Belgium's Johan Museeuw won the 100th Paris-Roubaix classic, taking his third victory on the treacherous cobblestones.

Museeuw, 36, seized the lead with 40 km (28.4 miles) to go and remained in front until the finish line, which he crossed caked in mud.

Germany's Steffen Wesemann finished second, three minutes and four seconds behind, and Belgian Tom Boonen placed third.

Paris-Roubaix counts as the third leg of the UCI World Cup, and his latest win leaves Museeuw top of the standings with 170 points.

Sunday's race took riders on a 261km (161.82-mile) trek from Compiegne outside Paris to the north-eastern town.

The route included 49 km (30.38 miles) of narrow cobbled lanes which were coated in mud, making them even harder for riders to negotiate.

US Postal Service rider George Hincapie fell off his bike and slipped into a ditch 20 km (12.4 miles) from the finish, but climbed out and continued riding.

Shattered

Museeuw, who rides for the Domo-Farm Frites team, won the event in 1996 and in 2000.

He finished second last year, just eight months after a motorcycle accident that left him in intensive care with a shattered leg and collarbone.

In the 1998 race, he sustained a knee injury that nearly ended his career.

Sunday's victory helped compensate for his failure to win a record fourth Tour of Flanders title last weekend. He placed second behind Italian Andrea Tafi.

The Paris-to-Roubaix is widely regarded as the "queen of the classics".

But the one-day event no longer attracts the big-name riders who specialise in stage races such as the Tour de France.

Museeuw joins five other riders, including compatriot Eddy Merckx, on three Paris-Roubaix wins.

Another Belgian, Roger De Vlaeminck, won a record four titles between 1972 and 1977.

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Paris Roubaix results:
1. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Domo-Farm-Frites, 261km (161.82 miles) in 6 hours, 39 minutes and 8 seconds
2. Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Team Telekom, 3:04 behind
3/ Tom Boonen (Bel) US Postal, 3:08
4. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) CSC-Tiscali, 4:02
5. Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team Coast, same
6. George Hincapie (US), US Postal, same
7. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) BigMat-Auber93, same
8. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned), Domo-Farm-Frites, same
9. Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis, same
10. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Domo-Farm-Frites

World Cup Standings (after three events):
1. Museeuw, 170 points
2. Mario Cipollini (Ita), Acqua e Sapone, 120
3. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei, 109
4. Hincapie, 82
5. Fred Rodriguez (US) Domo-Farm-Frites, 79