Le Samyn des Dames returns in 2025, once again rounding off an extended opening weekend of racing. With this year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Omloop van het Hageland setting the tone on Saturday and Sunday, the racing continues into Tuesday with another unpredictable battle on the Belgian roads. The course’s combination of short, sharp climbs and flat cobbled sectors creates a race where multiple outcomes are possible—solo attacks, small group moves, or a bunch sprint have all played their part in past editions. While recent years have often seen the peloton come back together for a fast finale, past winners like Ellen van Dijk and the now-retired Chantal van den Broek-Blaak have demonstrated that aggressive racing can still be rewarded.
Key sections of the course remain unchanged, with the cobbled climbs of Côte de la Roquette and Côte de Nonettes providing early selection points, while the flat, bone-rattling stretches at Chemin de Wiheries, Vert Pignon, and Rue Belle Vue offer prime opportunities for attacks. Though these cobbles don’t quite match the brutality of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, they’re enough to cause splits and sap the legs ahead of the finale.
In 2024, Vittoria Guazzini finally claimed the victory that had eluded her for two years, having finished 3rd in both 2022 and 2023. Her celebrations at the finish reflected a rider who had been knocking on the door and had finally delivered in a race she clearly relishes. Outpacing Anniina Ahtosalo and Christina Schweinberger in the final sprint, the Italian confirmed her strength on the Belgian cobbles, adding her name to the growing list of top-class winners at Le Samyn des Dames.
Previous Winners
2024
Vittoria Guazzini
2023
Marta Bastianelli
2022
Emma Norsgaard
Le Samyn des Dames 2025 Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Tuesday 4th March 2025
Live on Discovery+/Max/TNT Sports across Europe and Rest of World
Live from 12:00-13:20
All times in GMT
Twitter: #LeSamyndesDames OR #SamynDesDames
Startlist: FirstCycling
Le Samyn des Dames 2025 Contenders
For SD Worx-Protime, Lorena Wiebes remains the standout favourite if the race comes down to a sprint. She has never won Le Samyn des Dames but also hasn’t raced it that much. She was 8th back in 2018, then a lowly 70th in 2021 and hasn’t been back since. With her proven dominance in fast finishes and power on the cobbles, she will be the rider to beat. If the team wants to play multiple options, Femke Gerritse gives them a strong alternative. She’s just coming off a huge win at Omloop van het Hageland, where she attacked on the final climb and held off the chasers. That form suggests she could be used to force a move before the sprint or as a backup if Wiebes gets distanced on the cobbles.
Elise Chabbey and Ally Wollaston will lead FDJ-SUEZ, looking to make the most of the absence of last year’s winner Vittoria Guazzini, who is out due to illness. Wollaston has been one of the form riders of the early season, already securing wins at the Surf Coast Classic, Cadel Evans Road Race, and Clasica de Almeria. If the race stays together, she has a real shot at taking another victory. Chabbey will likely take a more aggressive approach, using the cobbled sections to attack and thin out the peloton. If she forces a selection, FDJ-SUEZ could have a rider in the final move rather than relying on a sprint.
For Team Picnic PostNL, Charlotte Kool has a strong chance of improving on her 7th-place finish here last year. She was 8th at Omloop van het Hageland on Sunday, showing she’s close to her best. She got herself into the race-winning move but it was just one or two climbs too far for the sprinter to make the end at the front. If the race stays together here, she will be one of the main challengers to Wiebes in the sprint.
UAE Team ADQ will be looking for another strong result from Lara Gillespie, who finished 2nd at Omloop van het Hageland this weekend. She’s shown she can handle the Belgian one-day races and has the finishing speed to compete from a reduced bunch. Sofie van Rooijen could provide another option, though she hasn’t quite hit her best form yet in 2025. If the race is selective and only a small group remains, Gillespie is their best bet for a result as Van Rooijen is a purer sprinter at the moment.
Liv AlUla Jayco’s Ruby Roseman-Gannon finished 15th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, suggesting she is building into form but might struggle if the race is too selective. Letizia Paternoster, on the other hand, remains a bit of an unknown. After crashing at the UAE Tour, she hasn’t had any notable results, and Le Samyn has never been a race where she has excelled. It’s hard to see her contending unless she has made a significant jump in form.
