Paris-Roubaix: how Wiggins' last Team Sky race unfolded

Summary

John Degenkolb sprints to victory
Luke Rowe best British finisher in eighth
Sir Bradley Wiggins 18th - 31 seconds back
Drama as train delays part of the peloton at a crossing
27 cobbled sections in 151-mile race

Live Reporting

Mike Henson

Postpublished at 16:21 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Image source, Getty Images
Right, that is us done and dusted for today.
Not as dusted as some of the fellas hosing down in the bowels of the Roubaix open-air velodrome, but dusted enough.
Wiggo bows out of Team Sky with a creditable, rather than incredible, finish. Onwards and upwards...
Tweet us via #bbccyclingpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
BBC Radio 5 live sports extra commentator Simon Brotherton on Twitter:, external Good race & a worthy winner in John Degenkolb. Only the 2nd German to win after Josef Fischer took the 1st edition in 1896!
Postpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Sky Sports reporter Orla Chennaoui:, external Sir Bradley Wiggins thanks team mates Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe after his last race for Team Sky.
Image source, @skyorla
Postpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Image source, Getty Images
With the bell still ringing for riders just making their way into the velodrome, a hulking cobblestone is being presented to John Degenkolb on the grass at the centre of the track.
A little school sports day this, but that is part of the charm.
Degenkolb will also have his name emblazoned on a plaque in the velodrome shower room., external
Postpublished at 15:49 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Image source, EPA
John Degenkolb becomes only the third rider to win Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo in the same season. Ireland's Sean Kelly in 1986 was the last man to achieve it.
Postpublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
The full provisional standings are in.
Sir Bradley Wiggins signs off on his Team Sky career with an 18th place finish. Defending champion Niki Terpstra was down in 15th. Ian Stannard was 47th.
Postpublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Luke Rowe was actually the first Briton home, claiming eighth place, 28 seconds down, with Sir Bradley Wiggins in a small group just behind.
Alexander Kristoff, the Tour de Flanders winner, finished in 10th.
A word from the winnerpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Here's John Degenkolb: "The race I've always dreamed of to win. This is unbelievable. I can't get it right now. My team was there all day to hold the situation under control until I could start. I was not afraid to fail and that was the key."
Postpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
It looked like Etixx Quick Step's Zdenek Stybar and BMC's Greg van Avermaet claimed second and third respectively behind John Degenkolb.
Postpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Sir Bradley Wiggins, half a lap behind, watches John Degenkolb sprint away. But he puts in an effort to cross the line at a bit of pace.
John Degenkolb wins Paris Roubaixpublished at 15:33 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Image source, Getty Images
The German powers home ahead of a bunch of five other riders.
Into the velodromepublished at 15:32 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
One and-a-half laps of the Roubaix velodrome to go. John Degenkolb might be the best bet...
Wiggins responds!published at 15:31 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Sir Bradley Wiggins cranks out more power to try and reel in the front four. Has he left it too late? We seem set for a sprint finish that he won't win.
Stybar joins leaderspublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Zdenek Stybar joins Etixx team-mate Yves Lampaert up front. This is a very dangerous group.
Postpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
There is no way these two riders out front are going to work with Degenkolb now - they both know the German will win a sprint so they want him to tire himself out
Degenkolb joins leaderspublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
German John Dekenkolb has bridged across to Greg van Avermaet and Yves Lampaert. The strongest sprinter of the three, he wants the others to help him now he's made a big effort.
The Belgian pair are not so keen. Discussions ensure complete with angry gesticulations, agreement is eventually reached but it looks like this break is going to fail because of race politics.
Postpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
The peloton has started to splinter under the pressure of this break. Sir Bradley Wiggins looks like he is clinging on rather than playing it cool.
Lars Boom is looking strongest among the chasers.
Lampaert & van Avermaet attackpublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
This is an interesting little hook up.
Greg van Avermaet and fellow Belgian Yves Lampaert have gone off the front. There is a little bit of firepower there.
Luke Rowe responds at the front of the peloton. Bradley Wiggins still hiding down the queue. Might he have to lend a hand now?
Postpublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
What have you got left in the tank? Bradley is in the running but time is running out. Bradley needs to go alone. He doesn't have the sprint of many other riders in the group with him.
Roelandts caughtpublished at 15:17 British Summer Time 12 April 2015
The crowds are thickening and the chasers are being funnelled down an even slimmer strip of road.
Jurgen Roelandts 15 minutes of fame are over. Niki Terpstra is looking frisky. More eyeing up than at a high school disco now as the leaders look to see who will take the pace on.