All classifications
| 1 | Fabian CANCELLARA |
| 2 | Tom BOONEN |
| 3 | Alessandro BALLAN |
| 4 | Juan Antonio FLECHA |
| 5 | Bernhard EISEL |
| » overall rankings |
Starters' list | Time schedules



The race
Sunday 9 April 2006Paris (Compiègne) > Roubaix - 259 km
The newsflashes
17:32Decision held over second and third places
The race jury was meeting to make a final decision on second and third places. Cancellara climbed on top of the podium to receive his trophy but was not joined in the ceremony by other riders.
17:21Boonen second after level-crossing ruling!
Boonen was finally placed second after Hoste, Van Petegem and Gusev were disqualified for riding past a level crossing that was closed, less than 10 kms from the finish. The level crossing had held Boonen, Flecha and Ballan.
17:09Tom Boonen is 5th
Last year’s winner Boonen finishes 5th behing Vladimir Gusev.
17:09Hoste 2nd and Van Petegem 3rd
Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) was second and Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon Lotto) was third.
17:07Cancellara wins 104th Paris-Roubaix
Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC)becomes the first Swiss in 83 years to win Paris-Roubaix.
17:041:05 with two kms to go
Cancellara’s lead over Van Petegem, Gusev and Hoste at 1:05 two kilometres from the line.
17:02Only one previous Swiss winner
Only one Swiss rider ever won Paris-Roubaix: Henri Suter in 1923!
17:01Cancellara almost there
With six kilometres left before the finish, Cancellara leads his three nearest rivals by 50 seconds.
16:54Boonen held by level crossing
Boonen, Flecha and Ballan are held by a level-crossing! It’s over for the world champion...
16:50Boonen is dropped
Tom Boonen has probably lost Paris-Roubaix. The Belgian title holder has been dropped by Alessandro Ballan, Leif Hoste and Peter Van Petegem who chase behind race leader Fabian Cancellara.
16:46Cancellara is gone
Cancellara drops Gusev and breaks on his own with 15 kms left in the race. The Swiss looks very strong as he now leads Boonen by 30 seconds.
16:44Cancellara in the Carrefour de l’Arbre
Cancellara, Gusev on his heels, leads the race into the ill-famed Carrefour de l’Arbre sector (number 4)
16:42Cancellara and Gusev pull away
Cancellara and Gusev pull away in cobbled sector 5 (km 240) and take a 10-second lead over their breakaway companions.
16:40Gusev back
Gusev returns into the leading group and leads the race into cobbled sector 5 (km 239)
16:34Gusev struggles to stay with the lead
Gusev fails to return in the leading group: seven men in the lead.
16:31Ballan and Gusev crash
Ballan and Gusev crashed in the Cysoing cobbled sector. Flecha, who was on their heels, managed to stay on his saddle. The three are unhurt and chase behind their breakaway companions.
16:23Race situation at km 227
Race situation at the end of cobbled sector 7 (km 227):
Boonen, Cancellara, Van Petegem, Hoste, Gusev, Eisel, Flecha and Ballan.
1:00 behind: Wesemann, Steegmans and Guesdon
1:30: Portal and Michaelsen
Eisel back in leading group
Austria’s Bernahd Eisel (FD Jeux) fought his way back in the leading group. Eight men in the front (km 221)
16:08Seven in the lead
Leif Hoste, Vladimir Gusev and Juan Antonio Flecha have caught Boonen, Van Petegem, Ballan and Cacellara : seven men in the lead at kilometre 215.
16:05Only four left in the lead
Only four riders are left in the lead after the Mons en Pevele sector: Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Alessandro Ballan and Peter Van Petegem.
Juan-Antonio Flecha, Leif Hoste and Frederic Guesdon are chasing, some 20 seconds behind.
Hincapie on the canvas
Hincapie crashed again heavily in the cobbled sector of Mons en Pevele as his handlebars broke. The Discovery Channel remains seated on the roadside. The race is over for last year’s runner-up.
15:59Flecha attacks again
Flecha again raised the tempo in arguably the most difficult cobbled sector of Mons en Pevele (km 211)
15:55Two minute gap 50 kms from finish
The lead of the escapees 50 kms from the finish is stable at two minutes. Various attempts are taking place (Flecha, Guesdon) but the 14 stick together for now.
15:53Flecha attacks, Boonen replies
Juan-Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) attacked in cobbled sector 11 (km 204). World champion Tom Boonen was the only one to react as the leading group started losing some riders.
15:45Race situation at km 201.5
Race situation at km 201.5.
14 in the lead : Tom Boonen, George Hincapie, Frederic Guesdon, Fabian Cancellara, Bernhard Eisel, Steffen Wesemann, Juan Antonio Flecha, Nicolas Portal, Lars Michaelsen, Vladimir Gusev, Leif Hoste, Gert Steegmans, Alessandro Ballan and Peter Van Petegem
1:50 behind. Peloton
Hushovd quits
Norway’s Thor Hushovd, held by a puncture in the Arenberg trench, has given up.