Uno-X Mobility has multiple strong options. Anniina Ahtosalo was 2nd here last year and will be hoping to go one better, though she hasn’t had a major result yet this season. Susanne Andersen has more experience on this type of terrain and is coming off a 3rd-place finish at Omloop van het Hageland, making her a serious podium contender. Maria Giulia Confalonieri has a history of solid results here, finishing 2nd in 2023 and 10th last year. She has also been consistent this season, placing 16th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad and 19th at Omloop van het Hageland. Linda Zanetti adds another layer of depth to their sprint chances, having already won at Vuelta CV Feminas and finishing 2nd at Clasica de Almeria this year.
AG Insurance-Soudal brings an experienced contender in Gladys Verhulst-Wild, who finished 4th in the 2021 edition of Le Samyn des Dames. She’s a rider who tends to perform well in these types of races, and her 5th and 6th at the UAE Tour Women show some good form in fast finishes. Ilse Pluimers also looks to be coming into form after finishing 9th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. She could be a real factor if she gets into the right move.
Victoire Berteau will lead Cofidis after finishing 9th here last year. She has shown good early-season form, taking 10th at Omloop van het Hageland, and could be in the mix again if she can hold on over the cobbles. She’s a powerful rider who will probably look to attack rather than sit in for the sprint. She’s got a good chance of being seen off the front at some point of Tuesday’s race.
Arkea-B&B Hotels will be looking to Majo van’t Geloof, who has an impressive record at Le Samyn, with four top-10 finishes and a best result of 5th in 2021. She’s had a solid start to the year, finishing 9th at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx, and her experience on these roads makes her a reliable contender.
VolkerWessels has a mix of experience and potential. Scarlett Souren has never performed well here, with a best finish of 94th, but she was 25th at Omloop van het Hageland at the weekend, showing a bit more of what we know is possible from her. Lonneke Uneken hasn’t raced Le Samyn since 2021 but had strong results in previous editions, finishing 7th in 2020 and 14th in 2021. Anneke Dijkstra was also 5th here last year but has only raced Omloop van het Hageland so far this season, finishing 45th.
Christina Schweinberger returns to Le Samyn des Dames after securing 3rd place last year, by far her best result in the race. She’s coming off a solid ride at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, where she finished 13th, and her ability to perform well on rolling terrain makes her a real contender. Fenix-Deceuninck has a history of aggressive racing, and if Schweinberger finds herself in a reduced group, she has the strength to repeat last year’s podium finish.
Le Samyn des Dames 2025 Outsiders
Mieke Docx will be hoping to capitalise on her strong showing at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, where she was part of the breakaway that built up a huge gap before being reeled in by the peloton. She was 9th at Le Samyn in 2023, showing she knows how to handle this course, and if a group goes clear, she has the ability to be in the right move. Teammate Katrijn De Clercq offers Lotto Ladies another solid option, bringing a fast finish and a track record of strong results in Belgian one-day races this season. She’s already placed 6th at Ronde de Mouscron, 7th at GP Mazda Schelkens, and 9th at Scheldeprijs in 2024, proving she has the ability to mix it up at the finish. If she can stay in contact over the cobbles, she has the speed to be a factor.
Eline van Rooijen is another outsider to keep an eye on. She looked strong at Omloop van het Hageland, making the front group before fading late to finish 53rd. That result doesn’t tell the full story of her race, as she was active throughout and only dropped out of contention in the final kilometres. Her 8th place at Vuelta CV Feminas earlier this season suggests she has the form to be competitive, and if she can time her effort right, she could surprise the bigger names here.
St Michel-Mavic-Auber93’s Lucie Fityus had a frustrating crash at Omloop van het Hageland but still managed to finish 28th. She was also 8th on home roads at the Surf Coast Classic earlier this season and will be racing Le Samyn des Dames for the first time. If she can avoid trouble, she could be a surprise factor.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Lorena Wiebes
⦿ Ally Wollaston
⦿ Anniina Ahtosalo
