The 53rd edition of the Belgian race takes place on March 2nd.
Le Samyn is not part of the World Tour calendar, but it always ends up being one of the most spectacular races of the season. The 205.4km-long course between Quaregnon and Dour has everything you could wish for from a one-day race: cobblestones, hills, and small and narrow roads – all ingredients for an exciting race.
Victorious here in 2019, when he sprinted from a small group to become the fourth different Deceuninck – Quick-Step in the space of ten years to win Le Samyn, Florian Sénéchal will return at the start, hoping to be again in contention. The Frenchman will be joined by Mark Cavendish – who is set to make his first appearance in 14 years at the race – Tim Declercq, Alvaro Hodeg, Stijn Steels, Jannik Steimle and Bert Van Lerberghe.
“GP Samyn is a very nice race in which the weather can play an important role. It’s very important to know where the race will be brought to life and where the most dangerous parts will be. We’ll start with a loop, then after 100 kilometers we will enter on the local parcours, where the cobbled sections can make a big selection.”
“It will be very difficult for the race to come down to a bunch sprint. We have a good team, with whom we can play an important role. Florian of course has his eyes on this race, which he won two years ago, but we also have other options with Jannik, Alvaro and Mark. Cav is very motivated and really looking forward to it. In the end, we’ll decide during the race which card we’ll play”, explained Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Rik Van Slycke.
Bert Van Lerberghe