Ladies Romina Hinojosa looks ahead to Le Samyn des Dames: "The Belgian race madness is awesome!"

For Romina Hinojosa (22), this is her second Belgian race. During the Omloop van het Hagenland, she got acquainted with the unique Belgian race madness. With that experience still fresh in her mind, she looks forward to taking on Le Samyn des Dames: "Yesterday was my first race in Belgium, and it was absolutely crazy and chaotic – I loved every minute of it. I really enjoyed the cobbled sections. I was feeling good and knew I had to be at the front, but of course, everyone wants to be up there, so it was a constant battle, which made it so much fun. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Le Samyn des Dames will be my first real experience with the cobbles (at least, that’s what they’ve been telling me). It’s going to be wild. I’ll give it my all, and I’m excited for some great teamwork." 

The race will start at 11 AM in Quaregnon. The riders will reach the local loop in Dour after a long lead-in, where the obstacles follow each other rapidly: the Rue du Vert Pignon, the tricky cobbled climbs of Côte de la Roquette and Côte des Nonettes, and the narrow cobbled road Rue de Belle Vue. The latter is in poor condition and will undoubtedly cause a split in the peloton. The race will finish after 122 km in Dour, on a slightly uphill finishing stretch.

Photo: Brecht Steenhouwer