The Arenberg trench, a landmark element missing from the 2005 edition, is once more passable and the focus of great attention at the launch of this 2006 edition of Paris-Roubaix. [01] Posthuma, Portal, here teetering on the edge of the route, Schreck and the veteran Konyshev are the first to successfully break clear. [02] Behind them, Iker Florès [03] remains kilometres “adrift” and unable to catch up with the leading pack of cyclists, in spite of help from Berges and Righetto.

As for Tom Boonen, titleholder and big favourite, he prefers to take the lead in the Arenberg trench, where the best of the bunch ultimately manifest their force. [04] From then on, events speed up. After George Hincapie's fall in the Mons-en-Pévèle section, thirteen men take the lead. [05] It will not take much longer for the Hell of the North to designate a winner. In the Camphin-en-Pévèle section, Gusev launches an attack. [06]

Cancellara breaks away on his own, when the other favourites seem to follow. Discovery Channel's star rider is unable to hold out against the testing Carrefour de l'Arbre and the Swiss rider's rapid acceleration. Cancellara sprints away alone towards victory, [07] followed by Gusev, Hoste and Van Petegem, who battle it out for second place in the Roubaix velodrome, [08] or so it is believed at this point. In fact, the final group, made up of Boonen, Flecha and Ballan, carefully stopped at a level crossing for the passage of a goods train, [09] a precaution not taken by those chasing the day's winner.

Boonen, who wins fifth place in the sprint, [10] awaits the decision of the stewards and organisers. [11] In the end, it is indeed the world champion who is awarded second place, behind Fabian Cancellara, [12] proud to triumph on the cobblestones of the North, the only Swiss rider to have done so since Henri Suter in 1923.