The imperious Fabian Cancellara produced a second scintillating performance in a week to win Paris-Roubaix today.
The 29-year-old Swiss backed up his Tour of Flanders victory with a solo success in the cobbled classic known as 'The Hell of the North'.
In a performance reminiscent of his win seven days ago, Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) burst away with little more than 40 of the 259-kilometres race remaining and no-one could live with him as he won the race for a second time, finishing with a lap of honour in the Roubaix velodrome.
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) was two minutes behind in second after winning a sprint finish with third-placed Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky), while defending champion Tom Boonen (QuickStep), who was seeking a record fourth win, was fifth behind Britain's Roger Hammond (Cervelo).
World time-trial champion Cancellara won Paris-Roubaix for the first time in 2006 and added a second title to his list of honours which include three Tour de France prologue wins and victories in Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders to stake his claim to be the greatest all-round rider of his generation.
