Speechless Degenkolb left with trophy dilemma

John Degenkolb said he doesn't know where to put his winner's trophy after taking victory in the 113th edition of the prestigious Paris-Roubaix race on Sunday.

The 26-year-old German became only the third person in history to win Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in the same year as he bested Czech Zdenek Stybar and Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium in a sprint finish.

When asked how he felt, the Giant-Alpecin rider said he was at a loss as to where to put the winner's trophy, which is a stone cobble -- paying tribute to the 253km race which takes in 27 sectors and more than 50km of bumpy, cobbled roads.

"Emotion is really the right word, it's really something I can't believe and imagine at the moment," said Degenkolb.

"I have to search now for a place to put the cobblestone in my apartment, and this is not going to be easy!

"It's big and heavy, I need to find a stable bench for it."

Degenkolb's rise to the top has been three years in the making, since his breakout season in 2012.

A versatile sprinter, equally adept in finishes with a slight incline as those on the flat, he won five stages at the Vuelta a Espana that year.

Since then he has developed into a top classics rider as well, taking fifth at Milan-San Remo in 2012 and then winning Gent-Wevelgem last year before also coming second in Roubaix.

His San Remo-Roubaix double this year marks him out as one of the best classics riders of the current generation.

"This double with San Remo and Roubaix is really meaning so much to me and I'm running out of words to describe it," added Degenkolb.

"This is probably even more great because now the Classics season is over (for him) and I can really enjoy it, relax, lean back and now it will take a couple of days to really believe it.

"Yeah, you are winner of Paris-Roubaix -- amazing!"
Stybar had mixed feelings at the end after improving on sixth and then fifth-placed finishes in Roubaix the previous two years.

For his Etixx-Quick Step team it was yet another second-placed finish in a cobbled classic to add to his at E3 Harelbeke and Niki Terpstra, the 2014 Roubaix winner, at Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"I think we were very competitive in every race. What could we do better? I don't know," admitted the 29-year-old former cyclocross competitor.

"When we see all the races back, we did our best every time. OK, we were second very often, but last week for Niki it was difficult to beat (Alexander) Kristoff and for me today it was difficult to beat Degenkolb.

"Of course the team is used to winning but when we look back and see all the guys, how strong they were and they did their best -- I think we can't complain too much."

However, Stybar emphasised that in cycling, no-one remembers the runners-up.

"In cycling, it counts only to win. I hope to come next year and the year after and fight again for the win because that's only what counts."

Van Avermaet was putting on a brave face after once again finishing in the minor places in a major race.

Last week he was also third in Flanders where he was second last year having come fourth in Roubaix in 2013.

"It's never the same as a win. I would give (all) my second, third and top 10 finishes away for a big win," he moaned.
Source: AFP