Tsatevich wins Le Samyn

Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha) claimed victory at Le Samyn after holding off the peloton in Dour on Wednesday, while Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) beat Adrien Petit (Cofidis) to second place.

Tsatevich showed considerable strength on the deceptively difficult rise to the finish line at Dour. When Sébastien Chavanel (Europcar) tried to spring a surprise by opening his effort early inside the final 500 metres, the Russian was swiftly onto his wheel. When Chavanel began to flag, Tsatevich came around him and had more than enough in the tank to hold off the peloton closing behind.

"The team gave me a chance to try today, the whole race was done around me and I am thankful for that,” Tsatevich said afterwards. “In the final part of the race I said to the team that I am ok and can try, so, my teammates did everything possible to help me and to provide an ideal position in the finish. I was waiting for the mass sprint, but a rider from Europcar attacked before it. I took his wheel and was able to save the energy. In the last meters I started my sprint to win.”

The day’s racing was animated by an early break featuring Elias Van Breussegem (Doltcini-Flanders), Luke Rowe (Sky) and Thomas Sprengers (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise). The trio opened a lead of 5 minutes at one point, before the peloton reacted in earnest. Rowe was the final survivor of the move, but he was swept up with 12km to race.

At that point, a bunch finish seemed inevitable, but Rowe’s teammate Geraint Thomas was keen to try his luck, first attacking as part of a four-man move with Ian Stannard, and later forcing his way clear alone. The in-form Welshman threatened to upset the odds, but the work of a number of teams, including FDJ, saw him pegged back before the finish.

Unfortunately for FDJ, their sprint hopeful Arnaud Démare had his hopes thwarted by a late puncture and the scene was set for an extremely open bunch finish, where Tsatevich seized the initiative and reaped the rewards.

“I am happy that I was able to realize the wish of the team and win today,” he said. “I came to Belgium a little bit earlier than the other members of Katusha, so I had some more days to train. That was one of key moments for today’s success.”

