Watch the men's Paris-Roubaix from 7pm (AEST) LIVE and FREE tonight on SBS On Demand and from 8.30pm (AEST) on SBS VICELAND.
Despite her best efforts, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worxs) was the top finisher from the pre-race favourites crossing the line in seventh position, 12 seconds behind winner Alison Jackson (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB).
In a mightily impressive ride in its own right, Jackson escaped the bunch 22 kilometres into the race in a bunch of 18 and never looked back.
Behind Jackson, 37 kilometres into the race, last year's winner Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) hit the ground hard during the Pont-Thibault cobbled section, taking a large number of riders with her including teammate Lucinda Brand and SD Worx stars Kopckey and Lorena Wiebes.
"I couldn't move. I was in a lot of pain after the fall and initially feared my ankle was broken," Kopecky said.
"I didn't think I could continue. In the end, I got back on the bike and then it went better and better. It proves that in Paris-Roubaix it's never done."
Kopecky, who won last weekend's Tour of Flanders, is already focused on next year's Paris-Roubaix.
"I can't blame myself for anything," Kopecky said. "Without that fall, we will definitely be back at the front. I felt very strong, even after the fall. But in Paris-Roubaix, the bad luck factor also plays a big role now.
"Next year I will come back. One day I will manage to win here."
Brand and Longo Borghini were also able to keep pedalling after the pile-up as they worked to claim a third straight victory for Trek-Segafredo. They finished 12 and 23 seconds behind Jackson respectively.
"We won the first two editions, we tried for a third one, it didn’t work but we did what we could so we can’t blame ourselves," Brand said.
"On the cobbles it was hard to make a difference because there was a headwind so in the wheel was much easier. There were so many sprinters in our group so we had to try to get away, but the front group was really strong.
"Very well done to the breakaway, we were just too late."
Given the energy burned in the chase, Brand eventually lost confidence that a win would be possible. "Even if we had caught the front group I’m not sure we would have made any difference because Elisa and me tried a lot already and we were definitely not the fastest in the group," Brand said.
For Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), whose list of palmares outshines the entire achievements of some teams, her reaction to the day is only further evidence of her class as a rider.
"I didn't really see the front today”, Vos said. "I was involved in a crash just before the first section and then I had a puncture.
"As a result, I had to go from group to group, and each time my teammates picked me up. Making everyone wait would have made no sense because no one would have been left at the front."
Vos finished tenth, also twelve seconds back, which is a testament to her skill as well as her form.
"There was nothing else to do but go full throttle. I had a lot of help at the end. I never thought we would get so close.
"It was tough, but today's race shows you should never give up. I think the crowd saw a great race."
Tune in tonight to watch all the action as the men tackle the Paris-Roubaix with coverage starting from 7pm (AEST) LIVE and FREE on SBS On Demand and from 8.30pm (AEST) on SBS VICELAND.
