Le Samyn 2026
03.03
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) won Le Samyn with a dominant sprint from a reduced bunch after Visma | Lease a Bike’s Per Strand Hagenes was caught in the final metres in Dour. Wout van Aert saw his debut chances end with a puncture around 10km from the finish, after helping disrupt the chase for his teammate. Meeus finished ahead of Laurenz Rex (Soudal Quick- Step) and Hugo Hofstetter (INSN Cycling Team) as the peloton completed the late catch.
How to watch?
Curious about how to watch the 2026 Le Samyn? Discover it in our complete how to watch guide, featuring a full overview of all broadcasters and streaming options.
Route
Le Samyn should be more selective in 2026. At 203.8 kilometres and roughly 1,850 metres of elevation, it wastes little time before hitting the key terrain.
The race moves onto a demanding circuit early, where short ramps, tight turns and cobbles keep forcing changes of pace and make it hard for teams to settle into control. The closing phase is built around repeated laps near Dour, and every pass stacks several cobbled sectors back to back. W
ith the roads narrowing and the stones getting rougher late on, riders are pushed into constant fights for position and gaps can open quickly. A final sting comes from a late cobbled strip close to the finish, followed by an uphill drag to the line that suits riders who still have something left to punch.
Read more about the route in our preview.
Favourites
The start list could still shift, but the spotlight stays on Team Visma | Lease a Bike and whether Wout van Aert is ready to race.
If he lines up in shape, he is an obvious leader, backed by Per Strand Hagenes. Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe brings options with Jordi Meeus and Arne Marit for a finish, while Gianni Vermeersch is a threat on the attack.
Watch too for Jonas Rickaert, Milan Menten, Jenthe Biermans, Hugo Hofstetter, Matevž Govekar, Stan van Trigt, Lukas Kubis and Riley Pickrell.
Read more about the route in our preview and explore the start list via this link.
