Boonen bags the double

Boonen sealed the rare spring double after winning the Tour of Flanders race last Sunday.

"Winning today is more than fantastic," he said. "I hoped to win either the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix this spring but winning both is incredible."

Despite a forecast of rain and heavy wind the riders took off at Compiegne in cool dry weather and arrived at Roubaix under a bright sun.

After 25 kilometres the first major break of the day was launched by Sebastien Lang (Gerolsteiner), Stephane Berges (Agritubel), David Herrero (Euskaltel) and Erwin Thijs (MrBookmaker).

At the 30 km stage they were joined by Carlos Barredo (Liberty Seguros), Sebastien Chavanel (Bouygues), Arnaud Coyot (Confidis) and Florent Brard (Agritubel).

The lead reached an astonishing 12'05 at the 75 km mark before the arrival of the cobbles took their toll.

But it was not only the leading group of eight riders who would suffer over the 54.7 km of pavé: one of the pre-race favourites Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon Lotto) was victim of a huge pile-up in the Vertain section after 130 km, falling heavily and hurting his right wrist.

Van Petegem was the last man to record the feat of a Flanders-Roubaix double - back in 2003 - but by the look of deep pain on his face as he awaited a replacement bike from the delayed team car, this was not going to be his year.

He was heroically nursed back into the peloton by team-mate Tom Steels - also heavily involved in the crash - before both broken men retired at Artres after 155 km.

Veteran Italian Andrea Tafi - the 1999 winner and riding his final major competitive race - punctured and struggled to regain momentum before also retiring.

Meanwhile, it was all change at the front. On the demanding climb of the new Aulnoy-les-Valenciennes sector Herrero was dropped and Chavanel had a saddle problem.

With the Bouygues support car held up by the peloton, six minutes back, the unfortunate Frenchman had to take on a neutral yellow bike from the supply team.

Slowing at an alarming rate on his unfamiliar vehicle, Chavanel eventually decided to pull up, let the peloton past and wait for his team car.

The six men still five minutes ahead, favourite Tom Boonen and team-mate Filippo Pozzato took the initiative on the 178 km mark on the Hornaing sector.

With the Quick Step duo on the attack, a select crew featuring Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas), George Hincapie (Discovery), Fabian Cancellara, Juan Antonio Flecha (both Fassa Bortolo) and Lars Michaelson (CSC) seized their back wheels, and soon the chasers had opened up a large gap on the peloton.

The fierce pace of the chasing group saw the leaders clawed back and passed while leaving the peloton decimated in their wake.

As usual, the demanding Mons-en-Pevele sector proved decisive as the rain began to fall. Cancellara unfortunately punctured and with 50 kilometres to go, there were just five: Boonen, 2004 winner Backstedt, Hincapie, Flecha and Michaelson.

It soon became clear that one of these five was going to win, and each had their own motivating factors.

Boonen was eying his historic double after his Flanders win last week. The big Swede Backstedt was bidding to become the 11th rider to retain his Paris-Roubaix crown.

Meanwhile Juan Antonio Flecha, narrowly beaten in Ghent-Wevelgem last week after Nico Mattan's motor-powered late surge, George Hincapie and Lars Michaelsen could all give their respective country a maiden victory in the Queen of classics.

It was Backstedt who attacked first, shooting out of a right bend on the Camphin-en-Pévèle fourth section to test the legs of his rivals.

But it was also Backstedt who was to crack first on the infamously testing section at the Carrefour-de-l'Arbre.

With the crowds out in their thousands, the Swede dramatically hit the wall just as the unfortunate Michaelsen picked up an untimely puncture.

The fantastic five became an intrepid threesome as Flecha, Hincapie and Boonen ate up the final kilometres in tandem.

Surely Flecha and Hincapie both new that they would have to attack before arriving in Roubaix if they were going to have any realistic chance of denying the sprint king Boonen?

But as the sun broke through the clouds, the three entered the velodrome together, and taking a high line, Boonen zipped with ease to nail the sprint finish ahead of Hincapie and Flecha.

What was truly impressive was not the fact that Boonen won this 103rd Paris-Roubaix race in itself, for the professional Belgian has long been the race favourite.

Infinitely more incredible was the fact that the indefatigable Tommy not only coped with the pressure of being labelled the ubiquitous pre-race winner but managed to turn the speculation into sweet reality.

It is for that that Boonen will be remembered. And for the huge smile on his face as he hugged the legendary Johan Museeuw at the finish.

All hail the King of Flanders, and now the King of Paris-Roubaix!