Katusha-Alpecin went into Paris-Roubaix full of confidence in its leaders Alexander Kristoff and Tony Martin. However, Kristoff failed to finish after suffering a puncture and late crash, and Martin was 76th with a puncture also affecting his race.
A puncture for Kristoff on the approach to Arenberg Forest was the first of his troubles from which he never recovered. Although he managed to rejoin the front group which contained winner Greg Van Avermaet, the 29-year-old was on the back foot that point as he recorded his fourth DNF from eight starts.
"First I had a puncture before Arenberg, which wasn't ideal. I used a lot of energy to come back. After that I never felt good again and up to that point I had been feeling good. But once that happened I felt like I was always on the limit. Before the race I knew I needed to have a race clear of any trouble but here I was before we even got to Arenberg with a flat tyre," said Kristoff, who had stated he'd never felt better before Roubaix on the eve of the race.
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"I did manage to come back, I even made it back with Van Avermaet who ended up winning the race. At one point there was a break going away near the end and I received the information on the radio to try to bridge up. Politt pulled me to the cobbles and I was going nicely through a left turn and then it turned to a right turn at 90-degrees and suddenly my brakes weren't working like I needed them to and I went straight. I crashed badly on my hands and then could not hold my handlebars so I had to quit. It was a pity."
Read more on this article:
- Kristoff: I feel better than ever ahead of Paris-Roubaix
- Tony Martin: Katusha planning some Paris-Roubaix surprises
- Van Avermaet wins Paris-Roubaix
- Boonen calls it a career: 'It was time'
- Paris-Roubaix highlights - Video
With Kristoff out the hunt, Katusha-Alpecin still had its Martin card to play only for a puncture near the Mons-en-Pévèle sector to end his aspirations. Martin rolled into the Roubaix velodrome in 76th, matching his 2016 debut result.
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