Kris Boeckmans and Chantal Blaak take the prizes in Le Samyn
Kris Boeckmans (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) prevailed in Wednesday’s 46th Le Samyn in the Fayt-le-France region of Belgium. At 201-km, with cobbles and short, sharp climbs, Le Samyn is, along with Saturday’s Strade-Bianche, one of the last one-day races before stage races demand cycling fans’ attention until Milan-San Remo on March 22.
Earlier in the day in the fourth edition of the Le Samyn des Dames, 2014 winner Emma Johannson (Sweden/Orica-AIS) positioned herself in a strong, six-rider breakaway that was hauled back in the final kilometres, but she was still spry enough to contest the sprint. Chantal Blaak (The Netherlands/Boels-Dolmans) prevailed, Omloop Het Nieuwslad winner Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands/Rabobank-Liv) was runner-up and Johannnson rounded out the podium. Canadian Joëlle Numainville (Bigla) placed 13th.
In the men’s race, there was no breakaway for the first hour before Thomas De Gendt (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal), Ludwig De Winter (Belgium/Wallonie-Bruxelles) and Gatis Smukulis (Latvia/Katusha) darted away and enjoyed a 7:40 advantage with 110-km to go.
Le Samyn concludes with four trips around a 24.7-km circuit containing a nasty 700-metre section of narrow, slick cobbled just under 3-km to the finish line in Dour. It was on lap two that De Gendt flew away from his breakmates while Trek led the peloton. On the third lap the peloton began to fragment under Etixx-QuickStep’s direction and two riders attempted to bridge over to De Gendt.
As De Gendt soloed towards the last lap, the peloton reformed and Trek showed its interest by taking over pace-making duties again. The Lotto-Soudal man had a 39-second gap at the beginning of the final lap and surrendered at the 21-km-to-go mark to a breakaway of six riders.
It was crucial to be well positioned for the final trip through the Rue de Belle Vue cobbles. Once more QuickStep worked in the peloton to close down the septet. Though the seven were lassoed, several other moves spurted off the front. Finally, the regrouped bunch hit the Rue de Belle Vue pavé. Instantly, the peloton shattered, with plenty of QuickStep firepower up front joined by Cofidis and Lotto-Soudal riders. Seven men fought it out, with Boeckmans coming around Gianni Meersman (Belgium/Etixx-QuickStep) and holding on as Meersman launched a late counterattack. Frenchman Christoph Laporte of Cofidis was third.
Canadian Hugo Houle of Ag2r-La Mondiale was one of 107 riders who did not finish Le Samyn.
