A mud-bath, an over-inflated spare tyre, and a domestique holding the cobblestone trophy – Servais Knaven relives his iconic Paris-Roubaix victory 25 years on

Cycling Paris-Roubaix-2001 Knaven-Servais (Photo by Tim De Waele/Getty Images).

The 2001 edition of Paris-Roubaix has its place in the annals of cycling history for a number of reasons. 25 years on, the race is remembered as the muddiest Roubaix ever, with crashes, mechanicals and the power of the brand new Domo-Farm Frites-Latexco team ripping the race to pieces.

Managed by Patrick Lefevere, Domo-Farm Frites-Latexco swept the podium in a superlative display of strength. However, it wasn’t Johan Museeuw or reigning world champion Romans Vainsteins sitting on top of the pile. That honour unexpectedly fell to Servais Knaven, a rider who has become synonymous with the Hell of the North ever since and jointly holds the record for the most finishes of the race with 16.