The classic wasn't that bad this year; the rain and the very different course (country roads) probably helped. At least its final part, as Artem Shmidt (🇺🇸 Ineos) attacked in the small wall used as finish line, 1 lap (13 km) from the actual finish. There was a group who followed him, but on the flat after they looked at each other and were caught by the peloton. He caught the last survivor (Mariault 🇫🇷 CIC) of the breakaway (there were 3: another CIC who got a puncture, and 1 Roubaix bonked out), then dropped him just by taking curves in a faster/riskier manner, while Mariault🇫🇷 was also bonking out a bit (the cold and the rain really did their grinding work today). His advance increased as he was giving 100% of what he could give, and the bunch never caught him even though he had nothing left in his legs for his second climb. There was a crash in the fences in that final climb.

Cofidis and EF had been the main teams pulling the peloton, and they have 0 rider in top-12 at finish...

First PT is T. Müller🇩🇪 for Unibet, 5^th^.

As far as Contis are concerned, Sanlaville🇫🇷 is 12^th^ for CIC, Konijn🇳🇱 15^th^ for Nice and Bouquet🇫🇷 18^th^ for St-Michel.

WT who failed: Picnic and above all NSN.