Australian veteran Mathew Hayman has deprived Tom Boonen of a record-breaking fifth Paris-Roubaix title by winning the Queen of the Classics after the leading favourites got trapped behind a big crash.
The Orica-GreenEDGE rider, 37, outsprinted Belgian Boonen on the final bend of the Roubaix velodrome on Sunday as British rider Ian Stannard took third place at the end of a crash-ridden 257.5-km ride featuring 52.8 km of cobbled sectors.
Pre-race favourites Peter Sagan, the world champion, and Fabian Cancellara, who was gunning for a fourth title, effectively lost the race when they found themselves on the wrong end of a bunch split after a massive pile-up some 115km from the line.
Swiss Cancellara later crashed on the wet cobbles and finished more than seven minutes behind Hayman on his last Paris-Roubaix before retiring at the end of the season.
“I can’t believe it, I broke my arm five weeks ago and missed all the racing, I just raced a race in Spain last week,” said Hayman, whose best previous result in the race was eighth place in 2012.
“This is my favourite race but this year I didn’t even dare to dream.”
Hayman was in the day’s breakaway and when the big guns caught the group he managed to keep with them. Despite a late mechanical problem, he stayed among the five riders who went on to contest the victory.
Boonen attacked with 2.7km left but Hayman followed and countered, only for the 2005 world champion to rejoin him. The Australian, however, was the stronger on the final sprint.
Belgian Sep Vanmarcke took fourth place ahead of Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen, while Australian Heinrich Haussler finished sixth, a minute behind Hayman.
“I knew I had to take it easy (in the breakaway) and I was waiting for the big guys to come, I saved all day,” Hayman explained.
Diggs
Roar Rookie
Agree that it is really sad how little media this win got. Considering how big this race is, and the fact that both Hayman and O'Grady both stand as the only non-europeans to have ever won it. However SBS coverage was pretty good, McEwan was quite a good commentator.
Steve C
Guest
A fantastic effort, couldn't believe how hard the pace was so far from the finish. You could say they "raced" for the last 100 kms. Just great to see an Ausdie get up & OGE team deserve the success!
Freycinet1803
Roar Rookie
Check out OGE's latest backstage pass for Paris-Roubaix ... I love them, especially how excited they get with a win ... "Oh fruit!"
Chancho
Roar Rookie
Always the same huh... This is a big result for an Australian in the scheme of the cycling calendar, and a big step for pro Aussie cyclists... but like everything cycling and in the mass media the TdF takes all the glory. Over here in the UK all the press who have reported have headlines like "Brit, Stannard comes 3rd in Roubaix"... it can never be objective can it? Congrats Matt Hayman and Orica Green Edge! Massive result!!!
JGK
Roar Guru
This really has received scandalously little attention here in Oz.
Freycinet1803
Roar Rookie
A great win by Hayman. You could see near the end he was lettign Bossan Hagan and Boonen chase down most the attacks ... he happily sat back biding his time. I think he won it (with heart) after Van Marcke made his attack on the second last cobbles section. Hayman was dropped almost immediately, but by the end of the long cobble section he had hitched back onto the back of the leaders. A great ride by him. How about Sagan's bunny hop over Cancellera's bike???