Omega Pharma-QuickStep's Niki Terpstra emerged victorious from Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.
The 29-year-old Dutchman broke clear of a select group with around five kilometres to go, sealing a solo victory in the Roubaix velodrome.
It was Terpstra's team-mate Tom Boonen who, along with Trek's Fabian Cancellara, was touted as one of the favourites to win the race known as the 'Hell of the North'.
Although Boonen attacked repeatedly throughout the 257 kilometre race, it was Terpstra who broke costless of the lead group, which included Cancellara, Sep Vanmarcke, Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas as well as Boonen.
With the big names racing cautiously, anxious to avoid any error which might gift their rivals the upper hand, the 29-year-old took a risk and attacked with five kilometres remaining.
Despite still facing a number of the race's notorious cobbled sections, Terpstra maintained his lead and was able to claim a superb solo win in a packed velodrome.
He finished 20 seconds ahead of Giant-Shimano's John Degenkolb, who pipped Cancellara to second place, and admitted afterwards that to win Paris-Roubaix was "a dream."
"For me it’s the most beautiful classic of the year", he said.
"It's a dream to win this. It was the big goal I was aiming for and I did it."
"We had Tom in the front group but the directeur sportif said it was good to do some attacks.
"I went after the cobbled section and it was the good one."
Result
Paris-Roubaix 2014, 257km
1. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
2. John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Shimano at 20 secs
3. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing
4. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Belkin
5. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
6. Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale
7. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
8. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Garmin-Sharp
9. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
10. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep at same time