March 4, 2004 – A drastic change in the Belgian weather from this past weekend, the 36th running of the Memorial Samyn, Fayt-Le-Franc was contested in western Belgium under uncharacteristically sunny skies, and relatively mild temperatures. A course that wraps around Dour and Fayt-le-Franc includes a convoluted system of intertwined circuits that seemed to have been constructed with the intent of maximizing the number of times the riders could pass through a series of steep cobbled climbs.

The action started immediately with multiple attacks by the Chocolade Jacques team, eventually setting Chris Peers (Chocolade Jacques), and J.M. Tessier (Oktos) and R. Hayden (Cofidis) loose, about 20K into the 185 km event. Their escape would last most of the day, and may very well have been a success if one or two more teams had been represented. Once the trio had set themselves free, the peloton relaxed, and the gap grew to over eight minutes. The field remained docile until the group approached the first of six 13K circuits. The Bodysol-Relax squad was the first to organize at the front, and began to slowly chip at the lead. As the field entered the final five circuits, Lotto-Domo and Landbouwkrediet-Colnago started to roll, and were soon joined by the Navigators Insurance team. Tessier dropped from the lead group, and although the two remaining leaders were able to hold their lead for another lap, the time began to come down rapidly with three tours remaining.

The escape was finally brought back as the group approached the final circuit, and a series of attacks by Chocolade Jacques separated about 20 riders over the last cobbled climb with 8K remaining. As the leaders sped toward the finish line, Lotto's Robbie McEwen blasted out of the bunch for the win in front of Ludovic Capelle (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) and Jans Koerts (Chocolade Jacques). Navigators' Ciaran Power was close, finishing in eighth place in the bunch kick.