Wouter Wylandt won the GP Samyn today sealing the deal on his first win of the season. The young Belgian dedicated his win his fallen countryman, Frederiek Nolf, who tragically passed away in his sleep at the Tour of Qatar.
The race took place in the wind and rain, with temperatures plunging down to near zero. The high point came at the start of the local circuit, when a break of 9 riders, including Weylandt, managed to pull away from the peloton. Around 7 k from the finish line during the last lap, Bjorn Leukemans attacked and Weylandt jumped on his wheel. The two leaders were closely followed by Remi Cusin, who was trying an attack with 3 kilometres left in the race. Weylandt responded immediately to the Frenchman’s attack and set himself up for the final sprint.
“I’m very happy with this victory,” said the young man from Gent, “It’s as if I’ve won a bet with myself after last week’s bad results. I’d like to dedicate this win to my friend Frederiek Nolf, who passed away way too soon. I wanted this victory for him. Now I’m planning to race in the Drie Daagse Van West Vlaanderen. I hope I do as well there.
It was also a good start for Quick-Step’s new director sportif Rik Verbrugghe. “It was a very tough race for the riders,” explained Verbrugghe. “I’m really happy for Wouter. He responded to some less than optimal performances by making the most of his pedals on a day for true diehards.”
Results
1 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step
2 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil
3 Rémy Cusin (Fra) Agritubel