96th Paris-Roubaix, World Cup Round 3

France, April 12, 1998


  1. 1997 Results
  2. LIVE Coverage
  3. Past Winners
  4. Route Map
  5. Route and Time Schedule
  6. Past Winning Data
  7. Complete Starting List

Report

Italian cyclist Franco Ballerini won his second Paris-Roubaix (1995 his first) by over 4 minutes from his teammates Andrea Tafi and Belgian Wilfried Peeters. The results was carbon copy of Mapei's 1996 performance although this year the actors were different. In 1996 Museeuw, Bortolami and Tafi took the podium and "arranged" the finish to allow Museeuw to win (he may have won anyway!). This year the race was difficult almost from the start, because in addition to the usual battles over the cobbles, bad weather accompanied the riders throughout the day. But the breakaway, which proved finally to be successful came well into the race - at the 186.5 kms mark. 6 riders who were in front group opened a gap of about one minute, with Ekimov, Ballerini and Tafi driving. A little before this break, around km 155, in a pave section through the Arenberg forest there were numerous falls. One of the most affected was Belgian Johan Museeuw, one of the favorites for the win, who had been well placed until then due to the excellent work of his teammates. Museeuw, who was the winner at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, had to be transported to the hospital because of an injury to his knee which was subsenquently diagnosed as a cracked patella.

Museeuw's fall and withdrawal led to the Mapeio director changing the team plans. Mapei neutralized every escape attempt and then broke open the race. Things worked to perfection, when at around km 200 a group of 8 ridersformed with Ballerini, Tafi and Peeters, plus Moncassin, Van Bon, Sorensen, Boscardin and Backstedt. Ballerini launched an attack with 50 kms to go and almost without wanting it he found himself a few meters ahead of his breakaway companions, with Tafi and Peeters controlling the breakaway behind him. At the Roubaix velodrome, Ballerini did his thing, while behind, Tafi and Peeters after controlling his escape, subsequently drove away from Moncassin et al and completed the Mapei podium.

Paris-Roubaix, 266.5 kms

  1. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi	              6.57.49 (38.27 km/h)
  2. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi				 4.16
  3. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi			 4.19
  4. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank				 4.49
  5. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN				 4.49
  6. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank				 4.50
  7. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN					 4.52
  8. Bart Leysen (Bel) (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi			 6.34
  9. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Festina				 6.34
 10. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN					 6.34
 11. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			 6.34
 12. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar			 6.35
 13. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar				 8.34
 14. Michael Rich (Ger) Saeco-Cannondale			 9.12
 15. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis				 9.12
 16. Biagio Conte (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne				 9.12
 17. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites			 9.12
 18. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar				 9.14
 19. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites			11.00
 20. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN					11.00
 21. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux		11.18
 22. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal				11.18
 23. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Telekom-ADR				11.18
 24. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi				11.19
 25. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank				13.02
 26. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93			13.02
 27. Hendrik Van Dyck (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites			14.42
 28. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina				15.28
 29. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM-Farm Frites			15.33
 30. Martin Hvastija (Slo) Cantina Tollo			15.33
 31. Johan Capiot (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites				15.33
 32. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti					15.33
 33. Nicola Loda (Ita) Ballan					15.33
 34. Wim Feys (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar				15.33
 35. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rabobank				15.38
 36. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar			15.38
 37. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom-ADR				15.38
 38. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			15.38
 39. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites			15.38
 40. Geert Van Bondt (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites			15.43
 41. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 		15.46
 42. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN					17.53
 43. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux		17.53
 44. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar			19.29
 45. Davide Casarotto (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne			19.29
 46. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank				19.29
 47. Jann J.Kirsipuu (Est) Casino				19.30
 48. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93		19.30
 49. Dario Pieri (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne				19.31

Outside the Time Limit (in order)

