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.

LET THE COBBLES COMMENCE: The eight leaders jangle onto the first sector of pave, a 3-star 2.2km section at Troisvilles.

The lead of the eight escapees is 8:35 as they approach the first of 28 cobbled sectors, the 3-star Troisville a Inchy (2.2km long).

We're approaching that first sector of cobbles as OPQS (Boonen), Belkin (Vanmarcke), Katusha (Kristoff) and Trek (Spartacus) come to the front.

Another Quick Step rider to watch is the imposing Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, who won the Three Days of Depanne a fortnight ago. He's only 23 but his physical presence is enormous. Put him and Vandenbergh on the front of the peloton and they can act like a couple of burly nightclub doormen.

The Arenberg Forest is where things usually really hot up. That comes with 104km remaining and is usually where the first big selection is made. Crash or puncture there and it's a real struggle to get back in contention.

Who else should we look out for today? Flanders runner-up Greg van Avermaet (BMC) is due a major win, while Orica-GreenEdge's Mathew Hayman is a tough cookie. Filippo Pozzato (Lampre) is probably past it but John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) is a rising star. We can probably discount the Spaniards, to be fair, but Borut Bozic (Astana) looked solid until a flat last weekend. How about Wanty's Mirko Selvaggi for a huge outside bet on the podium?

NEWSFLASH: Vuelta a Espana winner Chris Horner is a major doubt for the Giro d'Italia following his crash on Friday. The Lampre Merida veteran was hit by a car in training near Lake Como and suffered a punctured lung, four broken ribs and head wounds. The American is in hospital in Lecco.

Not long to go until those cobbles. There are 28 sections this year with a total of 51km of cobbles. They all have a star rating with three sections gifted 5-star status: the famous Arenberg trench (after 161km), Mons-en-Pevele (at 208km) and the Carrefour de l'Arbre (240km).

Wiggins was typical Wiggins in an interview with reporters this week: "If you could just drop out of a helicopter with 40k to go on Cancellara's wheel and then see if you could hold it when he goes, that's an ideal scenario. But there's 220k before that of little French guys coming underneath you, chopping you, calling you a w***** and all this. That's the reality of it."

Another huge engine to watch is American youngster Taylor Phinney. The BMC rider put in some cobble kilometres off the front of Flanders last weekend, and told media this week that should he win Roubaix, he'll affix his cobble trophy on the front of a Rolls Royce. Talk about cycling bling...

The peloton has drasticaly taken its foot off the gas in this opening section ahead of the cobbles. The gap of the leaders has now ballooned to a massive nine minutes after just over 50km of racing.

Bradley Wiggins is the first Tour de France winner to ride Paris-Roubaix since the American Greg LeMond in 1995. LeMond was fourth that year, and ninth three years earlier in 1992. Asked about Wiggins' participation, LeMond told Cyclingnews: "I just love that he is doing it. I think if the is doing it he obviously feels he has the legs to do it and he is a great racer and might have something to prove."

The eight escapees now have 2:20 over the peloton as they continue their trek towards the first of 28 cobbled sectors in this third monument of the season.

One rider we shouldn't forget is Milan-San Remo winner Alexander Kristoff of Katusha. The Norwegian is in superb form and is one tough nut.

As well as dark horse Wiggins, Team Sky also have Edvald Boasson Hagen, Bernard Eisel and Geraint Thomas, not to mention Gabriel Rasch, who rides his final race for the British team before retirement.

ATTACK: Eight riders have pinged off the front. They are David Boucher (FDJ), Kenny de Haes (Lotto Belisol), Andreas Schillinger (NetApp-Endura), Michael Kolar (Tinkoff-Saxo), Clement Koretzky, Benoit Jarrier (both Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Tim De Troyer (Wanty - Groupe Gobert) and John Murphy (UnitedHealthCare).

Johan Vansummeren, the 2011 winner, starts today despite that horrific collision last Sunday with a spectator. If Boonen doesn't do the business for Omega Pharma-Quick Step, then the Belgian team have a wealth of secondary options in Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh, two of whom collides with fans towards the finale of last year's race.

Other favourites to look out for today are Sep Vanmarcke, the young Belkin rider who finished behind Cancellara last year in the Roubaix velodrome, and, perhaps, Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France winner, who is taking this race very seriously.

ATTACK: A handful of riders ping off the front. But the peloton neutralises the threat.

The riders face the best part of 100km (97.5km to be exact) before they face the first of 28 cobbled sectors at Troisvilles a Inchy.

It's chilly in northern France with the temperature still in single figures.