From the Davitamon-Lotto site... the protest is on!
After a repeated study of press photos as well as of the television films of the VRT and the French Television, and in agreement with other involved parties, the sports management of Davitamon-Lotto has decided this afternoon to lodge an official written protest by the UCI against the result of yesterdays Paris-Roubaix.
Several mistakes have been clearly done by various parties during and after the race, with the result that Peter Van Petegem has lost a fine place on the podium, and also Bert Roesems has been deprive of a fine 5th place.
Besides the individual Pro Tour points lost by Peter and / of by Bert, these decisions also influence the teams classification, and the position of the coaches for the coming Pro Tour events.
And CyclingNews' crack team of translators finds De Peet making his case to the people:
"I know but too well that you have to stop when you are in front of a closed red-light railway crossing. I myself hit the brakes, but Hoste kept on going, Gusev followed and what does one do in a situation like that but follow? What if Cancellara had been in front of the closed railway passage and lost the race because of it?...I agree we made a mistake, but the organisers are not without fault either. I think it's strange that we have to cross a railway so close to the finish. At that moment we were still riding flat out chasing for the victory - Cancellara was not outside of our reach as yet. To take a decision like that after six hours of racing is hard. On top of that we didn't put anyone in danger; not ourselves, not others."
Also, stop by CN if you want Pat McQuaid's extremely long-winded defense of the commissaires. Not recommended.