Le Samyn
Race details
DateFebruary/March
RegionHainaut, Belgium
Local name(s)Le Samyn des Hommes (men)
Le Samyn des Dames (women)
(in French)
Nickname(s)Le Samyn
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionMen: UCI Europe Tour
Women: Lotto Cycling Cup
TypeSingle-day
Web sitewww.lesamyn.be Edit this at Wikidata
Men's history
First edition1968 (1968)
Editions56 (as of 2024)
First winner José Samyn (FRA)
Most wins Johan Capiot (BEL)
(3 wins)
Most recent Laurenz Rex (BEL)
Women's history
First edition2012 (2012)
Editions13 (as of 2024)
First winner Adrie Visser (NED)
Most wins Chantal Blaak (NED)
(3 wins)
Most recent Vittoria Guazzini (ITA)

Le Samyn is an annual single-day road bicycle race in Belgium, held usually in late February or early March. The event was created in 1968 as Grand Prix de Fayt-le-Franc, named after the former municipality where it started and finished. In 1970 it was renamed Grand Prix José Samyn as a tribute to José Samyn, the race's first winner who died in a race accident in 1969.[1] Johan Capiot holds the record with three wins.[2]

History

Since 2005, the race is included in the UCI Europe Tour as a 1.1 event.[3] It is the first race of the season in Wallonia, held on the Tuesday after its Flemish counterpart, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The race is run entirely in the province of Hainaut, starting in Quaregnon and finishing in Dour. During the course, 16 sectors of cobbled roads are traversed, prompting Belgian media to call it The Little Paris–Roubaix.[4]

The 2005 edition was cancelled because snow had made the roads too dangerous.[5]

Since 2012, a women's edition of the race, named Le Samyn des Dames, is held on the same day as the men's race.[6]

Winners

Men's race

Le Samyn 2015 : Gianni Meersman (2), Kris Boeckmans (1) & Christophe Laporte (3).
Year Country Rider Team
1968  France José Samyn Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune
1969  Belgium Herman Vrijders Faema
1970  Belgium Ronny Van de Vijver Flandria–Mars
1971  Belgium Julien Van Lint Molteni
1972  Belgium Marc Demeyer Beaulieu–Flandria
1973  Belgium Louis Verreydt IJsboerke–Bertin
1974  Belgium André Dierickx Merlin Plage–Flandria
1975  France Alain Santy Gitane–Campagnolo
1976  Belgium Dirk Baert Carlos
1977  France Michel Périn Gitane–Campagnolo
1978  Belgium Herman Van Springel Marc Zeepcentrale–Superia
1979  Netherlands Adri Schipper Marc Zeepcentrale–Superia
1980  Belgium Gery Verlinden IJsboerke–Warncke Eis
1981  Belgium Pol Verschuere Capri Sonne
1982  Belgium Jos Jacobs Vermeer Thijs
1983  Netherlands Jacques Van Meer Fangio–Tönissteiner
1984  Belgium Daniel Rossel Tönissteiner–Lotto
1985  Belgium Ronny Van Holen Safir–Van de Ven
1986  Belgium Patrick Onnockx Lotto–Emerxil–Merckx
1987  Belgium Claude Criquielion Hitachi–Marc
1988 No race
1989  Belgium Hendrik Redant Lotto
1990  Belgium Hendrik Redant Lotto–Superclub
1991  Belgium Johnny Dauwe Tulip Computers
1992  Belgium Johan Capiot TVM–Sanyo
1993  Belgium Wilfried Nelissen Novemail–Histor–Laser Computer
1994  Belgium Johan Capiot TVM–Bison Kit
1995  Belgium Johan Capiot Refin
1996  Belgium Hans De Meester Palmans
1997  Belgium Michel Van Haecke Ipso–Euroclean
1998  France Ludovic Auger BigMat–Auber 93
1999  Belgium Thierry Marichal Lotto–Mobistar
2000  Denmark Frank Høj Française des Jeux
2001  Belgium Kris Gerits Vlaanderen T-Interim
2002  Sweden Magnus Bäckstedt EDS–Fakta
2003  Netherlands Stefan van Dijk Lotto–Domo
2004  Australia Robbie McEwen Lotto–Domo
2005 No race
2006  France Renaud Dion AG2R Prévoyance
2007  France Jimmy Casper Unibet.com
2008  Belgium Philippe Gilbert Française des Jeux
2009  Belgium Wouter Weylandt Quick-Step
2010  Belgium Jens Keukeleire Cofidis
2011  Germany Dominic Klemme Leopard Trek
2012  France Arnaud Démare FDJ–BigMat
2013  Russia Alexey Tsatevich Team Katusha
2014  Belgium Maxime Vantomme Roubaix–Lille Métropole
2015  Belgium Kris Boeckmans Lotto–Soudal
2016  Netherlands Niki Terpstra Etixx–Quick-Step
2017  Belgium Guillaume Van Keirsbulck Wanty–Groupe Gobert
2018  Netherlands Niki Terpstra Quick-Step Floors
2019  France Florian Sénéchal Deceuninck–Quick-Step
2020  France Hugo Hofstetter Israel Start-Up Nation
2021  Belgium Tim Merlier Alpecin–Fenix
2022  Italy Matteo Trentin UAE Team Emirates
2023  Belgium Milan Menten Lotto–Dstny
2024  Belgium Laurenz Rex Intermarché–Wanty

Multiple winners

Wins Rider Country Years
3 Johan Capiot  Belgium 1992, 1994, 1995
2 Hendrik Redant  Belgium 1989, 1990
Niki Terpstra  Netherlands 2016, 2018

Wins by country

Wins Country
35  Belgium
9  France
5  Netherlands
1  Australia,  Denmark,  Germany,  Italy,  Russia,  Sweden

Women's race

Year Country Rider Team
2012  Netherlands Adrie Visser Skil 1t4i
2013  Netherlands Ellen van Dijk Specialized–lululemon
2014  Sweden Emma Johansson Orica–AIS
2015  Netherlands Chantal Blaak Boels–Dolmans
2016  Netherlands Chantal Blaak Boels–Dolmans
2017  Spain Sheyla Gutiérrez Cylance Pro Cycling
2018  Netherlands Janneke Ensing Alé–Cipollini
2019  Netherlands Jip van den Bos Boels–Dolmans
2020  Netherlands Chantal van den Broek-Blaak Boels–Dolmans
2021  Belgium Lotte Kopecky Liv Racing
2022  Denmark Emma Norsgaard Movistar Team
2023  Italy Marta Bastianelli UAE Team ADQ
2024  Italy Vittoria Guazzini FDJ–Suez

Source[6]

References

  1. ^ "Le Samyn". lesamyn.be. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Le Samyn". FirstCycling.com. 2023.
  3. ^ "Le Samyn (Bel) - Cat.1.1". Memoire-du-cyclisme.eu (in French). Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  4. ^ Delvaux, Maarten. "Niki Terpstra wint nu ook "klein broertje van Paris–Roubaix"". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Memorial Samyn Fayt-le-Franc cancelled". Cyclingnews. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Le Samyn des Dames". cqranking.com. Retrieved 14 February 2012.

External links

Belgian Road Cycling Cup
Categories