Lotte Kopecky wins Le Samyn des Dames

Lotte Kopecky (Liv Racing) took the first win at her new team at Le Samyn des Dames, sprinting to victory from a reduced group of riders in Dour.

The Belgian beat Emma Cecilie Norsgaard (Movistar) and Chloe Hosking (Trek-Segafredo) in the dash for the line, benefitting after the Danish champion went long in the sprint. Hosking jumped onto Norsgaard's wheel as Kopecky followed, saving enough to hit the wind with 150 metres to go and making the pass just metres from the line.

The sprint finale came after a race full of attacks, including the peloton splitting apart less than a third of the way through the race. Kopecky, who had been in numerous small moves off the front throughout, was duly rewarded for her efforts at the finish, taking the sixth win of her career and her first Classics victory.

"This is my first win in the tricolor and my first for Liv Racing," Kopecky said after the race. "What a great start to the season. This is also confirmation of my good form.

"After Omloop, I was disappointed with my fourth place because I missed the podium due to a stupid mistake in the sprint. Now I've shown that the fast legs are there. I feel really good. It's nice to start like this."

Norsgaard, meanwhile, would have to settle for her second runner-up spot in two races for her new team. The 21-year-old Danish champion led the chase group home behind winner Anna van der Breggen at Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"In Omloop, Lotte already showed how strong she was," Norsgaard said. "So, I don't want to say I'm disappointed that I lost here.

"We studied the course and I wanted to go for the sprint. We wanted to make it a tough race and shake off riders. That worked and then we went full throttle for the sprint. That went pretty well."

How it unfolded

The 10th edition of Le Samyn des Dames took in 92.5-kilometres from Quaregnon to Dour near the French border in west Wallonia. The peloton tackled 15 cobbled sections as well as six named hills, with two and a half laps of a tough finishing circuit to close out the race.

The peloton broke apart early on in the day as the peloton raced over a cobblestone section shortly after the Côte de la Roquette on 30 kilometres, with no breakaway having made it away earlier on. Former world champion Amalie Dideriksen (Trek-Segafredo) missed the split, though the majority of the big names in the peloton made it into the front group.

Kopecky made it into a lead attack group at one point, with Norsgaard, Marlen Reusser (Alé BTC Ljubljana), and SD Worx pair Jolien D'Hoore and Amy Pieters joining her. Jumbo-Visma and Trek-Segafredo were among the teams to chase the move down, though, and things would come back together shortly afterwards.

Once again, Kopecky attempted to break the race up at the front with a further attack 20 kilometres out, with 2020 runner-up Christine Majerus (SD Worx) and Jelena Eric (Movistar) going with her. However, despite the continued aggression of the Belgian champion, that move didn't come off either.

After reining in the attacks from the front, the group would then stick together to the line, with few opportunities to get away in the closing kilometres. The final cobbled section at Rue de Belle Vue, four kilometres from the line, didn't produce any successful moves, either, though Reusser made an attempt to do so.

As a result, the finale was contested among the lead group, eventually coming down to the bunch sprint which Kopecky from which prevailed.

