Cycling highlights: Tom Boonen made history at Paris – Roubaix 2012. The race was not very exciting for the spectators, but interesting nonetheless.
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Boonen triumphs after 55km solo
Dominating a race like this is always something special in professional cycling. But if this race is about the Mother of all classics acts, then even more so. This is what happened on April 8, 2012 in the person of Tom Boonen. The Belgian won Paris - Roubaix three times before he was one of the favorites this season. Especially after his victory in the Tour of Flanders, he was to be expected. But nobody could have guessed that he would be so superior to everyone that day. However, the Belgian himself seemed to feel throughout the race that nothing could stop him today. There is no other way to explain why he attacked with 55 kilometers to go and thus took a high risk.
It was his last victory at Paris – Roubaix
Even more inexplicable than Tom Boonen's commanding victory at Paris – Roubaix in 2012 is the fact that he was never to win here again after that. With his fourth triumph, he drew level with record holder Roger De Vlaeminck. But he just couldn't win a fifth time in the hell of the north. He was so strong on April 8, 2012 that you could hardly imagine hitting him on cobblestones again immediately afterwards. Despite joining forces, the competitors did not manage to shorten or even maintain the gap with 55 kilometers to go. In the Roubaix velodrome, Tom Boonen crossed the line 1:39 minutes ahead of second-placed Sébastien Turgot. It was a victory for eternity.