2015 Grand Prix Cycliste Le Samyn (1.1), Belgium
47th edition: Wednesday, March 4
GP Le Samyn Podium history | 2016 edition | Route map and elevations | Teams Entered | Live Updates |
Quaregnon - Dour, 201 kms
Kris Boeckmans, winner of this year's Le Samyn
The Race: For a while it looked like Lotto-Soudal rider Thomas de Gendt was going to steal the race. He went off alone, leaving his earlier breakaway companions behind. Gatis Smukulis was one of them, and he gave chase for quite a while, but gave up and was absorbed by what appeared to be a determined Eitxx-Quick step led peloton.
Eventually de Gendt's adventure had to come to an end as well given the relentless high-speed pressure the peloton was exerting. With about 20 kilometers to go the now-reduced peloton had captured all breakaways. Others tried their luck, over and over, but to no avail. A Cofidis rider took off on a cobbled sector with about 10km remaining, but he was rounded up.
On the last cobbled section Stijn Vandenbergh put in an incredible pull that shattered the remains of the peloton, leaving a small lead group, which had several Etixx-Quick Step riders. it looked like the race was theirs to lose.
Which is exactly what happened. In the Sprint Lotto-Soudal rider Kris Boeckmans surprised the others, coming around them all to win the race. Gianni Meersman did his best to come around at the last minute, but he started his effort too late. The day was Boeckmans.
Kris Boeckmans wins 2015 Le Samyn.
Complete results:
42.018 km/hr average speed.
| 1 | BOECKMANS Kris | LOTTO SOUDAL | 4hr 47min 1sec |
| 2 | MEERSMAN Gianni | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 3 | LAPORTE Christophe | COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS | s.t. |
| 4 | BENOOT Tiesj | LOTTO SOUDAL | @ 3sec |
| 5 | LAMPAERT Yves | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 6 | CHAINEL Steve | COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS | s.t. |
| 7 | VANDENBERGH Stijn | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 8 | PUTT Tanner | UNITED HEALTHCARE | s.t. |
| 9 | PLANCKAERT Baptiste | ROUBAIX LILLE METROPOLE | s.t. |
| 10 | NAESEN Oliver | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN - BALOISE | s.t. |
| 11 | FARRAR Tyler | MTN - QHUBEKA | s.t. |
| 12 | VANTOMME Maxime | ROUBAIX LILLE METROPOLE | s.t. |
| 13 | TERPSTRA Niki | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 14 | DUIJN Huub | TEAM ROOMPOT | s.t. |
| 15 | BAGDONAS Gediminas | AG2R LA MONDIALE | s.t. |
| 16 | LEUKEMANS Bjorn | WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 17 | VACHON Florian | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | s.t. |
| 18 | LE BON Johan | FDJ | s.t. |
| 19 | MAS BONET Luis | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | @ 19sec |
| 20 | BACKAERT Frederik | WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT | @ 22sec |
| 21 | ZURLO Federico | UNITED HEALTHCARE | @ 24sec |
| 22 | CALLEEUW Joeri | VERANDAS WILLEMS CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 23 | ISTA Kevyn | WALLONIE - BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 24 | VOROBYEV Anton | TEAM KATUSHA | s.t. |
| 25 | DRUYTS Gerry | VASTGOEDSERVICE - GOLDEN PALACE | s.t. |
| 26 | KOLOBNEV Alexander | TEAM KATUSHA | s.t. |
| 27 | NIZZOLO Giacomo | TREK FACTORY RACING | s.t. |
| 28 | DUPONT Timothy | ROUBAIX LILLE METROPOLE | s.t. |
| 29 | SCHWARZMANN Michael | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 30 | DELAPLACE Anthony | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | s.t. |
| 31 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas | IAM CYCLING | s.t. |
| 32 | LAGUTIN Sergey | TEAM KATUSHA | s.t. |
| 33 | ISAYCHEV Vladimir | TEAM KATUSHA | s.t. |
| 34 | JULES Justin | VERANCLASSIC - EKOI | s.t. |
