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Elite Men: Frameries - Dour 191.9km

Keukeleire crowned king of Le Samyn

By:
Cycling News
Published:
March 3, 2010, 16:18,
Updated:
March 3, 2010, 20:04

Young Belgian outfoxes the rest in sprint finish

Race winner Jens Keukeleire (Cofidis)

Race winner Jens Keukeleire (Cofidis)

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Jens Keukeleire (Cofidis) unleashed a wily sprint to win Belgian one-day race Le Samyn on Wednesday. The young Belgian avoided the tussle behind as he shot up the left-hand side of the road to win by a bike length over Gregory Joseph (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Cédric Pineau (Equipe Roubaix Lille Metropole).

Despite its sprint finale, the 191.9-kilometre race had been marked a long break. Five riders got away and had held a lead of five minutes with 75 kilometres to go, but the gap was dropping rapidly. With 65 km to go, and a 3:35 lead, three of the riders grew anxious and launched a pre-emptive strike; Steve Chainel (BBox Bouygues Telecom), Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur-Sojasun) and Jean Zen (Palmans-Cras) the riders to go away.

Behind them, there were multiple attacks out of the rapidly moving peloton, but none was able to establish itself. After the escape group split, the gap began to stabilise once more, but the lead trio never really had a chance to stay away to the end.

With 25 kilometres to go, the attack was over. A Saxo Bank rider used the opportunity to try and get away, but he too was caught. After a series of solo attempts to avoid a mass sprint an 11-strong group showed promise but was only able to maintain a slight lead and was once more drawn back into the fold.

Remi Cusin (Cofidis) and Guillaume Levarlet (Saur- Sojasun) were the next to go, at the 18 kilometre marker, and behind them the peloton temporarily splintered under the high tempo. After forcing a concerted chase, the two finally roped in with only five kilometres to go. Marcus Eichler (Milram) jumped and passed the two leaders moments before they were caught by the main field.

Eichler's challenge faded as Saxo Bank led a now reduced peloton under the red kite. The race charged up the slight climb to the finish line, but it was Keukeleire that snuck up the left side of the final run-in to take victory by a clear margin. 

Full Results
1 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 4:34:35  
2 Grégory Joseph (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
3 Cédric Pineau (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
4 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux    
5 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale    
6 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    
7 Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank    
8 Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
9 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    
10 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Landbouwkrediet    
11 Kalle Kriit (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
12 Rony Martias (Fra) Saur-Sojasun    
13 Yohann Gene (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom    
14 Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
15 Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93    
16 Arnaud Molmy (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
17 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team    
18 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
19 Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    
20 Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    
21 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    
22 Renaud Dion (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
23 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    
24 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
25 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Verandas Willems    
26 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur-Sojasun 0:00:07  
27 André Steensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:10  
28 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto    
29 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto    
30 Jocelyn Bar (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
31 Edwig Cammaerts (Bel) Lotto - Bodysol    
32 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Verandas Willems    
33 Jonathan Dufrasne (Bel) Qin Cycling Team    
34 Mario Aerts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto    
35 Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Verandas Willems    
36 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team    
37 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
38 Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram    
39 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:00:17  
40 Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Saxo Bank    
41 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
42 Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0:00:23  
43 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBox Bouygues Telecom    
44 Tom Vanbecelaere (Bel) Palmans - Cras    
45 Nadir Haddou (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93    
46 Simon Zahner (Swi) BMC Racing Team    
47 Jonathan Thire (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93    
48 Bart Dockx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet    
49 Clément Lhotellerie (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
50 Damien Gaudin (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom    
51 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
52 Tim Mertens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
53 Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet    
54 Steve Houanard (Fra) Skil - Shimano    
55 Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
56 James Spragg (GBr) Qin Cycling Team    
57 Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet    
58 David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet    
59 Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram    
60 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
61 Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93    
62 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto    
63 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank    
64 Mathieu Claude (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom    
65 Rémi Cusin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
66 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale    
67 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur-Sojasun    
68 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    
69 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Verandas Willems    
70 Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team    
71 Timothy Vangheel (Bel) Palmans - Cras    
72 Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne    
73 Matheus Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:00:41  
74 Robin Chaigneau (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0:00:45  
75 Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank    
76 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank    
77 Benoit Daeninck (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:00:59  
78 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom    
79 Geert Omloop (Bel) Palmans - Cras 0:01:04  
80 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet    
81 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
82 Arthur Vichot (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
83 Ingmar De Poortere (Bel) Qin Cycling Team    
84 Adam Blythe (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto    
85 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur-Sojasun 0:01:26  
86 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
87 Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
88 Cedric Coutouly (Fra) Saur-Sojasun    
89 Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram 0:01:33  
90 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Team Milram 0:01:45  
91 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team 0:01:53  
92 Rob Goris (Bel) Palmans - Cras 0:04:30  
93 Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet    
94 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator    
95 Julien Mazet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93    
96 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team    
97 Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Palmans - Cras    
98 Romain Matheou (Fra) Saur-Sojasun    
99 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Team Milram    
100 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux    
101 David Deroo (Fra) Skil - Shimano    
102 Robert Retschke (Ger) Continental Team Differdange 0:05:39  
103 Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole    
104 Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom 0:05:46  
105 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano    
106 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Team Worldofbike.gr    
107 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:11:56  
108 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur-Sojasun