Ineos Grenadier's first Paris-Roubaix win came with the combination of youth and experience that has made him successful in the spring classics races of recent weeks.
It was a tale of two races for the team's two young race debutants. Turner raced among the elite contenders until the final cobbled section, while Magnus Sheffield, the winner of Brabantspaille, was repeatedly struck by bad luck and finished just 1:35 behind.
The 19-year-old American was "just a little bruised" after crashing twice in the 257-km northern hell. Luckily, he was able to witness his teammate's victory on the big screen at Carrefour de l'Arbre, where he fought all the way to the finish.
"I got to see the giant TV at Carrefour," Sheffield told Cycling News after the race. 'I could see Dylan floating his bike in the air. I could see Dylan floating his bike in the air." [A playlist of Italian house music was playing as Dylan Van Baar celebrated going from last to first place in Paris-Roubaix.
"The team atmosphere is very good. It's like we've known each other for years now. So it feels like a team win, so we're really looking forward to getting the cobblestones together and lifting overhead."
Sheffield joined the Ineos-led move early in the race, with all seven splitting the peloton in the crosswind.
While the team continued the move all the way to the Allenberg Forest, putting competitors such as Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) and Mathieu Van Der Pol (Alpecin Phoenix) behind for 110km, Sheffield was involved in an unavoidable crash up front in the third sector. He was involved in an unavoidable crash in the front in the third sector, and left the race.
He said he was able to catch up with a group that included former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), but crashed a second time shortly thereafter.
"Unfortunately, in this kind of race, this is just luck of the draw. We just have to look forward. Crashing is never fun and it's a learning experience.
"Not everyone can say they finished Roubaix, but it shows my strength and maturity as a rider. I'm not here just to play, I'm here to win and to support my team."
"It was my decision at the beginning of the day and I wanted to stay loyal to help my teammates. So that I could help my teammates."
"So I'm happy to have finished my first race and I hope to be up there again next time.
Sheffield, already a consummate professional as a teammate, was ready to help out a bit further back in the pack battling at the front, but Turner managed to avoid catastrophe, at least until a spill at Camphine-on-Pevere.
The 22-year-old Turner, along with Van Baarle and other leading riders, entered the last 50 km after Jumbo-Visma made a decisive acceleration in Auxiès.
The Briton was one of the spring's standouts, helping Tom Pidcock to second place in the Dwar door Hlaanderen, Michał Kwiatkowski to victory in the Amstel Gold Race, and Sheffield to a solo fourth place finish in the Brabants Pile.
He crossed the finish line at the Vélodrome André Petrieux 4:33 behind. He hid out for Van Baar until the Dutchman bridged to victory in the sizable race and attacked in the Camphine on Peverel.
"It's clear we're taking over," Turner said blankly after seizing the moment to recover in the infield of the famous velodrome.
"We were the strongest team. The last few races we've run have been great. I think the best thing to do is to ride with spirit, have fun, and that's what we did. At the end of the day, it's just a bike race.
"I'm really lucky to be in this race and it's a dream come true to ride it. It was my dream to ride the Tour de Flanders. That dream has come true.
Turner said he felt limited in the last 100km, which included 19 cobbled sectors, including three five-star sectors on the day, and added that he hopes to give it his all in the final race of the spring classic.
"It was very hard and I was on the limit for a very, very long time. I thought I was going to be dropped. I was at my limit with 100km to go."
"I felt every race today and I wanted to give it everything and finish the Classic. I'm really proud of today and my team is really great.
"Words can't describe it. It's my first year as a professional and I've won so many races. Today I won Paris-Roubaix. It's really beautiful. It's really inspiring. The future is bright. I want to live up to what everyone is saying about me."
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