With a second place in last year's edition of Le Samyn, the Vacansoleil sprinter Kris Boeckmans had strong hopes for a good performance when the race was again held yesterday. In the end, he was foiled by a gutsy attack from Alexey Tsatevich and had to settle for another second place.

Uphill sprints has always been a strong point for the young Vacansoleil sprinter Kris Boeckmans. With a hard final kilometer, the Walloon season opener Le Samyn suits his characteristics perfectly, and after a second place last year the team was built around him in the race yesterday.

Boeckmans did what was expected from him as he won the bunch sprint convincingly in front of Adrien Petit (Cofidis). Unfortunately, he was denied victory by a strong attack from Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha) inside the final kilometer, and so was left with another second place.

Despite the disappointment, sport director Hilaire Van Der Schueren was able to draw positive conclusions from the team's performance in the race.

"The team took the initiative and was a prominent player in the final. After a late attack of Bert-Jan Lindeman and three other riders, there was a new break when they were caught in the last 2k. One of the riders (Tsatevich, ed.) stayed in front of the sprinting bunch where Boeckmans won the sprint. It is the second year in a row for us to come second, but I am happy with the result because of what a saw from the team. We were strong, and Boeckmans shows in an uphill sprint that he is ready for the coming races."

Boeckmans will get the possibility to show his great form when he lines up in Paris-Nice on Sunday. In a team consisting of Thomas De Gendt, Björn Leukemans, Frederik Veuchelen, Martijn Keizer, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Lieuwe Westra, Romain Feillu and Boeckmans, he will share sprinting duties with Feillu. He will try to capitalize on his good form by a strong showings in some of the harder finishes in the first part of the race before switching to a domestique role for last year's runner-up Lieuwe Westra when the GC battle heats up during the final three days of the race.