ROUBAIX, France — Boulder-based Garmin-Cervelo cyclist Johan van Summeren won the Paris- Roubaix classic for the first time Sunday after breaking away in the closing stages and holding on for an unexpected victory.
Two-time winner Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland finished second after he was unable to catch van Summeren despite a powerful late charge. Dutchman Maarten Tjallingii finished third.
Van Summeren completed the 160-mile trek in 6 hours, 7 minutes, 28 seconds. Cancellara and Tjallingii were 19 seconds back.
“Once I got up in the front group, I felt I could win,” van Summeren said. “I had really good legs.”
Garmin rider Thor Hushovd kept with defending champion Cancellara, Tom Boonen and Alessandro Ballan to allow van Summeren to break away with about 8 miles left.
“This, by far, is our biggest win as a team,” Garmin-Cervelo sport director Jonathan Vaughters said on the team’s website. “And we’re especially pleased the way we won it.”
Devils’ Lemaire retires again
NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, 65, is going back into retirement. The Hall of Famer took over the Devils before Christmas after rookie coach John MacLean was fired.
“The only regrets that I have is not making the playoffs,” said Lemaire, who guided New Jersey to a 29-17-3 mark in his third stint as the team’s coach.
• The Florida Panthers fired coach Peter DeBoer after the team finished last in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
Clijsters could miss French Open
BRUSSELS — Kim Clijsters can’t seem to escape injury bad luck, with Belgian media reporting that the world’s No. 2-ranked woman could miss the French Open, which starts May 22, after seriously injuring her ankle while dancing.
Belgian television reported on its website that the 27-year-old, current champion at the U.S. Open and Australian Open, dislocated her ankle while dancing at her nephew’s wedding and could be out for six weeks.
• Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki defeated Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-3 to win the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. It’s her third tournament title this season.
• Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her second straight title, beating Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-3, 6-2 at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain.
• Ryan Sweeting held off Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-6 (3) to win the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston for his first ATP World Tour title. The American became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP tour this year and the first U.S. Clay Court wild-card champion since Mardy Fish in 2006.
Footnotes.
Michael Phelps had a disappointing finish at the Michigan Grand Prix in Ann Arbor, placing second in the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle.
• Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant suffered his third major knee injury in a scrimmage, possibly ending his 2011 season.
• UNLV hired BYU assistant coach Dave Rice as its men’s basketball coach.
Staff and wire reports
