Colbrelli wins wet Roubaix he ‘didn't think he would finish'

Mathieu van der Poel loses out in epic race, reports Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

Despite starting with low expectations Sonny Colbrelli upset the favourites to win the first wet men’s Paris-Roubaix in nearly 20 years on his debut.

The Italian came through his first venture at the Queen of the Classics to take victory ahead of fellow debutants Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).

Having got into one of the early moves the Bahrain-Victorious rider spent time marking van der Poel closely and never putting in too much effort, trusting in his powerful finishing sprint. It proved smart as he outsprinted the other two in the Roubaix velodrome.