Rider who was locked out of velodrome last year finishes top-10 in 2019 Paris-Roubaix
The perseverance of one Pro Continental rider saw him finish with the best


A rider who was locked out of the velodrome in last year’s edition of Paris-Roubaix returned to the race and secured a phenomenal top-10 finish in 2019.
Evaldas Šiškevičius, a Lithuanian with the Delko Marseille Provence squad, was a major talking point after the 2018 edition of the ‘Hell of the North’, when he finished outside the time limit and found the gates of the finishing track were locked.
The 30-year-old returned to the race on Sunday (April 14), his perseverance paying off as he finished in the top-10 after 257km of brutal racing.
>>> Five talking points from the 2019 Paris-Roubaix
Team boss Frédéric Rostaing said: “I am very proud of the 9th place for Evaldas in this race.
“He took advantage of his perseverance that helped him finish the event last to finish with the best this year.
“He deserves it. This top-10 resonates like a great victory and corroborates the very good beginning the team has had, being ubiquitous on major events since January.”
Last year Šiškevičius had set himself the goal of finishing Paris-Roubaix, but things went awry when he slipped out the back with more than 40km remaining.
He rode 23km with the broom wagon looming over his shoulder, before puncturing on the five-star Carrefour de l’Arbre cobbled sector.
It looked like this might be the end of his race, but he was able to get a wheel change from a broken down team car that was being towed to the line.
An hour after Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) had claimed victory, Šiškevičius found that the organisers had locked the gates of the Roubaix Velodrome.
A sympathetic marshal let the rider in and he was able to cross the line, albeit outside of the time cut.
But it was a different story for Šiškevičius this year.
After holding is position in the peloton for much of the race, he attacked 20km from home and rode to the line in the company of Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team), Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Zdenek Štybar (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), finishing 9th and just 47 seconds down on race winner Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck - Quick-Step).
His previous best result was a second-place finished on stage three of the 2017 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Šiškevičius said after the race: “I’m so happy.
“I wanted to show that I could do something else.
“The assistants shouted on the side of the road and the guys were crazy in the car.
“It really touched me.”
It was a day of success for the French Pro Continental team, as their rider Joseph Areruya became the first black African rider to finish Paris-Roubaix.
The Rwandan finished outside the time cut but made history by crossing the line in Roubaix.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
Emma Langley nets Joe Martin Stage Race GC after storming TT performance
EF Education's Langley clinches her first UCI stage race victory in Fayetteville
By Clara Beard • Published
-
Wildlife Generation claims 1-2 at Joe Martin Stage Race
Australian Jonathan Clarke wins overall, Noah Granigan second
By Clara Beard • Published
-
Creating an icon - Behind the scenes at Paris-Roubaix Femmes
Only in its second year, the Paris-Roubaix Femmes is not just a gruelling day for the riders, but a logistical and organisational challenge for those behind the scenes - Amy Sedghi speaks to the people helping to create an icon
By Amy Sedghi • Published
-
From the cobbles to the race track: Tom Boonen is living his best life
Classic legend Tom Boonen on race car driving, Mathieu van der Poel and modern cycling
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Yves Lampaert said he used a judo move to avoid serious injury at Paris-Roubaix
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider crashed after striking a fan last Sunday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'It is something that I will definitely never forget, it was the hardest race I've ever done' — The first dry Paris-Roubaix Femmes
In the race's second edition, everyone was having a 'completely different' experience, whether they were a veteran or a neo-pro
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Bradley Wiggins: Ineos Grenadiers victory at Paris-Roubaix was 'typical Dave Brailsford'
Former Tour de France winner spent the day on a motorbike covering the race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'You gotta love bike racing don't you, it's the best thing in the world' — Ben Turner after a dramatic first Paris-Roubaix
Ineos Grenadiers rider claims 11th after crashing, but sees teammate win race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From finishing outside the time limit to winning Paris-Roubaix, Dylan van Baarle 'buzzing' after victory
Dutch rouleur claims first Paris-Roubaix for Ineos Grenadiers after 12 years of trying
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Team DSM choose not to use adjustable pressure system at Paris-Roubaix
Dutch squad will debut system at Tour de France instead
By Adam Becket • Published