The echappè of the day averaging a 46.8 km/h in the first hour of the race went at kilometre 33. Averaging over 46 km/h
and upping the speed to more than 49 km/h in the second hour of the race the breakaway gained a lead of more than 4 minutes
splitting the peloton in the process.
The riders in the leading group where: Kasper Klostergaard, Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC), Frederic Guesdon and Frederic Finot
(FDJ), Kevin van Impe and Steven De Jongh (Quick.Step), Frederic Amorison (Landbouwkrediet), Graeme Brown, Pedro Horrillo
(Rabobank), Stephane Poulhies (AG2R), Tyler Farrar and Cristian Moreni (Cofidis), Sebastien Siedler (Milram), Enrico Franzoi,
Danilo Napolitano (Lampre), Maarten Tjallingii and Christoph Meschenmoser (Skil), Enrico Gasparotto, Mauro Da Dalto and Luca
Paolini (Liquigas), Jan Kuyckx (Davitamon), David Vitoria (Phonak), Peter Wrolich (Gerolsteiner), Yoann Le Boulanger (Bouygues),
Iñaki Isasi (Euskaltel), Carlos Abellán, Koen De Kort (Astana) and Vladimir Gusev (Discovery). Gusev was dropped after a mechanical
problem, while Aversen managed to get back to the leading group after a puncture.
After 134 kilometer the second part of the peloton had were already 7 minutes behind and 75 riders pulled out at the feed
zone. Among these riders were Tom Boonen and Erik Zabel, both were the main favourites to win the race but were caught by
surprise as the peloton broke into 2 parts earlier in the race. What was left of the peloton came closer to the leading group,
with 15 kilometers to go only 15 seconds was left of the comfartable gap and former Paris-Roubaix winner Frederic Guesdon
attacked with eight kilometers to go at the côte de l'Epan. Only Kurt-Asle Arvesen was able to follow the french routinier
of FD Jeux and the two worked hard to get out of the claws of the peloton were Guesdon's team mate counterd an attack from
Filippo Pozzatto. At the flamme rouge Guesdon started to poker and stayed in Arveses wheel. With 200 meters to go Guesdon
opened the sprint and won his second big classic after Paris-Roubaix in 1997.
Guesdon was overwhelmed after his victory: "In Brittany, we love cycling. This morning, my roommate Arnaud Gérard and I
put a brand new jersey on as a mark of respect for Paris-Tours, because this race is a myth. I might not be a great rider
and many people have considered me as a surprise winner of Paris-Roubaix, there have been highs and lows in my career like
in anyone's but I have proven with my consistent results in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders that I was made for these
races."
With Arvesen on a second spot and Australian sprinter Stuart O'Grady winning the bunch sprint, the CSC squad had two riders
on the podium and CSC sports director Alain Gallopin was statisfied with the way his team performed, admitting that Guesdon
was the strongest: "The team did a fantastic job and we were well represented up front during the entire race, but you can't
win them all, and Guesdon was the strongest rider today. Having said that, I'm quite sure today's results mean we have won
the ProTour team rankings for the second consecutive season."
Erik Zabel, who abonded the race at the feeding zone commented after the race: „When the leading group of 28 riders
escaped and had a head start of three minutes 90 kilometers after the start the team Discovery Channel devided the peloton.
I underestimated the situation and was not able to close up to the group again. Tough luck! But it´s good that two riders
of the leading group did win because then I am not so disappointed".
