Le Samyn 2019 [LAST 30 KM]

March 05, 2019

Le Samyn 2019 – Quaregnon – Dour : 200 km

The semi-classic, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, takes place in the Wallonia region of southern Belgium, as opposed to the Flanders region in the north, but features similar terrain, with plenty of cobblestones and short climbs on offer. Le Samyn does not have the same stature as the opening weekend or the bigger one-day races later in the spring but still serves up the same style of unpredictable racing, often in tough weather conditions. This year there are just three WorldTour teams on the start line, with AG2R La Mondiale joining the two big Belgian teams Deceuninck-QuickStep and Lotto Soudal.

Florian Sénéchal continued Deceuninck-QuickStep’s streak of success in the early Belgian races, winning the Le Samyn race with a well-executed sprint finish after a tactical and aggressive race.

It was the Frenchman’s first professional victory and the 14th victory of the 2019 season for Deceuninck-QuickStep.

Sénéchal was part of the decisive 10-rider attack that formed on the last lap and then won the sprint after teammate Tim Declercq was pulled back in sight of the line.

Lars Boom (Roompot-Charles) stated the sprint early but Sénéchal was able to match his speed and come past him before the finish line.

Aimé De Gendt (Wanty-Groupe-Gobert) finished second, with Niki Terpstra (Direct Energie) third after trying to split the group in the final kilometres.

Zdenek Stybar won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday and then Bob Jungels won Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne on Sunday. Deceuninck-QuickStep opted to rest its bigger name riders during the week, giving Sénéchal the chance to take his first victory after six years as a professional rider.

“In previous years I did too much too early but this time I really waited for the finale. My teammates worked all day and I owe them a lot. We really worked well. In the end, I had a good sprint, I felt strong, even if Lars Boom was also strong. But he went too early, and I came back,” Sénéchal explained happily.

“Terpstra was really strong. I knew he’s a shrewd rider and was waiting for the finale – Boom as well. I attacked on the final sector and the three of us went clear – the three strongest. Then it came back and Tim did an amazing job.

“You’re never sure of yourself in a sprint, especially when it goes from so far out, but in the end, it was decided à la pédale and I’m super happy to win it.”

The 198.4km race is held in the French-speaking of southern Belgium and includes a series of climbs on a loop north toward Flanders and then four laps of a 25km circuit that includes climbs, exposed roads and four sections of cobbles.

The weather was overcast and grey, with early rain adding to the difficulties.

Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), Tom Dernies (Roubaix Lille Métropole) and Gianni Marchand (Cibel-Cebon) found the courage to form the early break with Deceuninck-QuickStep accepting responsibility to lead the chase in the hills and onto the four circuits.

Crashes on the cobbles caused some problems and splits in the peloton but they pulled back the early move. However, the riders were aggressive and another trio went away with 70km to go. Terpstra and his Direct Energie teammates were determined to leave their mark on the race and went on the attack in the crosswinds despite 60km to race. That reduced the front group to just 20 or so riders, with only another 20 getting back on.

Aimé De Gendt (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Pieter Serry (Deceuninck-QuickStep) were the next to attack, with other riders jumping across on the pave as the riders covered the 25km circuits and tasted the cobbles, concrete roads, exposed roads and narrow lanes that make Belgian races so special.

With a lap remaining, Elmar Reinders and Jesper Asselman (Roompot-Charles), Stijn Vandenbergh (AG2R La Mondiale), Rémy Mertz (Lotto-Soudal) and Tim Declercq (Deceuninck-Quick Step) joined De Gendt and Serry in what looked like the decisive move.

The Israel Cycling Academy team first tried to close the gap and then Terpstra and his teammates took charge of their destiny. After a high-speed surge, the Dutchman jumped across to the break on the Roquette section of cobbles. Only Boom and Sénéchal could stay with him, making for ten riders up front: Vandenbergh, Declercq, Serry, Sénéchal, Boom, Asselman, Reinders, Terpstra, Mertz and De Gendt.

With three riders from Roompot and three from Deceuninck-Quick Step, they were forced to drag the group along as the others tried different attacks. It was pure Belgian racing, with Terpstra tying to attack on the cobbles with Sénéchal quick to chase after him.

Sénéchal, Boom, and Terpstra exited the final sector of cobbles with a decent lead but De Gendt jumped across and then so did Declercq. Boom tried another surge on the climb back into Dour for the finish but was marked carefully. Declercq was given more space, as the others looked at each other and managed to open a gap. His move forced Deceuninck-Quick Step’s rivals to chase and helped Sénéchal, who was confident of his sprint.

Declercq looked set to stay away as the flame rouge arrived but other riders came up from behind to help with the chase and he was suddenly within reaching distance.

Boom opened up the sprint as they passed Declercq and Terpstra made sure he was tucked on his wheel. However, the Dutchmen went too early and had too little in their legs. Sénéchal managed to match them and beat them before the line, taking an emotional first win of his professional career.

