Franziska Koch has won Paris-Roubaix. The German cyclist from FDJ United-SUEZ defeated Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in a sprint on the Roubaix velodrome. Teammates Vos and Ferrand-Prévot were unable to release the German rider.
Vos came very close, but was beaten by Koch by half a wheel’s length. Vos returned to the French spring classic after her father Henk Vos recently passed away. As a result, she missed the Tour of Flanders, among other things.
The cyclist from Den Bosch had mixed feelings about her second place. “Of course I would have preferred to win. My feeling is between pride and disappointment. I don’t know what to feel yet,” she responded in the press conference.
First match since father’s death
Vos explained that a sprint after Paris-Roubaix is not an ordinary sprint. “Then it’s about who has the best legs left. It was close, but I felt I fell short. But it was also fair. She rode a better sprint.”
Vos rode her first race since the death of her father. “Of course we miss him, that he called or sent a text message. But you also focus on what you have to do. The preparation for this match was not ideal, but sometimes you don’t have that in your own hands. I hoped I was good and was happy that I was there in the final.”
Ferrand-Prévot wanted Vos to win
Vos’ tears came just after the finish, when she hugged teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. “Having Pauline in the team is fantastic, especially after her victory last year. She is very dedicated and the way she rode today shows what a great champion she is,” said Vos about her teammate.
The French cyclist, in turn, said that she had decided to ride Paris-Roubaix when she heard that Vos’ father had died. “I still wanted to participate and try to win for her father.”
She became a professional cyclist at the age of 18 and spent entire weeks with the Vos family in the camper, which was driven by Henk. “I have such good memories of that. That’s why I wanted Marianne to win today. We didn’t succeed, but we gave everything we had.”