Results Le Samyn 2026 | Jordi Meeus denies heroic Hagenes as late puncture derails Wout van Aert comeback

Jordi Meeus claimed victory at Le Samyn 2026 with a powerful sprint in Dour after Per Strand Hagenes’ long solo bid was extinguished inside the final kilometre, and Wout van Aert’s return to racing unravelled with late mechanical misfortune.

The race had fractured decisively on the finishing circuits when Hagenes attacked on the cobbled Rue de Belle Vue to begin the final lap alone. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider quickly established an advantage of around 20 seconds as the peloton hesitated behind.

Repeated accelerations stretched the chase but lacked sustained cooperation. Cofidis briefly halved the deficit on the Côte des Nonnettes, yet the rhythm faded again, allowing the Norwegian to continue dangling just out of reach.

Behind him, the complexion of the race shifted dramatically with 10 kilometres remaining. Van Aert, racing for the first time on the road this season after illness had delayed his start, suffered a rear puncture at high speed. Forced onto a teammate’s bike before later receiving his own spare machine, the Belgian lost crucial time and was unable to rejoin a peloton travelling at full pursuit.

Moments earlier, he had been actively covering attacks without contributing to the chase, protecting Hagenes’ advantage. Instead, his comeback ended on the roadside as the finale intensified.

As the final kilometres ticked down, the elastic finally snapped. Gianni Vermeersch helped drive the pursuit on the last passage of the Rue de Belle Vue, with Meeus perfectly positioned in his slipstream. Hagenes was reeled in inside the final 500 metres on the slight uphill drag to the line.

From there, the outcome was decisive. Meeus launched a dominant sprint and won convincingly, capitalising on the high-speed catch and the disorganisation that had defined the closing stages.

For Visma-Lease a Bike, the result carried a different tone. Hagenes’ aggression had shaped the finale, but Van Aert’s puncture removed their second option at a critical moment. After a winter crash had already delayed his road return, and following further early-season setbacks within the team, the Belgian’s comeback ended in frustration rather than contention.

Le Samyn ultimately delivered a reduced sprint and a clear winner in Meeus, but it was also a race defined by narrow margins, tactical hesitation, and a late twist that altered the shape of the finale.