15:36Two minute lead in the feeding zone
The lead of the 14 leaders over the rest of the field reached two minutes as they entered the feeding zone (km 194)
15:32Mechanical problem for Guesdon
Guesdon was dropped from the leading group with a mechanical problem.
15:31Three former winners in the leading group
Three former winners, Tom Boonen (2005), Peter Van Petegem (2003) and Frederic Guesdon (1997) feature in the leading group.
15:24Fourteen in the lead
In cobbled sector 14 (km 186), 14 men - Tom Boonen, George Hincapie, Frederic Guesdon, Bernhard Eisel, Steffen Wesemann, Juan Antonio Flecha, Nicolas Portal, Lars Michaelsen, Fabian Cancellara, Vladimir Gusev, Leif Hoste, Gert Steegmans, Alessandro Ballan and Peter Van Petegem - were in the lead, with a 1:30 lead over the main bunch.
15:19The 17 lead the bunch by 1:27
The 17 leaders hold a 1:27 gap over the peloton in cobbled sector 15 (Hornaing, km 177)
15:04The 17 in the lead
The 17 riders in the lead are Tom Boonen, George Hincapie, Frederic Guesdon, Bernhard Eisel, Steffen Wesemann, Peter Van Petegem, Stephan Schreck, Juan Antonio Flecha, Nicolas Portal, Lars Michaelsen, Enrico Franzoi, Vladimir Gusev, Leif Hoste, Fabian Cancellara, Gert Steegmans, Alessandro Ballan and Marcus Ljundqvist
15:00Puncture for Thor Hushovd
Ghent-Wevelgem winner Thor Hushovd suffered a puncture and was dropped by the main bunch in Arenberg.
14:53Bunch splits in Arenberg
The bunch split in Arenberg while the main favourites pulled away in a group of 17 including Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Peter van Petegem, Alessandro Ballan, George Hincapie and Steffen Wesemann.
14:46Boonen leads the bunch in Arenberg
World champion and title holder Tom Boonen led the bunch at an unbelievable pace in the Arenberg trench.
14:45The leaders in the trench
The four leaders tackle the Arenberg trench at kilometre 164
14:43Discovery and Quick Step lead the bunch
While Konyshev rejoined the leading group,the bunch was led by the Quick Step and Discovery Channel team-mates of Tom Boonen and George Hincapie. The Arengerg trench is only five kms away.
14:37Konyshev dropped in Haveluy
Konyshev is dropped by his three break companions in the cobbled sector of Haveluy (number 18, km 156)
14:32Race situation at kilometre 152
Race situation at kilometre 152:
Posthuma, Konyshev, Portal and Schreck
1.55 behind: Hoj and Pronk
2:20 behind: Verstreppen
2:35 behind: peloton
Race situation after sector 19
In the lead : Posthuma, Portal, Konyshev and Schreck
2:00 Hoj
2:05 Johan Verstreppen (Landbouwkrediet) and Matthe Pronk (Unibet.com)
2:15 Flores
2:40 Peloton
Race situation after sector 20
Race situation at the end of cobbled sector 20 in Maing (km 143)
The four in the lead
2:05 Hoj
2:15 Flores
2:25 Johan Verstreppen (Belgium) Landbouwkrediet and Matthe Prok (Netherlands) Unibet.com
2:40 Peloton
Hammond crashes
Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel) crashed in cobbled sector number 20 but got back on his bike. Hammond was third in the race two years ago.
14:10Race situation after sector 21
Situation of the race at the end of cobbled sector 21 in Querenaing (km 130)
Posthuma, Portal, Konyshev and Schreck in the lead.
2:23 behind Hoj, Flores
2:35 behind Berges and Righetto
The bunch 2:50 adrift.
Peloton four minutes adrift
The peloton was four minutes behind the four leaders at the end of cobbled sector 23 in Vertain (km 121.5)
13:36Hoj joins three chasers
Hoj catches Flores, Berges and Righetto. Four men in the chase behind Posthuma, Konyshev, Portal and Schreck (km 118.5)
13:28Race situation at km 111
Situation of the race at the end of the third cobbled sector in Quievy (km 111):
Four men in the lead, Posthuma, Konyshev, Portal and Schreck
2:25 behind : Berges, Righetto and Flores
2:55 behind : Hoj
4:00 behind : peloton.
Hoj chases behind the four
Denmark’s Frank Hoj is chasing behind the four escapees. The Gerolsteiner team leader is 2:35 adrift at the end of the second cobbled sector in Viesly (km 106). The bunch is 3:35 off the pace.
13:06Bunch 2:20 behind on first cobbles
The bunch reached the Troisvilles cobbled sector (2,200 metres) 2:20 behind the break.
13:03The four on the first cobbled sector
Posthuma, Konyshev, Portal and Schreck reach the first cobbled sector at Troisvilles (km 98) with a 1:20 lead over Flores, Righetto and Berges.
