The brutal migration of biker racers known as Paris-Roubaix annually brings to the fore the World’s best Classics riders. ‘Roubaix’ is the most symbolic of races for the hardmen, the rouleurs, the non-climbers. As the truest Classic on the calendar, it is annually followed by the abbreviated, but no less challenging, 170km U23 version. Paris Roubaix Espoirs very often establishes the World’s next best Classics riders.

This past Sunday, May 31, American Taylor Phinney (TREK - Livestrong - SRAM RED) entered the famous Roubaix Velodrome with a leading group of eleven. The young phenom, born from champions and most recently crowned a World Champion in the Individual Pursuit, was considerably outmatched. One team, Team Capinordic, had three of its riders on the front, obviously little chance for Phinney.

Phinney took full advantage of his track skills with a brazen attack and left his ten companions in his wake after 1.5 laps around the famed banked track. Phinney surprised everyone, including himself, with the victory. Denmark's Nikola Aistrup (Team Capinordic) took second, while Giorgio Brambilla (De Nardi Bergamasca) finished third.

Phinney is the first American ever to win and follows in the pedalstrokes of past and current champions including Stephen Roche, Thor Hushovd and Yaroslav Popovych.

Phinney noted afterwards that there were no problems and his equipment worked flawlessly on the rough roads in Roubaix.