German cyclist Franziska Koch claimed a stunning victory at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, outsprinting cycling legend Marianne Vos in the final metres at the iconic Roubaix velodrome. The 25-year-old, riding for FDJ United-Suez, becomes the first German woman ever to win the race — one of cycling's most prestigious one-day classics, famous for its brutal stretches of cobblestones known as pavé.

The finale came down to a three-rider group featuring Koch, Vos, and defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, both of the Dutch Visma-Lease a Bike squad. Ferrand-Prévot — who won the Tour de France Femmes last year — had spent much of the final kilometres driving the pace on the front, keeping the lead group clear of a furious late chase by Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky, who finished fourth, roughly a minute behind. Ferrand-Prévot then led out the sprint, with Vos timing her effort to come wide of Koch in the final bend. It was not enough: Koch held her line and pushed her bike across the line first.