| 35 | FRAILE Omar | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 36 | BARTA Jan | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 37 | CORDEEL Sander | VASTGOEDSERVICE - GOLDEN PALACE | s.t. |
| 38 | CLAEYS Dimitri | VERANDAS WILLEMS CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 39 | KREDER Raymond | TEAM ROOMPOT | s.t. |
| 40 | JARRIER Benoit | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | s.t. |
| 41 | VENTER Jaco | MTN - QHUBEKA | s.t. |
| 42 | VAN GINNEKEN Sjoerd | TEAM ROOMPOT | @ 35sec |
| 43 | KOZONCHUK Dmitrii | TEAM KATUSHA | @ 49sec |
| 44 | ARMEE Sander | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 45 | PFINGSTEN Christoph | BORA-ARGON 18 | s.t. |
| 46 | BILLE Gaetan | VERANDAS WILLEMS CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 47 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 48 | LECUISINIER Pierre-Henri | FDJ | s.t. |
| 49 | COENEN Dennis | VASTGOEDSERVICE - GOLDEN PALACE | s.t. |
| 50 | GRETSCH Patrick | AG2R LA MONDIALE | @ 1min 4sec |
| 51 | COLEDAN Marco | TREK FACTORY RACING | @ 1min 9sec |
| 52 | ALAFACI Eugenio | TREK FACTORY RACING | s.t. |
| 53 | GOUGEARD Alexis | AG2R LA MONDIALE | @ 1min 20sec |
| 54 | COUSIN Jerome | TEAM EUROPCAR | s.t. |
| 55 | VAN DER SANDE Tosh | LOTTO SOUDAL | @ 1min 23sec |
| 56 | VERHELST Louis | COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS | s.t. |
| 57 | LEDANOIS Kevin | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | s.t. |
| 58 | BOULO Matthieu | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | s.t. |
| 59 | DRON Boris | WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 60 | COQUARD Bryan | TEAM EUROPCAR | @ 1min 51sec |
| 61 | ENGOULVENT Jimmy | TEAM EUROPCAR | s.t. |
| 62 | KREDER Michel | TEAM ROOMPOT | s.t. |
| 63 | VAN POPPEL Danny | TREK FACTORY RACING | s.t. |
| 64 | SARREAU Marc | FDJ | @ 2:min 47sec |
| 65 | TERPSTRA Mike | TEAM ROOMPOT | s.t. |
| 66 | LENNERTZ Sam | VASTGOEDSERVICE - GOLDEN PALACE | @ 3min 8sec |
| 67 | JONES Christopher | UNITED HEALTHCARE | s.t. |
| 68 | JANS Roy | WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT | s.t. |
| 69 | MORICE Julien | TEAM EUROPCAR | s.t. |
| 70 | FÖRSTER Robert | UNITED HEALTHCARE | s.t. |
| 71 | RULLIERE Melvin | VERANCLASSIC - EKOI | @ 3min 25sec |
| 72 | PETIT Adrien | COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS | @ 4min 21sec |
| 73 | CHEVALIER Olivier | WALLONIE - BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 74 | DELFOSSE Sébastien | WALLONIE - BRUXELLES | s.t. |
| 75 | VAKOC Petr | ETIXX - QUICK STEP | s.t. |
| 76 | MCLAY Daniel | BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT | @ 4min 30sec |
| 77 | KAISE Julien | COLOR CODE - AQUALITY PROTECT | @ 6min 13sec |
| 78 | VALLEE Boris | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 79 | VAN STAEYEN Michaël | COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS | s.t. |
| 80 | VAN POPPEL Boy | TREK FACTORY RACING | s.t. |
| 81 | HONIG Reinier | TEAM ROOMPOT | @ 6min 41sec |
| 82 | DE GENDT Thomas | LOTTO SOUDAL | @ 8min 9sec |
| 83 | DEHAES Kenny | LOTTO SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 84 | KIENDYS Tomasz | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | s.t. |
| 85 | GUILLEMOIS Romain | TEAM EUROPCAR | s.t. |
| 86 | FERRARI Fabricio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 87 | VAN ZYL Johann | MTN - QHUBEKA | s.t. |
| 88 | STENUIT Robin | VERANCLASSIC - EKOI | s.t. |
| 89 | DEVOLDER Stijn | TREK FACTORY RACING | s.t. |
| 90 | MURPHY John | UNITED HEALTHCARE | s.t. |
| 91 | BELKOV Maxim | TEAM KATUSHA | s.t. |
| 92 | GROENEWEGEN Dylan | TEAM ROOMPOT | s.t. |
| 93 | PRÉMONT Christophe | VERANDAS WILLEMS CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
Hi, Welcome to BikeRacenfo's live coverage of the Belgian Le Samyn race.