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Full Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Liv Racing 2:20:04
2Emma Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team Women
3Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
4Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
5Maria Van 'T Geloof (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
6Amy Pieters (Ned) Team SD Worx
7Laura Tomasi (Ita) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
8Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
9Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
10Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
11Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
12Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
13Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
14Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Team SD Worx
15Bryony van Velzen (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
16Natalie van Gogh (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
17Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Lotto Soudal Ladies
18Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx
19Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing
20Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing
21Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
22Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
23Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx
24Typhaine Laurance (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
25Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Liv Racing 0:00:14
26Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women 0:00:20
27Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women 0:00:27
28Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women
29Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:01:00
30Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:41
31Roxane Fournier (Fra) Team SD Worx
32Léa Curinier (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
33Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women
34Alba Teruel Ribes (Spa) Movistar Team Women
35Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team 0:02:56
36Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM
37Thalita De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
38Eva Buurman (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
39Fien Van Eynde (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
40Sara Martin Martin (Spa) Movistar Team Women
41Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
42India Grangier (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
43Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
44Amelia Sharpe (GBr) NXTG Racing
45Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
46Lone Meertens (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
47Lucie Jounier (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
48Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
49Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
50Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
51Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing
52Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
53Sara Van De Vel (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
54Sara Penton (Swe) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
55Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
56Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
57Esmée Peperkamp (Ned) Team DSM
58Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
59Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
60Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
61Antonia Gröndahl (Fin) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
62Franziska Koch (Ger) Team DSM 0:03:02
63Mieke Kröger (Ger) Hitec Products 0:03:05
64Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team 0:03:14
65Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
66Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team 0:03:16
67Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
68Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
69Susanne Andersen (Nor) Team DSM 0:03:54
70Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM 0:03:56
71Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:04:04
72Jolien D'Hoore (Bel) Team SD Worx 0:04:20
73Justine Ghekiere (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
74Julia Soek (Ned) Team DSM 0:06:52
75Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:08:46
76Marijke De Smedt (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
77Amalie Lutro (Nor) Hitec Products 0:09:17
78Nathalie Bex (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:09:36
79Catalina Anais Soto Campos (Chi) NXTG Racing
80Caroline Andersson (Swe) Hitec Products
81Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
82Elise Vander Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
83Lien Lanssens (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
84Lauren Creamer (Irl) LVIV Cycling Team
85Martina Alzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
86Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing
87Alice Sharpe (Irl) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
88Céline van Houtum (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
89Mia Griffin (Irl) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
90Marieke van Witzenburg (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
91Claudia Jongerius (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
92Gloria Van Mechelen (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team
93Finja Smekal (Ger) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
94Victoire Berteau (Fra) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
95Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Hitec Products
96Camille Tryoen (Fra) Team Macadams Cowboys
97Eleanor Wiseman (USA) Bingoal-WB Ladies
98Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:40
99Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
100Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM
101Leonie Bos (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
102Severine Eraud (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
103Celia Le Mouel (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
104Pernille Mathiesen (Den) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
105Fiona Mertens (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
106Noemie Abgrall (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
107Alana Castrique (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:09:50
108Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:09:53
DNFTrixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
DNFLetizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNFEugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale' BTC Ljubljana
DNFFabienne Buri (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
DNFDésirée Ehrler (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
DNFLine Marie Gulliksen (Nor) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
DNFLisa Müllenberg (Ned) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
DNFSandra Weiss (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
DNFAnna Plichta (Pol) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNFRozemarijn Ammerlaan (Ned) NXTG Racing
DNFBritt Knaven (Bel) NXTG Racing
DNFMaud Rijnbeek (Ned) NXTG Racing
DNFEmily Wadsworth (GBr) NXTG Racing
DNFMylene de Zoete (Ned) NXTG Racing
DNFSylvie Swinkels (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNFMarie Morgane Le Deunff (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
DNFGreta Richioud (Fra) Arkea Pro Cycling Team
DNFDitte Lenseclaes (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
DNFIsabelle Beckers (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
DNFSvenja Betz (Ger) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
DNFElizabeth Bennett (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
DNFMaria Martins (Por) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
DNFLeah Dixon (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
DNFCaren Commissaris (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
DNFCoralie Demay (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
DNFElodie Le Bail (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
DNFMaeva Squiban (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente- Maritime Women Cycling
DNFAnna Badegruber (Aut) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNFFien De Wispelaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNFNaomi De Roeck (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team
DNFAlice Zovico (Ita) LVIV Cycling Team
DNFSophie Enever (GBr) LVIV Cycling Team
DNFMargarita Lopez Llull (Spa) LVIV Cycling Team
DNFFiona Turnbull (GBr) LVIV Cycling Team
DNFAnn Helen Olsen (Nor) Hitec Products
DNFChrista Riffel (Ger) Hitec Products
DNFPernille Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Hitec Products
DNFJulie Debock (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
DNFElise Tahay (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
DNFAllison Zava (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
DNFJustine Vromanne (Bel) Bingoal-WB Ladies
DNFFlavie Bador (Fra) Team Macadams Cowboys
DNFEléonore Saraiva (Fra) Team Macadams Cowboys
DNFJuliette Trombini (Fra) Team Macadams Cowboys
DNFAllyson Webb Charland (Can) Team Macadams Cowboys

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Daniel Ostanek
Production editor

Daniel Ostanek is production editor at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired as staff writer. Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips.

 

Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

 

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Daniel also runs The Leadout newsletter and oversees How to Watch guides throughout the season. His favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal, and he rides a Colnago C40.

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