Le Samyn des Dames [
1.2]
Quaregnon to Dour, 112.8km
Weds 1st March 2017
Disclaimer: I'm no expert on the women's race scene. If you want some expert opinion there is nowhere better than Sarah Connolly and you can find her on twitter right
here. That said, here goes....
After a weekend which saw solo success for
Lucinda Brand at OHN and
Jolien D'Hoore blitz the sprint at Omloop Hageland, the women's race action turns to Walloon country for Le Samyn des Dames. It's run on the same day as the men's race
GP Le Samyn. However, while the men's race is part of the season long Napoleon Cycling Cup series of racing, the women's seems no longer part of the female 'equivalent' - the Lotto Cycling Cup
https://twitter.com/BELCycling/status/835089661630562304Previous Winners 2016 | BLAAK Chantal
2015 | BLAAK Chantal
2014 | JOHANSSON Emma
2013 | VAN DIJK Ellen
2012 | VISSER Adrie
The race is in it's 6th edition this year, pervious winners are. As you can see
Chantal Blaak has won the past two editions, and given she was 2nd at #OHNWomen on Saturday, I wouldn't put the hat trick past her.
2016 EditionFrom Cycling news report
Le Samyn des Dames gave the women its traditional mid-week classic, a 112km race from Quaregnon to Dour in Belgium. The women's peloton kicked off Belgium's opening week last weekend with the double header Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, won by Armitstead, and Omloop van het Hageland, won by Marta Bastianelli (Ale Cipollini).
A large 16-rider group split off the front of the main field that included Blaak, Johansson and Pieters along with Boels Dolmans riders Karol-Ann Canuel, Nikki Harris, Demi De Jong and Christine Majerus, and Lauren Kitchen (Hitec Products), Shelley Olds and Valentina Scandolara (Cylance) and Floortje Mackaij (Liv Plantur), among others.
Boels Dolmans had the numbers in the lead group and pushed the pace, building a time gap of roughly three minutes ahead of the field. Johansson made a savvy attack on the last lap with Mackaij and Harris, and the three were later joined by Blaak and Pieters, and two other riders.
Blaak and Johansson were the next to make their move and the pair gained 30 seconds on the chase group behind. Blaak attacked several times to try and lose Johansson, and even though those moves were not successful, she saved enough for the two-up sprint to win the race.
https://twitter.com/BELCycling/status/705089663539802112I'd love to bring you some video highlights, but you all know the drill. I have trawled the internet...if you have any post them up please.
2017 Start ListTeams
START LIST Parcours
At just a smidge over 100km, the women head out of Quaregnon and are straight onto the Dour finish circuits after 25km or so. They tackle each punishing 25km lap three times.
As far as I can make out it's EXACTLY the same as for the men
[1]Rue du Vert Pignon (*)
Cote de la Roquette (**) - 13.3km from finish and leading directly to
Chemin de Wiheries (***)
Rue Belle Vue (***) - 2.6km from finish
The run to the line is not technical but it is an uphill drag to the finish.
Live streams / highlightsKeep an eye out. I'm not holding out much hope, particularly if it is out of the Lotto Cup fold.
Social MediaWebsiteRace Twitter... keep a beady eye on
Sarah Connolly and all the usual sources.
Hashtag looks like it will #LeSamyndesDames