13:01Average speed at 47 kph
The average speed in the second hour of the race was 46.9 kph. The overall average speed is 47 kph.
13:00The peloton more than two minutes adrift
The main bunch are 2:05 behind the four breakaways at kilometre 92.5. The three chasers are 1:20 adrift.
12:51Race situation at kilometre 87
Four men in the lead : Posthuma, Konyshev, Portal and Schreck.
One minute behind. Iker Flores (Euskaltel), Stephane Berges (Agritubel), Marco Righetto (Liquigas)
1:15 behind. Peloton.
Brard counter-attacks
Brard chases behind the four breakways at kilometre 80. The escapees lead the peloton by 45 seconds at kilometre 83.
12:26Konyshev highlights
Silver-medallist at the world championship in 1989, Konyshev also won four Tour de France stages in his long career.
12:24The four lead by 20 seconds
The four lead the main bunch by 20 seconds at kilometre 67.5.
12:20Konyshev the old man
Konyshev is by far the oldest man in the race at 40. The veteran Russian is in his 17th professional year.
12:18Four men on the move
Km 62 - Four riders try their luck in turn. They are Joost Posthuma (Rabbank), Nicolas Portal (Caisse d’Epargne), Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile) and Dimitry Konyshev (Team LPR).
12:14The 22 caught
The 22 are caught by the peloton at kilometre 58.
12:13The 22 escapees
The 22 escapees are Nick Nuyens (Quick Step), Christophe Laurent (Agritubel), Geoffroy Lequatre (Cofidis), Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner), Bert Grabsch (Phonak), Fabrizio Guidi (Pjonak), Maarten Tjallingii (Shimano), Christophe Riblon (AG2R), Aurelien Clerc (Phonak), Tristan Valentin (Cofidis), Bram Schmitz (T-Mobile), Henk Vogels (Davitamon Lotto), Yuri Metlushenko (Team LPR), Peter Mazur (Saunier Duval), Lilian Jegou (Francaise des Jeux), Uai Urribarri (Euskaltel), Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile), Mathew Hayman (Rabobank), Erki Putsep (AG2R), Bas Giling (T-Mobile), Laszlo Bodrogi (Credit Agricole)
12:0722 men in the lead
22 riders take a 12-second lead at kilometre 54.
12:03Three men attack
Germany’s Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner), compatriot Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile)and France’s Lilian Jegou (Francaise des Jeux) break away at kilometre 50.
11:59Average speed 47.1 kph
The average speed in the first hour of the race was 47.1 kph.
11:58Brard and Martias attempt
France’s Florent Brard (Caisse d’Epargne) and Ronny Martias (Bouygues Telekom) make an attempt at kilometre 42 but the junction takes place three kilometres later.
11:46Arvesen and Berges on the move
Kust-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) and Stephane Berges (Agritubel) move in turn but are caught at kilometre 38.
11:43Hincapie back in the bunch
Hincapie is back in the peloton after his crash (km 33)
11:39Hincapie crashes
George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) crashed at kilometre 31.5 but quickly got back on his bike.
11:34Peloton still packed
At kilometre 28, the bunch was still packed and riding a solid tempo.
11:21First attack
Two riders, Dutchman Marc de Maar (Rabobank) and France’s Tristan Valentin (Cofidis), launch the first attack of the day before being caught. Germany’s Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile) also tries his luck at kilometre 18 before being reined in.
11:13Steady pace
The 194 riders were still packed after 11 kilometres. The sky is blue from start to finish.
11:03Blood tests at the start
29 riders from four teams (Liquigas, Gerolsteiner, Team LPR and Saunier Duval) were blood-tested before the start. All were declared fit to start.
11:01Start given
The start was given to 194 riders at 10:58 in Compiegne. Belgium’s Thierry Marichal (Cofidis) did not start.
10:56Victories by nation
Belgium leads with 51 victories ahead of France with 30. Following are Italy (11), the Netherlands (5), Ireland (2), Germany, Luxembourg, Russia, Sweden and Siwtzerland with one win each.
10:52Most top 10 finishes
Active riders who finished in the Paris-Roubaix top 10 most often:
George Hincapie (U.S.) Discovery Channel 6
Leon Van Bon (Netherlands) Davitamon Lotto 4
Magnus Backstedt (Sweden) not in race 3
Tom Boonen (Belgium) Quick Step Innergetic 3
Lars Michaelsen (Denmark) Team CSC 3
Peter Van Petegem (Belgium) Davitamon Lotto 3
Marc Wauters (Belgium) Rabobank 3
Steffen Wesemann (Germany) T-Mobile 3
Boonen arch-favourite
Crwoned last year one week after his first Tour of Flanders victory, Belgium’s Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) will be looking for a unique "double double". Last year, he beat George Hincapie and Juan-Antonio Flecha on the Roubaix Velodrome.
10:40Welcome on Paris-Roubaix official website
Welcome on Paris-Roubaix official website. The 104th edition of the Queen of classics will start from Compiegne at 10:50.