"A dream": German champion Koch wins Paris-Roubaix

German road cycling champion Franziska Koch has sensationally won the Paris-Roubaix one-day race. In the Roubaix velodrome, the 25-year-old defeated the former three-time world champion Marianne Vos in a sprint in the sixth edition of the race, thus celebrating the greatest triumph of her career. After 143.1 kilometres between Denain and Roubaix, the French Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finished third.

"It's hard to believe. I've been dreaming about it. Roubaix is a race where anything can happen," said the Mettmann-born athlete, who has won the German championship title in the past two years. "It's a dream," she enthused.

Women's race on the same day as the men's race

For a long time, the three riders at the front exchanged blows in the leading group. Just under four kilometres before the finish, Koch attacked her two team-mates, but was unable to shake them off in the long term. It all came down to a showdown in the velodrome.

For the first time, the women's race was held on the same day as the men's race. The women crossed the finish line around two hours after the men. The Belgian Wout van Aert had previously prevailed in a thrilling sprint duel against world champion Tadej Pogacar.

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