John Degenkolb sprinted to victory in Paris-Roubaix, taking Team Giant-Alpecin’s second win in a “monument” this season. Unleashing a huge sprint in the Roubaix velodrome, Degenkolb was by far the fastest of the group of favorites. 

After finishing second in last year’s edition of the “Hell of the North,” Degenkolb was able to outsprint his fellow breakaway companions in the Roubaix velodrome at the end of a sunny, dusty and exhausting day.

A delighted John Degenkolb after the finish: “I am so happy with this win. The team was so strong and I received great support from the guys. Everything went perfectly.

“I chose the right moment to attack. I knew if I waited longer, the same scenario as last year would play out, so I went. I was forced to do most of the work because the others know I am a fast finisher.

“I was able to stay calm and follow my instincts in the finale, as I wasn’t afraid to fail and that was the key today. The sprint was perfect. The combination of wins in Milan-San Remo and today is very special.”

“It can’t be better than this. The team was really fantastic today. We made a plan with our coach Marc last night and everyone did their job perfectly," Bert De Backer said.

“I think we have learned from last year, what happens when we try to take control over the race too early. Today, we never took control, we simply had control over the race. It was a crucial move from me to jump away in the final instead of riding on the front. Then the others had to chase but they were not able to anymore.

“At the moment John and I attacked he said to me, ‘Hang on,’ but I was unable to follow. But I am very happy to add something to his win today.”

“We knew a win was possible after his second place last year, but to actually do it is a completely different story. The plan was very clear and I had a very good day. There were five of us in the finale to keep John in front and we were able to keep good control over the race," Koen de Kort said.

“It was very nice to hear through our communication that he had won. I was so happy.”

Coach Marc Reef added: “It’s incredible to win two monuments within four weeks. This is unreal and something one can only dream of.

“We knew that none of the teams would be able to take control over the entire race, so all the teams did part of the job. In this way we were able to race from the second line. The plan was executed very well.

“To have Bert and John in the finale was fantastic. The whole team did a great race, but De Backer was outstanding. The moment John responded to the counterattack of De Backer was pure intuition. When he joined the two leaders we knew he had an excellent chance to win.”