Welcome to live coverage of the 112th edition of Paris-Roubaix - the 'Hell of the North' - the third monument of the spring classic season, a brutish schlep across the cobbles of northern France.

Poor David Boucher - the FDJ rider, who is fighting back to join the leaders, has to stop and wait for a passing train. "Putain de merde!" he shouts.

The sun is out in northern France - but try telling that to Alex Kristoff, who's still struggling back to the peloton. Meanwhile, his Katusha team-mate Luca Paolini is on the front of the pack trying to calm the pace down, understandably. He'll shave his beard if he finishes in the top five, apparently.

Alexander Kristoff picked up a puncture during the Arenberg and he is one of the big-name casualties in this first 5-star sections. He'll have to fight back now.

Hayden Roulston - correction Gregory Rast - stands in a muddy verge and throws his bike to the ground. He clearly has an issue but will near to wait until his Trek car comes.

John Degenkolb is riding near the front. Jan Barta has hit the deck for NetApp. Sky still have some men on the front, Eisel in particular.

It's a massive fight as the peloton hit the Arenberg Forest - the gateways of Hell.

Punctures galore - one of the Bretagne riders, plus Dehaes for Lotto. Kolar is struggling while Schillinger is riding out ahead.

ARENBERG FOREST: It's the 5-star 18th sector, which lasts for 2400m. This is the Dutch Corner of Paris-Roubaix.

Boucher picks up a puncture. Better now than in the Arenberg - but he'll have to fight on.

The leaders are approaching the Arenberg Forest with a lead of 4:45. They are: David Boucher (FDJ), Kenny de Haes (Lotto Belisol), Andreas Schillinger (NetApp-Endura), Michael Kolar (Tinkoff-Saxo), Clement Koretzky and Benoit Jarrier (both Bretagne-Seche Environnement), Tim De Troyer (Wanty - Groupe Gobert) and John Murphy (UnitedHealthCare).

Boasson Hagen, Wiggins, Eisel and Thomas are all there for Sky. Riding here means they don't have to inhale all that dust.

Now Sky come to the front, with four men leading the peloton onto the Haveluy section. Sagan is back and now it's business. Wiggins is one of those riders. This is interesting.

The escapees are on sector 19 at Haveluy (2.5km, 4-star).

Puncture for Peter Sagan! Terrible timing for the Slovak sensation. He has some Cannondale team-mates with him, but his rivals might smell blood. He's struggling with his gears and chain following that rear wheel change.

Van Avermaet wasn't involved in that crash but he was caught up in the aftermath. There's a second peloton fighting back on now, while the eight leaders now have 5:50.

CRASH: A number of riders hit the deck going into a rail tunnel. It looks like three were some blue bars on the side of the road separating the road from the pavement and some of the pack rode right into them. They should have been marked, those barriers...

Mechanical for Greg van Avermaet, who is being paced back on by two BMC team-mates. Runner-up last weekend in Flanders, can the perennial bridesmaid finally get a monumental win today?

Six minutes for the leaders. All the arm warmers have come off now with the exception of Michal Kolar of Tinkoff-Saxo.

Wiggins is still sticking to the back of the pack and keeping out of trouble. He won't be able to stay there for much longer - if he's not near the front in the Arenberg then he won't stand a chance. Trek and Garmin set the pace with a spattering of OPQS riders.

The leaders are onto sector 20: Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon (1.6km, 3-star). Kenny Dehaes takes the lead, driving along the centre of the road. The jostling for positions ahead of the Arenberg Forest will soon begin in earnest on the front of the pack.

Arnaud Demare was one of the riders caught up in that earlier spill - apparently just as he got back into the peloton. Nothing serious, mind. Not long until the Arenberg Forest - just 23km to be precise.