Kopecky sprints to sensational Paris-Roubaix Femmes triumph

Lotte Kopecky sprinted to a sensational victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, as she overpowered rivals Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) on the line in the famous Roubaix Velodrome.

Kopecky had mounted a number of attacks during the at times brutal 148.5km route from Denain to Roubaix, none of which stuck, even if they likely helped take some of the energy from the legs of her competitors who were trying to rein her in.

Vos looked in supreme shape too though, and as the final 10km approached, the leading group comprised the Dutch legend together with Kopecky, Balsamo, Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez), Britain’s Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich) and Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek).

But it was Kopecky who proved the strongest to take her first Paris-Roubaix Femmes crown. Balsamo and Vos lead on the track with 50 metres to go and Kopecky found herself boxed in, but the World Champion came around the outside of both of them to take the win in the sprint. Balsamo took second, while Georgi beat Vos to the line to claim third place, only the second sprint finish in the four editions of Paris-Roubaix Femmes so far.