Emma Norsgaard wins Le Samyn des Dammes

Emma Norsgaard of Movistar produced a powerful sprint to win Le Samyn des Dames, beating Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel & Service) and Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) to the line in Dour.

The Dane was the pre-race favourite after placing second a year ago, but the race looked to be slipping from her grasp as Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo) and Guazzini jumped clear with six kilometres to go and extended their advantage on the final cobbled section on the Rue de Belle Vue.

"The finish could have been a stressful one with those two girls at the front," Norsgaard said, "but I knew that I had some strong teammates taking care of the gap and I tried to keep myself composed, head down, ‘stay calm, it’s going to be fine, just seek for your distance and go for your sprint’. And in the end, it was perfect!"

That pairing maintained an advantage into the final kilometre, where Van Anrooij performed the pace-setting, but the long drag to the line ultimately proved their undoing. Indeed, despite Guazzini’s presence in front, it was an FDJ rider who opened the sprint behind, with Clara Copponi winding up her effort from distance.

Copponi was soon out-matched by Norsgaard, who accelerated smoothly to come past the two escapees within sight of the line. Consonni battled to get on terms, but it was quickly apparent that she was racing for second place. Guazzini kept some speed to take third.

"It’s a really nice way to get the season started with this Opening Weekend, full of results for the whole team here in Belgium," Norsgaard added. "Now it’s time to catch some air and get back to the really big classics starting with De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem. It’s going to be ‘full gas’ from there for a month, and I’m looking so much forward to it.”

The one-day race was attritional in its early phases. As is often the case in this corner of the world, the selection came from the back of the peloton rather than the front, with riders gradually shaken loose as the day progressed and more cobbled sections were traversed.

After being flagged away from the start in Quaregnon, the peloton was more or less intact after the first three cobbled sectors at Vert Pignon, La Roquette and the Chemin de Wiheries, though a brief split on the third segment was a forewarning of what was to come.

The first passages over the Côte des Nonettes and Rue Belle Vue whittled the bunch down somewhat and the race gradually began to ignite after passing through the finish line in Dour for the first time with 50km remaining.

Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) was the day’s chief animator, attacking alone ahead of the final lap and at one point amassing a lead of some 40 seconds over her pursuers. The Australian’s lone effort continued deep into the race and she still had 20 seconds in hand over a much reduced peloton by the time she tackled the Chemin de Wiheries with 14km remaining.

That sector of cobbles saw accelerations in the chasing group, as Alice Barnes (Canyon-Sram) attacked with intent and set off in lone pursuit of Brown. After a grim pursuit, she eventually inched her way up to Brown inside the final 10km and then distanced the Australian on the Côte de Nonette.

That short, sharp climb whittled down the chasing group to just twenty or so riders, and they brought Barnes to heel shortly over the other side, and the indefatigable Brown briefly returned to the front to work on Guazzini and Copponi’s behalf.

After Audrey Cordon-Ragot’s attack was snuffed out, her Trek-Segafredo teammate Van Anrooij accelerated with purpose just under 6km from home. The Dutchwoman was joined by Guazzini and that duo extended their lead over a strangely impassive chasing group on the Rue de Belle Vue, thanks largely to Van Anrooij’s forcing.

At that point, it looked as though the leading pair would decide the spoils, but the efforts of Silvia Perisco (Valcar Travel & Service) and Aude Biannic (Movistar) would reduce their advantage beneath the flamme rouge.

By now, Van Anrooij was left to do all the pace-making in front, with Guazzini tucked on her wheel on the long drag to the finish. As the chasers drew closer, it was Guazzini’s teammate Copponi who opened the sprint behind, but Norsgaard’s speed won the argument.

Consonni came through for second, while Guazzini held on for third ahead of Susanne Andersen (Uno-X) and Copponi.