In a race on a train hell, Sonny Colbrelli created a sensation on the cobblestones of Parix-Roubaix. The Italian, recent European champion, entered the legend of “Hell of the North” on Sunday October 3 by winning this legendary classic. UA real show of strength from the Bahrain-Victorious rider who resisted Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) in the final.

At the end of 257.7 kilometers of race, he thus thwarted all the strategies of the other big formations (Deceuninck Quick-Step, Team Jumbo-Visma) candidates for the final victory. At 31, the rider took advantage of his status as an outsider and his versatility to smooth out his effort and sprint the first monument of his career from his first participation in Paris-Roubaix.

Sonny Colbrelli’s name was among the shortlist of favorites to go for the sprint victory at the Roubaix velodrome. But who would have said that the Italian, certainly versatile, had the possibility of competing with the specialists of the cobblestones in the rain and the omnipresent mud of the multiple cobbled sectors of “Hell of the North”. Starting off with a good card to play at the start, Sonny Colbrelli took advantage of the racing circumstances and unstoppable tactics to make the difference in the final packaging.

During a first part of the race disputed in pouring rain, the selection was made from behind after a cascade of falls, including that of the Slovakian Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), and repeated punctures that have disrupted several leaders of favorite teams in turn. The first heavy victim was Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck Quick-Step) with a slow puncture nearly 100 kilometers from the finish and the famous Arenberg gap. In a growing state of form in recent weeks, Mathieu Van der Poel then accelerated several times to finally clinch 75 kilometers from the finish, in sector 15 from Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières, the one he believed to be his main rival, in the person of Belgian Wout Van Aert (Team Jumbo Visma).

Having left in the meantime in the group of pursuers in the morning break where the Belgian Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) already appeared, Sonny Colbrelli made use of his cunning to observe and wait for the best wheel capable of bringing him to play for victory. A wish fulfilled just over 50 points from the finish with the sudden arrival of Mathieu Van der Poel, determined to hunt down a Gianni Moscon (Ineos-Grenadiers) of the great days. Riding alone for a long time, the Italian believed he had done the hard part before suffering a puncture and a fall at the start of the last 30 kilometers.

For his first participation in Paris-Roubaix, the Italian wins an XXL edition in dire weather conditions! Florian Vermeersch and Mathieu Van der Poel completed the podium in a race that will go down in history.

An ideal racing situation for Sonny Colbrelli, better in the sprint than his three leading companions. After having safely passed the Carrefour de l’Arbre sector, fatal to Gianni Moscon, the Bahrain-Victorious rider remained patient to wait for the entrance to the Roubaix velodrome and outflank his two opponents from the day to victory in the center. . Author of an exceptional year 2021 in terms of results, the 31-year-old Italian has just signed the high point of his season and succeeds Andrea Tafi, 22 years after the last Italian success on the cobbles of the North.