Â
Along with his centenary victory, the 35 yr outdated Museeuw’s thirteenth participation within the Queen of the Classics and the forty ninth win total by a Belgian, the person from Gistel joins post-war three-time winners Italian Francesco Moser, fellow Belgians Eddy Merckx and Ric Van Looy within the Roubaix pantheon, and has absolutely earned the title of the highest Classics rider of his technology. He now trails solely Roger DeVlaeminck’s 4 Paris-Roubaix wins.Â
On this cool, windy day marked by showers and slimy, slippery pavé, final week’s Flanders champ Andrea Tafi (Mapei-Fast Step) ended up seventeenth, 9’11” behind. Tafi does not just like the moist and chilly and the powerful Tuscan had some bronchial issues this previous week. When Museeuw made his first transfer within the pavé of the Arenberg Forest, German rider Stefan Wesemann (Telekom) lastly had his World Cup breakthrough right this moment for second place, after final yr’s disappointing experience resulting from shoe issues.Â
Apart from Museeuw’s efficiency, the experience of the day definitely belongs to 21 yr outdated Belgian Tom Boonen (USPS), who had a sensational day to complete third, simply behind the Telekom man. Maybe the form of issues to come back the place Belgian classics riders are involved, Boonen has been a prime newbie for years in Belgium, with a lot of expertise on the pavé (see cyclingnews.com’s interview with USPS workforce Director and former Paris-Roubaix champ Dirk DeMol). Neo-pro Boonen was already within the early break of the day, ready for USPS workforce chief George Hincapie to come back up and the best way issues labored out, he ended up on the rostrum in his first professional Paris-Roubaix.Â
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Hincapie is having a stable classics marketing campaign to this point this yr; his fourth place in final week’s Tour of Flanders demonstrated he has the legs, however to this point this yr, not the luck. As soon as Museeuw flew the coop, solely Hincapie and Boonen may comply with him, however on the slippery pavé part #4 at Camphin-En-Pevele with 18km to go, Hincapie crashed right into a ditch on the left aspect of the street and misplaced Boonen’s wheel for good, finally being caught by the chase group simply behind.Â
The truth is, Boonen was up entrance all day whereas the skilled Museeuw made the important thing strikes later. With a powerful northeast wind from the English Channel and intermittent showers, the peloton started forming echelons on the best way to St. Quentin. After 38km and with 223km to go to Roubaix, 33 riders had a half-minute lead on the peloton, with Domo, Mapei and Massive Mat in proof.Â
However the wind, rain and slippery pavé took its toll and by Haveluy, the sixteenth of the 26 pavé sections, there have been 13 riders away with a 4’30” lead on the peloton. Behind the break, USPS was setting a powerful tempo, led by ex-mountain biker Floyd Landis and Tony Cruz. In entrance, Raphael Schweda (Coast) and Nico Mattan gave the impression to be doing a lot of the forcing, with Domo males Cassani and Van Heeswijk holding a lid on issues awaiting the inevitable arrival of Museeuw from behind.Â
The true race started to take form within the Forest of Arenberg, pavé part 16, the place Cassani attacked up entrance, sapping the legs of his rivals, whereas 4’00” behind, Museeuw blasted away on the entrance of the chase, Ultimately his forcing broke the chase aside, with Museeuw joined by Hincapie, Lars Michaelsen (Coast) and Wesemann (Telekom) as a part of the ever-changing chase group. Because the riders took their musettes on the second feed zone in Orchies with 60km to race, the face of 2002’s Paris-Roubaix started to take definitive form.Â
Up entrance, the stays of the unique break was an eight-rider group, with Domo males Cassani and Van Heeswijk, Boonen, Schweda, Tristan Hoffman (CSC-Tiscali), Hans De Clercq (Lotto-Addeco), Bodrogi (Mapei-Qstep) and Mattan. Two minutes behind and shutting quick was the Domo-ed chase group that had emerged from the peloton.Â
As they hit pavé part #12, Museeuw accelerated and solely final yr’s winner Servais Knaven (Domo), Hincapie and Michaelsen may comply with. This pursuit match continued, with De Clercq and Mattan attacking on each pavé part and varied parts of the break chasing them down and reforming.Â
Museeuw continued to pressure the tempo, inexorably closing the hole on the entrance group. Simply earlier than the infamous Mons-En-Pevele, pavé part #9, the seven chasers joined the 5 leaders for a good dozen of mud-caked desperado bikers, seeking to get to Roubaix it doesn’t matter what.Â
However as standard in Paris-Roubaix, the established order did not final lengthy. As soon as the riders hit pavé #8 in Merignies, a troublesome however brief 700m part, Museeuw took off and it seemed prefer it was for good.Â
“I believed it was the best second and so I went – I had a flash in my head,” stated Museeuw, “is it too far? As a result of there have been a variety of good riders there – Hincapie, Tom Boonen…”Â
However go he did and solely the 2 USPS males may comply with Museeuw. Arms within the hooks, mouth broad open, snot dripping from his nostril, Museeuw powered his big gear away from every body, displaying the immense class and expertise of a person with a date with future.Â
Three pavé sections nearer to Roubaix at #6, Le Moulin De Vertain, a newly-restored tract solely half a kilometre lengthy, Museeuw had gained 25″ on the USPS duo and 45″ on the chase with two of his DFF team-mates with 30km to race. Domo DS Wilfried Peeters, Museeuw’s perennial team-mate, drove up alongside to inform him the scenario and Museeuw drove himself even more durable in the direction of Roubaix.Â
As if pushed by invisible palms, Museeuw’s hole continued to develop and by the infamous Camphin-En-Pevele pave #4, he had 1’35” on the USPS pursuit workforce, which got here asunder when Hincapie crashed into the drainage ditch on the left aspect of the farm street. Boonen continued alone till a hard-charging Wesemann got here as much as the highly effective younger Belgian, finally beating him within the dash for runner-up spot in Roubaix.Â
However nothing would or may cease Museeuw right this moment. He flew over the cobbles right this moment; intuitively selecting the very best line to experience and placing the competitors additional and additional behind. Wesemann and Boonen got here in simply over three minutes behind, whereas Hoffman took the dash from a seven man chase group 4 minutes again. Tristan Hoffman (CSC-Tiscali) took the dash for fourth, with Hincapie sixth and US Champ Fred Rodriguez (Domo), a decent twenty seventh in his first Paris-Roubaix.Â
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