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Full Results
1Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha5:05:19
2Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling TeamRow 1 - Cell 2
3Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 2 - Cell 2
4Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Lotto BelisolRow 3 - Cell 2
5Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN-QhubekaRow 4 - Cell 2
6Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling TeamRow 5 - Cell 2
7Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 6 - Cell 2
8Andreas Stauff (Ger) MTN-QhubekaRow 7 - Cell 2
9Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky ProcyclingRow 8 - Cell 2
10Marco Haller (Aut) KatushaRow 9 - Cell 2
11Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs-WantyRow 10 - Cell 2
12Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) To Win-Josan Cycling TeamRow 11 - Cell 2
13Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 12 - Cell 2
14Niels Vandyck (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 13 - Cell 2
15Maxime Le Montagner (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 14 - Cell 2
16Maxime Daniel (Fra) SojasunRow 15 - Cell 2
17Julien Duval (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 16 - Cell 2
18Blaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 17 - Cell 2
19Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 18 - Cell 2
20Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post-ChainreactionRow 19 - Cell 2
21Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) KatushaRow 20 - Cell 2
22Thomas Vernaeckt (Bel) Doltcini-FlandersRow 21 - Cell 2
23Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJRow 22 - Cell 2
24Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 23 - Cell 2
25Markus Eichler (Ger) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 24 - Cell 2
26Julien Stassen (Bel) Wallonie-BruxellesRow 25 - Cell 2
27Tim De Troyer (Bel) Accent Jobs-WantyRow 26 - Cell 2
28Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 27 - Cell 2
29Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 28 - Cell 2
30Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Doltcini-FlandersRow 30 - Cell 2
32Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 31 - Cell 2
33Clément Koretzky (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 32 - Cell 2
34Laurent Evrard (Bel) Wallonie-BruxellesRow 33 - Cell 2
35Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Sky ProcyclingRow 34 - Cell 2
36Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky ProcyclingRow 35 - Cell 2
37Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 36 - Cell 2
38Gaetan Bille (Bel) Lotto BelisolRow 37 - Cell 2
39Renaud Dion (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 38 - Cell 2
40Martin Reimer (Ger) MTN-QhubekaRow 39 - Cell 2
41Jérémie Galland (Fra) SojasunRow 40 - Cell 2
42Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling TeamRow 41 - Cell 2
43Jonathan Dufrasne (Bel) Wallonie-BruxellesRow 42 - Cell 2
44Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJRow 43 - Cell 2
45Timofey Kritskiy (Rus) KatushaRow 44 - Cell 2
46Clément Lhotellerie (Fra) Colba-Superano HamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Crelan-EuphonyRow 46 - Cell 2
48Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 47 - Cell 2
49Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky ProcyclingRow 48 - Cell 2
50Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto BelisolRow 49 - Cell 2
51Benjamin Le Montagner (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 50 - Cell 2
52Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 51 - Cell 2
53Alphonse Vermote (Bel) An Post-ChainreactionRow 52 - Cell 2
54Christophe Laborie (Fra) SojasunRow 53 - Cell 2
55Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto BelisolRow 54 - Cell 2
56Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 55 - Cell 2
57Roger Kluge (Ger) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 56 - Cell 2
58Antoine Demoitie (Bel) Wallonie-BruxellesRow 57 - Cell 2
59Alexander Porsev (Rus) KatushaRow 58 - Cell 2
60Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 59 - Cell 2
61Gael Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 60 - Cell 2
62Jack Wilson (Irl) An Post-ChainreactionRow 61 - Cell 2
63Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:00:45
64Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 63 - Cell 2
65Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 64 - Cell 2
66Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling TeamRow 65 - Cell 2
67Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling TeamRow 66 - Cell 2
68Steven Caethoven (Bel) Accent Jobs-WantyRow 67 - Cell 2
69Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) MTN-QhubekaRow 68 - Cell 2
70Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La MondialeRow 69 - Cell 2
71Julian Kern (Ger) AG2R La MondialeRow 70 - Cell 2
72Sam Bennett (Irl) An Post-ChainreactionRow 71 - Cell 2
73Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 72 - Cell 2
74Yohann Gene (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 73 - Cell 2
75Morgan Lamoisson (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 74 - Cell 2
76Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 75 - Cell 2
77Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky ProcyclingRow 76 - Cell 2
78Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky ProcyclingRow 77 - Cell 2
79Jonathan McEvoy (GBr) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 78 - Cell 2
80Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto BelisolRow 79 - Cell 2
81David Boucher (Fra) FDJRow 80 - Cell 2
82Jonathan Breyne (Bel) Crelan-EuphonyRow 81 - Cell 2
83Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Crelan-EuphonyRow 82 - Cell 2
84Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) Colba-Superano HamRow 83 - Cell 2
85Florent Delfosse (Bel) Color Code-BiowanzeRow 84 - Cell 2
86Anton Vorobyev (Rus) KatushaRow 85 - Cell 2
87Rony Martias (Fra) SojasunRow 86 - Cell 2
88Jean-Albert Carnevali (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 87 - Cell 2
89Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La MondialeRow 88 - Cell 2
90Justin Van Hoecke (Bel) Wallonie-BruxellesRow 89 - Cell 2
91Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) SojasunRow 90 - Cell 2
92Jean-Lou Paiani (Fra) SojasunRow 91 - Cell 2
93Florent Mottet (Bel) Color Code-BiowanzeRow 92 - Cell 2
94Florent Barle (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 93 - Cell 2
95Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 94 - Cell 2
96Loïc Desriac (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 95 - Cell 2
97Sander Armee (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 96 - Cell 2
98Cyrille Patoux (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 97 - Cell 2
100Erick Rowsell (GBr) Team NetApp-Endura0:03:11
101Pierre-Luc Perrichon (Fra) Bretagne-Seche EnvironnementRow 99 - Cell 2
102Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 100 - Cell 2
103Damien Gaudin (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 101 - Cell 2
104Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team0:03:40
105Olivier Pardini (Bel) Verandas Willems0:03:52
106Boy van Poppel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team0:05:40
107Loic Pestiaux (Bel) Color Code-Biowanze0:06:06
108Andrew Ydens (Bel) T.Palm-Pôle Continental Wallon0:06:15
109Rudy Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 107 - Cell 2
110Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post-Chainreaction0:06:46
111Quentin Hoper (Bel) Color Code-BiowanzeRow 109 - Cell 2
112Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 110 - Cell 2
113Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling TeamRow 111 - Cell 2
114Thomas Wertz (Bel) Color Code-BiowanzeRow 112 - Cell 2
115Olivier Poppe (Bel) Verandas WillemsRow 113 - Cell 2
116Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJRow 114 - Cell 2
117Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJRow 115 - Cell 2
118Giovanni De Merlier (Bel) To Win-Josan Cycling TeamRow 116 - Cell 2
119Steven Doms (Bel) To Win-Josan Cycling TeamRow 117 - Cell 2
120Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team NetApp-EnduraRow 118 - Cell 2
121Sergio Ferrari (Bel) Verandas Willems0:08:51
122Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) KatushaRow 120 - Cell 2
123Kevin De Jonghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-BaloiseRow 121 - Cell 2
124Jérôme Gilbert (Bel) Accent Jobs-WantyRow 122 - Cell 2
125Darijus Dzervus (Ltu) Doltcini-FlandersRow 123 - Cell 2
126Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN-QhubekaRow 124 - Cell 2
127Will Routley (Can) Accent Jobs-WantyRow 125 - Cell 2
128Victor Fobert (Fra) Colba-Superano HamRow 126 - Cell 2
129Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto BelisolRow 127 - Cell 2

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