Mat Hayman wins Paris-Roubaix

Mat Hayman of Orica-GreenEdge has won a pulsating edition of Paris-Roubaix, outsprinting Tom Boonen to deny the Etixx-Quick Step rider a record fifth victory in the race, with Team Sky's Ian Stannard third.

The trio, together with LottoNL-Jumbo's Sep Vanmarcke and Edvald Boasson Hagen of Dimension Data, had fought it out in the closing kilometres of a thrilling day's racing.

Hayman, aged 37 and riding the race for the 15th time - only two other men have ridden more editions -  had been in the day's main break.

The other four riders who contested the finish had been in a chase group that had joined the survivors of the break, Boonen's team mate Tony Martin driving the pace to reel it in.

Tinkoff's Peter Sagan, looking to follow up last week's Tour of Flanders victory, missed that move, as did Trek-Segafredo's Fabian Cancellara, riding the race for the final time and looking for a record-equalling fourth win.

With 55 kilometres remaining, Team Sky were in a strong position with four riders leading the front group as they sought to maintain the gap off a little more than half a minute over the Sagan and Cancellara group.

But in the space of five minutes three of those riders crashed, with first Gianni Moscon and Luke Rowe, and then Salvatore Puccio, all crashing on muddy corners, only Stannard staying upright.

Behind, Cancellara crashed on the same sector of cobbles to end his dreams of a final victory.

Rowe rejoined the front group, working for Stannard, but on the Carrefour de l'Arbre sector just the five men who would fight it out for victory remained.

Vanmarcke attacked but failed to achieve a decisive gap and was reeled in, with Boonen and Stannard - twice - also both trying to get away for a solo win as the race entered the finale.

Boonen seemed poised to take what would have been a hugely popular win, but tired and boxed in, couldn't launch his sprint and instead it was Hayman who had moved ahead on the last bend who came through for by far the biggest win of his career.