Paris-Roubaix

Ventoso, still suffering from his injuries; Erviti, for the 8th time in his career; and Sütterlin, just aged 21, finish in París-Roubaix, always chaotic and full of changes. Late attack rewards Terpstra (OPQ) with famous win

“It’s inevitable for any rider to watch Paris-Roubaix and not dying from envy towards those ones racing there”. Andrey Amador, currently staying in his home Costa Rica, summed up on Twitter the feeling of every rider who loves classics: making part of the 199-man peloton which took the start today in the 112nd edition of Paris-Roubaix, full of tactics and emotions and which went to the hands of Niki Terpstra (OPQ) after a late move from a 15-rider group in the Carrefour de l’Arbre, the last five-star cobbled section in the third Monument of the year. Three Movistar Team riders -Fran Ventoso, Imanol Erviti and Jasha Sütterlin- had the honour to cross the doors of the famous Velodrome and finish the ‘Queen of the Classics’.

All three of them deserve credit. The Cantabrian, still struggling after the infamous crash suffered two weeks ago in Gent-Wevelgem, was the first Spaniard across the finish after making it within the main favourites nearly to the Mons-en-Pévèle section (10), where the penultimate decisive selection was made. The Navarrese, always beside him, can say he has finished eight of his nine appearances in the ‘Hell of the North’, a record in the squads directed by Eusebio Unzué. And finallly, Sütterlin completed Roubaix in his debut season in the WorldTour, and four months away from turning 22. Same luck didn’t go for Lobato, Herrada, Dayer Quintana, Dowsett and Gutiérrez, the other five Blues taking the départ in Compiègne.

Picture: @StepHenChantal