Results :
1 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:38:20
2 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
3 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Direct Energie
4 Lars Boom (Ned) Roompot-Charles
5 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:01
6 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:06
8 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot-Charles 0:00:08
9 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Charles 0:00:14
10 Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:19
11 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:00:54
12 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
13 Jelle Mannaerts (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex 0:01:02
14 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy 0:01:10
15 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
16 Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
17 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
18 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:17
19 Tom Dernies (Bel) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
20 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Corendon-Circus
21 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Direct Energie 0:01:23
22 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
23 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
24 Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
25 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Cycling Academy
26 Bagdonas Gediminas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
27 Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
28 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
29 Josip Rumac (Cro) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
30 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31 James Fouche (NZl) Team Wiggins Lecol
32 Sjoerd van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot-Charles
33 Jan Maas (Ned) Leopard Pro Cycling
34 Senne Leysen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
35 Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
36 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
37 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
38 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
39 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
40 Alan Banaszek (Pol) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
41 Roy Jans (Bel) Corendon-Circus
42 Alexander Krieger (Ger) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:01:31
43 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:01:36
44 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:51
45 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:02:02
46 Timothy Stevens (Bel) Cibel 0:02:21
47 Jack Burke (Can) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:02:38
48 Mario Spengler (Swi) Leopard Pro Cycling
49 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:03:39
50 Thomas Stewart (GBr) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
51 Jeroen Pattyn (Bel) Team Differdange Geba
52 Gianni Marchand (Bel) Cibel
53 David Boucher (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
54 Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
55 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal
56 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
57 Boris Vallee (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
58 Sebastian Mora Vedri (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
59 Gaëtan Pons (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling
60 Lukas Spengler (Swi) Wallonie Bruxelles
61 Emils Liepins (Lat) Wallonie Bruxelles
62 Xavier Cañellas Sanchez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
63 Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
64 Joab Schneiter (Swi) IAM Excelsior
65 Michiel Dieleman (Bel) Cibel
66 Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
67 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
68 Dennis Coenen (Bel) Cibel
69 Mihkel Räim (Est) Israel Cycling Academy
70 Pierre Barbier (Fra) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
71 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Team Wiggins Lecol
72 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
73 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
74 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
75 Bram Welten (Ned) Arkéa Samsic
76 Colin Heiderscheid (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling
77 Conor Dunne (Irl) Israel Cycling Academy
78 Jordi Van Dingenen (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
79 Julien Van Den Brande (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex 0:04:43
80 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Gobert 0:05:11
81 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:06:07
82 Joeri Stallaert (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:06:51
83 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
84 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
85 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
86 Peter Williams (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 0:08:31
87 Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie 0:09:31
88 Clément Russo (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
89 Brian van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal 0:11:11
90 Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore & Vita-Prodir 0:11:51
91 Quentin Guex (Swi) IAM Excelsior
92 Dylan Page (Swi) IAM Excelsior
93 Simon Pellaud (Swi) IAM Excelsior
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Corendon-Circus
DNF Mattia Viel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Davide Martinelli (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Leonardo Fedrigo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Robert Thomas Wagner (Ger) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Alan Riou (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Mauricio Moreira (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Justin Mottier (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Julian Varley (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Jacob Relaes (Bel) Cibel
DNF Lennert Teugels (Bel) Cibel
DNF Thomas Deruette (Bel) Team Differdange Geba
DNF Louis Deguide (Bel) Team Differdange Geba
DNF Tom Thill (Lux) Team Differdange Geba
DNF Tiago Da Silva (Lux) Team Differdange Geba
DNF Ivan Centrone (Lux) Team Differdange Geba
DNF Pit Leyder (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling
DNF Christophe Masson (Fra) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Natura4Ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Isaac Mundy (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF Jacob Scott (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Alex Colman (Bel) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF George Wood (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF James Shaw (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Floris Gerts (Ned) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Ylber Sefa (Alb) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Ben Healy (Irl) Team Wiggins Lecol
DNF Mark Christian (GBr) Team Wiggins Lecol
DNF Oliver Robinson (GBr) Team Wiggins Lecol
DNF Robert Scott (GBr) Team Wiggins Lecol
DNF Jacques Sauvagnargues (GBr) Team Wiggins Lecol
DNF Giacomo Ballabio (Ita) IAM Excelsior
DNF Martin Schäppi (Swi) IAM Excelsior
DNF Ben Hardy (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Maarten van Trijp (Ned) Corendon-Circus
DNF Matthias Brändle (Aut) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF August Jensen (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Stijn Steels (Bel) Roompot-Charles
DNF Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Emiel Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Marc Fournier (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Cedric Raymackers (Bel) Cibel
DNF Samuele Zoccarato (Ita) IAM Excelsior
DNF Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Corendon-Circus
DNF Maxence Moncassin (Fra) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Stijn De Bock (Bel) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF Robert-Jon McCarthy (Irl) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF Andrew Tennant (GBr) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF Alex Paton (GBr) Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes
DNF Federico Nicolas Vivas (Arg) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Kaspars Sergis (Lat) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Viesturs Luksevics (Lat) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Jan-André Freuler (Swi) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Marco Bernardinetti (Ita) Amore & Vita-Prodir
DNF Franklin Six (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNS Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNS Wesley Mol (Ned) Team Differdange Geba
DNS Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
DNS Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise