Memorial Samyn at Fayt-le-Franc
Frenchman Renaud Dion wins the Memorial in a final solo effort.

The race returned this year after cancellation due to a snow storm last year, the Memorial was run today at Fayt-le-Franc (Belgium) over 191 km.

The race was animated by the breakaway of a group of 11 racers, with Davitamon/Lotto's Tom Steels as one of the primary instigators. The attack came  at kilometre 55, after climbing côte des Papins. The break soon established a gap of two minutes.

Near Dour, with four local 20 km circuits to do, the breaks advantage was chopped to nothing as the peloton, peloton scooped up the eleven  with 80 kms to go.

The lead group of 40 wheels took to the circuit with many attacks and failed attempts to escape. Near the 50 kms from the finish, 10 men attacked and were able to get a gap of one minute which they managed to keep to the finish. In the closing kms Renaud Dion AG2R was able to escape his break mates to finish solo.

Eventually, France's Renaud Dion (Ag2R) won solo. The winner of Omloop Het Volk, Philippe Gilbert (FdJeux) finished 2nd, ahead of Denmark's Matti Breschel.

Results:
1. Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance
2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeus
3. Matti Breschel (Dan) Team CSC
4. Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel
5. Mark Scanlon (Irl) AG2R Prévoyance
6. Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
7. Mathieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
8. Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile
9. Laurent Mangel (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance
10.Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago