Gillespie rises to Paris-Roubaix challenge, best Irish result since Kelly in '89

Lara Gillespie was the front until deep into the finale at Paris-Roubaix while Irish champion Fiona Mangan finished her first Hell of the North (Photo: Luc Claessen-Getty Images)

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) has risen to the considerable challenge of Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, with a very impressive debut on the pavé of northern France.

Though Gillespie lacked a little deep into the classic compared to the likes of winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and world and European champion Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, both Team SD Worx-Protime, she put in fantastic ride.

Indeed, not since Sean Kelly's 15th place back in 1989 has Ireland had a top 20 finish in an elite Paris-Roubaix; Gillespie in some very good company there in the history of Irish cycling.

Gillespie finished in 18th place while, incredibly, Fiona Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) finished the race. The Irish champion was 21 minutes down, and outside the time limit, but still finished 'Hell of the North' in just her second race back after a nasty early season crash.

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Gillespie, now aged 23 years and really coming into her own, was in the large lead group, of about 20, today as they raced into the final before eventual winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) pulled the trigger with 25km to go and rode to a solo victory.

After the French woman went clear, she caught lone leader Emma Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) before dropping her on the Camphin-en-Pévèle pavé sector.

Kopecky and Wiebes were the two fancied riders in the chasing group containing Gillespie, with Kopecky eventually taking up the chase of Ferrand-Prévot. However, the French woman was flying and kept the pursuers at around one minute.

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At the notorious Carrefour de l'Arbre sector, the chasing group was trimmed right back. Gillespie kept her place in the group until about 10km to go, a great performance on debut and in her first full season at this level.

Up front, Ferrand-Prévot rode to a dream win on debut, sending the crowd wild at the Roubaix velodrome. Behind her, Italian rider Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly) attacked the chase group to take 2nd, some 58 seconds down on the winner.

Three seconds later, Wiebes took the sprint for 3rd place, from Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly).

Gillespie finished solo, in 18th place some 3:26 down on the winner and having firmly established her credentials as a rider who can go a lot further in this race, decades after Kelly was the last Irish contender.

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