 50. Ruben Galvan Manchon (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 51. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino
 52. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi
 53. Martin Rittsel (Swe) Cantina Tollo
 54. Steven De Jongh (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites
 55. Franck Morelle (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 56. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
 57. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 58. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti
 59. Fabio Roscioli (Ita) ASI
 60. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 61. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal
 62. Jaime Javier Hernandez Bertran (Spa) Festina
 63. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne
 64. José Ramon Uriarte Zubero (Spa) Festina
 65. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank
 66. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal

Abandoned

  Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
  Patrick D'Hont (Bel) La Francaise des Jeux
  Damien Nazon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
  Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
  Franck Perque (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
  Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi
  Gianluca Pianegonda (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi
  Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina
  Patrice Halgan (Fra) Festina
  André Korff (Ger) Festina
  Marcel Wust (Ger) Festina
  Erik ZabeL (Ger) Telekom-ADR
  Dirk BaldingeR (Ger) Telekom-ADR
  Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ADR
  Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Telekom-ADR
  Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom-ADR
  Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Telekom-ADR
  Melchior Mauri Prat (Spa) ONCE
  David Canada Garcia (Spa) ONCE
  Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE
  Herminio Diaz Zabala (Spa) ONCE
  Luis Perez Rodriguez (Spa) ONCE
  Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) ONCE
  Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank
  Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank
  Stéphane BarthE (Fra) Casino
  Lauri Aus (Est) Casino
  Jacky Durand (Fra) Casino
  David Lefevre (Fra) Casino
  Marc Streel (Bel) Casino
  Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Casino
  Cyril Bos (Fra) GAN 
  Arnaud Pretot (Fra) GAN 
  Eddy Seigneur (Fra) GAN 
  Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
  Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
  Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti
  Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti
  Mirco Crepaldi (Ita) Polti
  Leonardo Guidi (Ita) Polti
  Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Polti
  Cristian Salvato (Ita) Polti
  Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
  Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
  Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
  Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Saeco-Cannondale
  Jérôme Delbove (Fra) Cofidis
  Laurent Desbiens (Fra) Cofidis
  Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis
  Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis
  Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis
  Samuel Plouhinec (Fra) Cofidis
  Bruno Thibout (Fra) Cofidis
  Carlo Marino Bianchi (Ita) Asics
  Alessio Bongioni (Ita) Asics
  Federico Colonna (Ita) Asics
  Diego Ferrari (Ita) Asics
  Samuele Schiavina (Ita) Asics
  José Rodriguez Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
  Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
  Javier Pascual (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
  José Angel Vidal (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
  Severo RodrigueZ (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
  Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Marco Artunghi (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Sergio Barbero (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Stefano Checchin (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Davide Dall'Olio (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Massimiliano Napoliatano (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Marcello Siboni (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Mario Traversoni (Ita) Mercatone Uno
  Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal
  Juan Llaneras Rosello (Spa) US Postal
  Sven Teutenberg (Ger) US Postal
  Christian Vandevelde (USA) US Postal
  Anton Villatoro (USA) US Postal
  Angel Luis Casero (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
  Elio Aggiano (Ita) Vitalicio Seguros
  Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
  Francisco T. Garcia (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
  Prudencio Indurain (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
  Ernesto Manchon (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
  Massimo Strazzer (Ita) Cantina Tollo
  Giacomo Battistel (Ita) Cantina Tollo
  Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo
  Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo
  Stefano Cattai (Ita) Ballan
  Angelo Canzonieri (Ita) Ballan
  Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Ballan
  Rodolfo Ongarato (Ita) Ballan
  Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Ballan
  Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne
  Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Scrigno-Gaerne
  Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne
  Mirko Rossato (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne
  Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Andrea Brognara (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Christian Charriere (Swi) Riso Scotti
  Federico De Beni (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Michele Rezzani (Ita) Riso Scotti
  Simone Bertoletti (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Claudio Camin (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Daniele Contrini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Cristian Moreni (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Ellis Rastel-AdrlI (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas
  Stéphane Berges (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
  Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
  Laurent Genty (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
  Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne
  Stéphane Cueff (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne
  Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne
  Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne
  Steve Rover (Can) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne

Early World Cup Update


  1. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi		124
  2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi			110
  3. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 	110
  4. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi			100
  5. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom				100