2015 Paris–Roubaix

The 2015 Paris–Roubaix was 253.5 kilometres (157.5 miles) in length, slightly shorter than the previous editions. Despite the name suggesting that the race started in the French capital, it actually started in Compiègne, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Paris. After a short, neutralised section, the race began in Clairoix. The first 100 kilometres (62 miles) or so were virtually flat and quiet, before the riders hit the 27 cobbled sections that totalled 52.7 kilometres (32.7 miles), the hardest being the Trouée d'Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and the Carrefour de l'Arbre. Three sections (Quiévy, Saint-Python and Verchain-Maugré) were included in stage 4 of the 2015 Tour de France, held three months later. The last 750 metres (2,460 feet) were held on the Roubaix Velodrome.

As Paris-Roubaix was a UCI World Tour event, all 17 UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and were obliged to send a squad. Eight Professional Continental teams received wildcard invitations and thus completed the 25-team peloton.

Two former multiple winners of the event missed the race due to injury. Four time winner Tom Boonen was ruled out after dislocating his shoulder in a crash during Paris–Nice in March,^[3] whilst three-time winner Fabian Cancellara missed out after fracturing two vertebrae in his lower back in a crash at E3 Harelbeke.^[4]

Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) was tipped by as the favourite to win the race,^[5] having won three stages and the general classification of the Three Days of De Panne, the Tour of Flanders and Scheldeprijs in the fortnight leading up to the race.^[6] Defending champion Niki Terpstra also showed good form, having been runner up to Kristoff in the Tour of Flanders and also placing second in Gent–Wevelgem a week earlier.^[7] He was likely to share leadership of Etixx–Quick-Step with Zdeněk Štybar, who was also in good form with a victory at Strade Bianche and second place at E3 Harelbeke earlier in the classics campaign.^[5]

Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was riding the event as his final race for Team Sky before moving to his new WIGGINS squad to begin his preparations for a return to track racing at the 2016 Summer Olympics.^[8] He was expected to share leadership of Sky with Geraint Thomas, winner of E3 Harelbeke, and Ian Stannard, winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.^[7] Other likely contenders for victory included Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL–Jumbo), the runner up in the 2013 edition of the race,^[9] John Degenkolb (Team Giant–Alpecin), the runner up of the 2014 edition,^[10] Lars Boom (Astana) who won Stage 5 of the 2014 Tour de France which featured some of the Paris–Roubaix cobble sectors,^[11] Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team)^[12] and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff–Saxo).^[12]

^[13]

	Cyclist	Team	Time	UCI World Tour Points
1	John Degenkolb (GER)	Team Giant–Alpecin	5h 49' 51"	100
2	Zdeněk Štybar (CZE)	Etixx–Quick-Step	+ 0"	80
3	Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)	BMC Racing Team	+ 0"	70
4	Lars Boom (NED)	Astana	+ 0"	60
5	Martin Elmiger (SUI)	IAM Cycling	+ 0"	50
6	Jens Keukeleire (BEL)	Orica–GreenEDGE	+ 0"	40
7	Yves Lampaert (BEL)	Etixx–Quick-Step	+ 7"	30
8	Luke Rowe (GBR)	Team Sky	+ 28"	20
9	Jens Debusschere (BEL)	Lotto–Soudal	+ 29"	10
10	Alexander Kristoff (NOR)	Team Katusha	+ 31"	4

The race was marred by controversy when it emerged that dozens of cyclists had unsafely crossed a level crossing while the barriers were down. Further cyclists were only stopped from crossing when a police motorcyclist intervened. Seconds later, an SNCF TGV high-speed train passed through the crossing.^[14]

The SNCF called for police to take action following the incident, stating that there could easily have been a tragedy.^[15]

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