Paris-Roubaix Men LIVE: The early break tries to form with a plethora of attacks

Flanders-Baloise launches a new move with Zukowsky and a Tudor rider following but some of the big teams are now getting involved with UAE Team Emirates-XRG starting to control things.

Emīls Liepiņš (Pinarello-Q36.5) is one of the riders who launches a new move but, again, nothing doing.

Van Aert, Laporte and Ganna, among others, coming back into the peloton after several riders stop for a nature break.

Tomáš Kopecký and Matyáš Kopecký both riding for Unibet Rose Rockets. The two brothers also have their sister, Julia Kopecký racing for SD Worx-Protime. An amazing day for the Kopecký family.

NSN lead a new move and is caught by a few others including Asian and Kazakhstani champion, Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS-Astana). But, again, nothing doing.

A huge attack comes from the peloton and that spells an end to the breakaway yet again.

Modern Adventure get a rider across to Dewulf and Borgo.

Slovakian champion, Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) are two standout names right at the very back of the peloton. Brennan finished 44th on debut last year after showing very good legs in support of Van Aert.

It is just wave after wave of attacks in the peloton. Dewulf and Borgo are still clear by about 5″, though.

Flanders-Baloise and XDS-Astana try to get involved, but they are quickly brought back.

Modern Adventure leading a new move but too many follow and that gets nowhere.

The two clear are Alessandro Borgo (Bahrain Victorious) and the very talented Stan Dewulf (Decathlon-CMA CGM).

New attacks go straight away, though. Led by Bahrain Victorious and Decathlon-CMA CGM. Yves Lampaert (Soudal-Quickstep) trying to be stealthy and get into the break.

Breakaway caught!

Cees Bol (Decathlon-CMA CGM) is the man who joins the leaders.

New attacks leaving the front of the peloton.

The leaders have been joined by a rider from Decathlon-CMA CGM. But the gap has dropped to just 5″.

The break is Matevž Govekar (Bahrain Victorious), Riley Sheehan (NSN) and Martijn Rasenberg (Unibet Rose Rockets). They still have 15″ gap. Several riders in the gap.

Rear puncture for Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

The leading trio have 15″ on the peloton.

10km of racing done and the average speed is a staggering 57kph!

Three riders get away from Unibet Rose Rockets, Bahrain Victorious and NSN. They have a pretty decent gap on the chasing group and then the peloton.

Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and a few other big names just slipping into the early move. That sees it dragged back, though. The former Swiss champion was second in this race behind the great Peter Sagan.

Van der Poel and three of his teammates are right at the back of the peloton.

Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello-Q36.5) is one of the first riders to attack.

>>> Quiz! Can you name every Paris-Roubaix podium in the last 10 years?

Just under 15 minutes to the official start. The riders have just started the neutral zone in Compiègne,

Patrick Lefevere looked at the likely outcome of today but also a look back at the late Franco Ballerini…

>>> ‘I don’t see where Van der Poel can drop Pogačar on Sunday. Or vice versa.’ – Patrick Lefevere, ‘Mr. Paris-Roubaix’, predicts velodrome showdown between two biggest stars

>>> ‘I can pull off some kind of good sprint’ – Does Tadej Pogačar even need to arrive alone to win Paris-Roubaix?