Alas, 2008 wasn't the year for High Road's George Hincapie to win the Paris-Roubaix bike race, although the American scored another Top 10 win.
Belgium's Tom Boonen, left, finished in much the same way he beat Hincapie in 2005, by hanging on to the breakaway and sprinting for a win with less than a lap to go in the Roubaix velodrome.
Boonen's (Quick Step) victims in this 106th edition of the 161-mile race — more than 30 miles over cobblestones — were Fabio Cancellera (Team CSC) and Allesandro Ballan (Lampre).
Flats
As the race developed, it appeared that it might be Hincapie's day. The 34-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, was in the chase group of about 35 cyclists that caught the early breakaway about 45 miles from the finish.
But a crash on the cobblestones just 32 miles from the finish line took Hincapie out of the lead group and he wasn't able to get back. VeloNews reported that Hincapie flatted out twice. Two punctures in a single race could be considered bad luck, but that shouldn't be unexpected in a race over cobblestones. Other reports say he broke a wheel.
CyclingNews says Hincapie rode his usual Giant TCR Advanced SL Team bike, instead of a road-'cross hybrid bike that had been prepared for him.
Another US-based team at the race, Slipstream Chipotle, had a rider finish in fourth place, Martyn Maaskant of the Netherlands.
Top 10:
1. Tom Boonen (Quick Step)
2. Fabian Cancellara (CSC) at 00:01 behind
3. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) at 00:01
4. Martijn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle) at 03:39
5. Stuart O’grady (CSC) at 03:57
6. Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto) at 03:57
7. Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) at 03:59
8. Johan Van Summeren (Silence Lotto) at 04:35
9. George Hincapie (High Road) at 05:12
10. Fabio Baldato (Lampre) at 05:12
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