The 2008 Paris-Roubaix was a dream race as the world's best one-day racers broke from the pack on the famous Arenberg cobbles, but those rocky roads took their toll on contenders Juan Antonio Flecha and Filippo Pozzatto, who were down, but not out, after crashes. The lead group had plenty of firepower though, including all three of the past three winners. Boonen and Belgian champion Stijn Devolder (Quick Step), Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady (CSC), Alessandro Ballan (Lampre), and George Hincapie (High Road) were all in the group that lead out of Arenberg forest.
By the time the final selection was made, it was down to Boonen, Cancellara, and Ballan. Who would bet against that breakaway? With Boonen and Cancellara jousting for advantage through the final kilometers, the crafty Ballan stayed with the two favorites, hoping to surprise them in the velodrome.
Every minute of racing drama is here… The attacks, the crashes, and the excitement that make Paris-Roubaix cycling's most brutal one-day classic and one of cycling's most sought after wins. |