ROUBAIX, France: Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet won his first ‘Monument’ race with victory in the prestigious Paris-Roubaix one-day classic on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Belgian outsprinted Czech Zdenek Stybar in the iconic outdoor Roubaix velodrome at the end of the 257km long ‘Hell of the North’ cobbled classic.
But it was a disappointing end to the glorious career of 36-year-old Belgian Tom Boonen — the joint record four-time winner in Roubaix — who could manage only 13th in his final race.
Sebastian Langeveld took third place in a sprint finish between five riders in the velodrome while last year’s winner Mathew Hayman of Australia came home in 11th.
But victory continued a remarkable spring for Van Avermaet, the road race champion in Rio last August.
It was his fourth win on the cobbles this year alongside a second place finish at last week’s Tour of Flanders, despite a late crash.
The 31-year-old Belgian outsprinted Czech Zdenek Stybar in the iconic outdoor Roubaix velodrome at the end of the 257km long ‘Hell of the North’ cobbled classic.
But it was a disappointing end to the glorious career of 36-year-old Belgian Tom Boonen — the joint record four-time winner in Roubaix — who could manage only 13th in his final race.
Sebastian Langeveld took third place in a sprint finish between five riders in the velodrome while last year’s winner Mathew Hayman of Australia came home in 11th.
But victory continued a remarkable spring for Van Avermaet, the road race champion in Rio last August.
It was his fourth win on the cobbles this year alongside a second place finish at last week’s Tour of Flanders, despite a late crash.