The finish: Etixx-Quick step had three riders in the front group and did the final leadout but Kris Boeckmans (Lotto-Soudal) comes around to takes the race. Gianni Meersman tried to come by, but ran of out race before he passed Meersman.
1 km to go: Etixx-Quick-Step has several riders in the small front group.
2.5 km to go: Still together for the final cobbles. Stijn Vandenbergh hammers the front. Lots of splits in the pack.
4 km to go: The peloton remains intact for the technical finish
6 km to go: Pack has grown back to more than 50. They are going really fast and really hard.
8 km to go: Chaos reigns as riders keep attacking, forming small escape groups and then getting re-absorbed. Tyler Farrar is near the front. Looks like all the escapees have been caught. Still one more cobbled section to go.
10 km to go: The cobbled Cote de la Rocquette is being ascended. Adrien Petit (Cofidis) is off the front alone. Looks like the 7 escapees have been caught. A small group has left the main peloton as a result of the cobbled climb.
14 km to go: Just got a time, the break has 10 seconds. Tosh Van der Sande is not working in the break.
15 km to go: Among the riders in the escape are Lagutin, Van der Sande, Jan Barta and Alexis Gougeard. They are working well together. Pounding away for all they are worth, actually. Gap might be 10 seconds.
18 km to go: The 7-man escape still has a small gap, 11 seconds.
20 km to go: The peloton can see de Gendt, just 24 seconds up the road. Bam! A group of 5 or 6 has slipped off the front of the pack. De Gendt sits up now and waits for the peloton. The small escape group has caught him.
24 km to go: De Gendt gets the bell as he starts the last lap, 33 seconds ahead of the Etixx-Quick Step led pack. Bottles and rain jackets are being tossed. Time to get serious about racing.
25 km to go: The Lotto team car has driven up to to de Gendt to have a chat. As the gap falls, the follow car will be withdrawn. A 700 meter section of a narrow cobbled section has just been covered. De Gendt's gap is 41 seconds ahead of the Etixx-Quick Step led pack.
31 km to go: The peloton has caught Smukulis. Only de Gendt is away. The attacks immediatly started flying off, but they are all being caught.
Thomas De Gendt is still away alone, but the chase is relentless as the gap continues to fall. They are off the cobbles, on a 3% ascent and on a pretty good road. Trek is spending a lot of time at the front of the peloton now.
De Gendt's lead is down to 1min 20sec.
35 km to go: Lead group of the peloton has grown as riders chase back on. We're about to start the final trip around the finishing circuit. It's currently 7.2 Celsius (45F) and cloudy in Quaregnon, the start city.
Etixx-Quick step is serious about bringing back the leaders. Gap has fallen to 1min 48sec as they hit another cobbled section. Ouch! Pretty bouncy stuff.
40 km to go: De Gendt has his hands on the tops as he races over cobbles, pounding a big gear. A little light rain is falling the cobbles are wet. Smukulis is a minute behind de Gendt, turning a smaller gear. Peloton is strung out, Etixx-Quick step is still at the front. Gap from de Gendt to the peloton is 3min 2sec.
Nope, Etixx-Quick Steps efforts have quickly reduced the gap, now it's 2min 49sec. Looks like Gianni Meersman is the team's protected rider.
45 km to go: A seriously reduced peloton is being led by Etixx-Quick Step. The gap to the leaders is much larger than my earlier post. It looks like De Gendt is 3min 38sec ahead of the front group of the peloton, which is broken into a lot of pieces. De Gendt is is the leader with Smukulis chasing. Sorry for the error.
The race so far: 50 km to go: Not exactly clear but it looks as if Smukulis is 53 seconds ahead of the field. Thomas de Gendt is a half-minute behind him. Riders have leg and arm warmers.
2015 route map and elevation (below map). The inset is of the final circuit, done 5 times:
2015 route map
2015 Samyn elevations. The top one is of the big loop and the bottom one is of the finishing circuit.
UCI Pro Teams:
- Ag2R
- Etixx-Quick Step
- FDJ
- IAM Cycling
- Lotto-Soudal
- Katusha
- Trek
UCI Pro Continental teams
- Bretagne-Seche Environnement
- Bora-Argon 18
- Caja Rural
- CCC Sprandi Polkowice
- Cofidis
- Nippo-Vini Fantini
- Roompot
- United Healthcare
- Want-Gobert
- Europcar
- Topsport Vlaanderen
- MTN Qhybeka
UCI Continental teams
- Color Code
- Wallonie-Bruxelles
- Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace
- Roubaix Lille Metropole