Our team will try to end the month of February with a strong result on home soil.
Created in 1968, Le Samyn is a race with a lot of history and with a hard route which always makes up for some spectacular and thrilling racing. After producing many memorable editions in the past, the Belgian event has again all the ingredients to be a hit and go down as one of the best races of the year, one that in the first part of the course will see the riders take on four short but difficult climbs: Côte de Mainvault, Côte de la Folie, Côte des Papins and Côte de Semenil.
Then, with 100 kilometers left of the race, the peloton will enter on a leg-sapping circuit which they will cover four times, each lap having four cobbled sectors – Rue du Vert Pignon (1400m), Côte de la Roquete (500m), Chemin de Wiheries (400m) and Rue de Belle Vue (700m) – which will split the bunch and leave only a handful of riders in contention.
World Tour leader Quick-Step Floors will line out at the start two former winners of the event, Philippe Gilbert and Niki Terpstra, for the 200km-race which starts in Quaregnon and travels to Dour, where the race concludes since 2006. Joining them will be two other riders who raced in the Opening Weekend – Tim Declercq and Zdenek Stybar – but also talented neo-pro Fabio Jakobsen, Davide Martinelli and Florian Sénéchal, the latter making his return after being forced to miss Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne last Sunday due to gastroenteritis.
"We come here with a very strong team, built around three riders who have ambitions for this race, and I'm talking here of Philippe, Zdenek and Niki. Florian, who despite being new on the squad, already proved this year what a talented rider he is, together with Tim, Davide and Fabio, will support our guys in this race which on top of having a demanding course, will be made hard also by the weather. With temperatures below zero degrees and a strong wind coming from the north it will be very tough out there, but we will try to leave our mark on this beautiful race", said sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images
