Tim Merlier wins Le Samyn

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Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) won Le Samyn in a sprint from a heavily reduced bunch, after a typically active display from his teammate Mathieu van der Poel.

After a breathless day’s racing, Merlier produced a powerful acceleration to counter a long-range sprint from Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X), while the final podium spot went to Andrea Pasqualon (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux).

A group of 35 riders entered the finish straight together, led by Van der Poel, whose handlebars were heavily damaged. The Dutchman had attacked briefly with more than 40km remaining and went clear on the final cobblestone sector with Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck-QuickStep) before switching to a lead-out role in the final 1500 metres.

Victor Campenaerts (Qhubeka Assos) was a relentlessly attacking force and formed the first significant selection on the second of four laps of a 25km finishing circuit that contained four cobbled sectors, some of them uphill. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) was part of the 20-man move, but after repeated accelerations from Van der Poel in the thinning peloton behind, the race came back together on the penultimate lap.  

Campenaerts went again just before the bell and spent much of the final lap alone in front of a QuickStep-led peloton, before the race came back to life in the final 15 kilometres. Just after Campenaerts was caught by a stretched chase group, his teammate Lukasz Wisniowski went clear and spent a few more kilometres alone out front.

He was caught on the flat final sector of the Rue de Belle Vue, where Sénéchal produced a scorching acceleration. Van der Poel was the only rider able to follow, although he seemed reluctant to commit with the Frenchman once they emerged onto the tarmac with 3km to go.

A few riders scrambled across to them and Sénéchal made once last-ditch effort before deciding against towing Van der Poel to the line. The Dutchman then found himself on the front and allowed the reduced peloton to come back as he took up the lead-out reins under the flamme rouge.

Campenaerts took yet another flyer but Tiller was the first to launch a proper sprint. Even that proved too far out, as a patient Merlier made his way up into the slipstream before rounding him and celebrating a fine win for his team.

How it unfolded

It was a fast start under blue skies in the Belgian town of Quaregnon, near the French border. Despite a number of attempts, it took an age for a breakaway to form as the peloton rattled off 45 kilometres in the first hour.

A group finally went clear after around 70km, containing Kenny De Ketele (Sport Vlaanderen Baloise), Joey Rosskopf (Rally Cycling), Gianni Marchand (Tarteletto-Isorex), Jan-Willem van Schip (Beat Cycling) and Enzo Leijnse (Team DSM).

The quintet established a lead of three minutes before it became a quartet when Marchand was dropped as the riders hit the cobbles for the first time with just over 100km to go.  

The finishing circuit, to be completed four times, contained four sectors of cobbles, some of which were on twisting uphill roads: Rue du vert Pignon, the Côte de la Roquette, the Chemin de Wihéries, Côte des Nonettes and the Rue de Belle Vue.

By the end of the first lap, the break’s lead was less than a minute, and it didn’t survive the second lap as the race burst into life. After the peloton started to fragment on the Côte de la Roquette and Antoine Raugel (Groupama-FDJ Conti) attacked ahead of the Côte des Nonettes, Campenaerts instigated the first big selection with 60km remaining.

The UCI Hour Record holder dragged 19 riders across to the break: Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation), Mark Cavendish, Bert Van Lerberghe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg (Qhubeka Assos), Kobe Goossens, Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal), Danny van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Damien Touzé (AG2R-Citroën), Jempy Drucker (Cofidis), Timothy Dupont (Bingoal Casino-Wallonie Bruxelles), Kenny De Ketele (Sport Vlaanderen Baloise), Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix), Lorrenzo Manzin (Total Direct Energie), Donovan Grondin (Arkea-Samsic), Rasmus Tiller, Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X), Maurice Ballerstedt (Jumbo-Visma), Antoine Raugel (Groupama-FDJ).

The catch was made after the final sector of cobbles at Belle Vue, and the peloton let it go initially. However, when the gap hit a minute on the penultimate lap, Van der Poel – who had teammate Merlier up the road – decided enough was enough and went on the attack. He ripped clear on the Nonettes. Alvaro Hodeg (Deceuninck-QuickStep) was with him initially but fell away, as John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal) and Amaury Capiot (Arkea-Samsic) scrambled to bridge across.

That group was caught but Van der Poel continued to press on, with the lead group now just a dozen seconds up ahead. A fluid portion of the race ensued, with Van Lerberghe accelerating up ahead, before Campenaerts and Vanmarcke broke free together ahead of the Belle Vue cobbles. Behind, Van der Poel accelerated again as a reduced peloton swallowed up the remnants from the large break. Cavendish punched his way over to Vanmarcke and Campenaerts but they were quickly caught by the reduced bunch.

Immediately, Campenaerts went again, taking a lead of a handful of seconds over the line and onto the final lap. However, the race then settled down somewhat, with Deceuninck-QuickStep putting six riders on the front to calmly control the Belgian’s advantage.

Vanmarcke punctured with 15km to go, and Campenaerts was finally caught with 14km to go, at which point a teammate of his accelerated. 

Van der Poel was in second wheel on the cobbles as the peloton stretched but it was Dries De Bondt who attacked for Alpecin-Fenix, with Campenaerts summoning the energy to go again and join him. Behind them, Van der Poel marked attacks and took Tim Declercq’s wheel as the Belgian dragged it back for QuickStep with 11km to go.

Another Qhubeka attack came quickly, with Wisniowski on the move, and the Pole established a handy lead. There were a couple of short-lived attacks from the chase group, but Van der Poel soon emerged at the front of it to help drag it back. 

Wisniowski took just a few seconds onto the Belle Vue cobbles with 4km to go, but that was wiped out when Sénéchal accelerated, with Van der Poel in his wheel. The Frenchman urged Van der Poel to collaborate but there was no instant response, allowing Vanmarcke, Wisniowski, and Van Poppel to come across. Sénéchal kept the pace high before attacking when Van der Poel slowed things with his turn. He gained no ground, however, and soon decided to down tools.

With 1.7km to go, Van der Poel found himself on the front, with the reduced peloton coming back. He led into the final kilometre, at which point Campenaerts launched yet another acceleration. Tiller waited longer but still not long enough, as Merlier timed it to perfection.