As the biggest one-day race on the run-in to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem has always been a great watch. Except it's not called that any more. The race's official title In Flanders Fields, with the men's extended to 'From Middelkerke to Wevelgem', while the women's is called 'In Wevelgem', reflecting the geography of the two events.

The name isn't the only thing that's different about the race. The men now start in the coastal town of Middelkerke and the women in Wevelgem, as opposed to Ypres, where they both began last year. Both races finish in Wevelgem.

Both routes head into the Flandrian hills, east of most of the Tour of Flanders route, but the races include the same climbs as before, including the famous Kemmelberg and the Baneberg.

This year's In Flanders Fields is the 13th edition for women, and the 88th for men, and is organised by Flanders Classics, the same company as the Tour of Flanders. Both are WorldTour events and feature many of the best Classics riders: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) will be there, hoping to make it a hat-trick in the men's event, but will be up against Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and his team-mate Jasper Philipsen, as well as Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike). Meanwhile, the women's start list includes reigning champion Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) and 2022 winner Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).

Below, Cycling Weekly has compiled everything you need to know about broadcasters and live streams, so you can watch In Flanders Fields wherever you are in the world.

Quick guide to watching In Flanders Fields

• UK: TNT Sports / HBO Max (£30.99/mon)
• US & Canada: Flobikes (US$29.99/ CA$39.99/mon)
• Australia: SBS On Demand (free)
• Free live stream: Sporza (Belgium) / SBS On Demand (AUS)
• Anywhere: Watch your usual stream from abroad with NordVPN

Can I watch In Flanders Fields for free?

Fans in Australia can watch In Flanders Fields for free, as can those in the race's host country of Belgium.

In Australia, In Flanders Fields is part of public broadcaster SBS's portfolio of races, with live streaming available on its free platform, SBS On Demand.

In Belgium, In Flanders Fields will be availabe to watch free of charge on VRT and its Sporza outlet – you can watch on terrestrial TV, on VRT Max, or simply on the Sporza website.

Fans in the Netherlands can also watch at no cost thanks to NOS.

Coverage is geo-restricted. To access your usual streaming services from abroad you'll need a VPN – more on that below.

How to watch In Flanders Fields while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

How to watch In Flanders Fields in the UK

In the UK, In Flanders Fields, like most pro bike races, will be shown on TV on TNT Sports and online on HBO Max. Both platforms are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.

TNT Sports on HBO Max costs £30.99 a month, although there is currently a 12-month sports deal that comes out at £25.99 a month. You can also add it to your TV provider.

How to watch In Flanders Fields in the US and Canada

Flobikes will be handling this year's coverage of In Flanders Fields in North America. Subscriptions cost CA$39.99 a month in Canada, while in the US there is a monthly fee of $29.99, with big savings for long-term plans.

The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.

What time is In Flanders Fields on?

UK coverage of In Flanders Fields begins at 1.15pm BST on TNT Sports 3 for the men’s race, and runs until 3.45pm when it’s followed directly by the women’s race through 5.15pm. Online, it’s slightly different, with coverage of the men’s race starting five minutes earlier and ending 15 minutes later, while the women’s race gets significantly more coverage online, running from 3pm-5.30pm.

In North America, streaming for the men’s In Flanders Fields runs from 8.45am EDT, with the women’s race starting at 10.40am EDT.

It’s a late one for fans in Australia – men's coverage begins at 11.45pm, while coverage of the women's event. begins at 1.40am.

See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The elite men’s Gent-Wevelgem will be known as ‘In Flanders Fields - from Middelkerke to Wevelgem’ from 2026.

The name change is the race’s first since it was founded in 1934, and comes as part of a deal that will see the event start in the Belgian town of Middelkerke for the next 10 years.

The race has begun in Ypres, 80km west of Gent, since 2020. The new start location is 40km north of Ypres and located on the coast. It hasn't started in Gent itself since 2003, when it switched to Deinze.

Due to the change, the race organiser, Flanders Classics, has confirmed the course will be getting a “facelift” in 2026.

"We're still working on what that final course will look like. But the Great War will remain inextricably linked to this race, and the intention is to retain the passages through Ypres city center in the final section of the race,” said Flanders Classics CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegel.

The course will, however, keep its windswept De Moeren section, the iconic climb of the Kemmelberg, and the narrow gravel roads known as ‘plugstreets’.

Commenting on the 10-year deal with Middelkerke, Van Den Spiegel said: “We are delighted to announce a long-term partnership here. Sustainable partnerships are, of course, something we are very keen to foster. The major change, a ten-year contract, and a high level of commitment have also prompted us to change the official name of the race to In Flanders Fields – from Middelkerke to Wevelgem.

“Of course, people will still talk about Gent-Wevelgem given its history, but this way we are further highlighting the unique DNA of this race. A new chapter, in other words, that we are eagerly looking forward to.”

The women’s race, which began in 2014, and has started in Ypres in recent years, will also change its location from 2026, now taking place on a loop starting and finishing in Wevelgem. Van Den Spiegel explained a start in Middelkerke was “impossible” for the women’s event, due to the maximum race distances imposed by the UCI.

The under-17, under-19 and under-23 races will continue to start and finish in Ypres.

Gent-Wevelgem’s makeover will not be the only race name change on the men’s WorldTour in 2026; in June this year, it was announced that the Critérium du Dauphiné will be known as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The newly branded In Flanders Fields - from Middelkerke to Wevelgem is set to take place on 29 March 2026.

Middelkerke hosted the 2025 European Cyclo-cross Championships this past weekend. Belgium’s Toon Aerts and the Netherlands’ Inge Van der Heijden won the elite titles.

In a neck-and-neck bunch sprint, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) dashed to victory at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, adding to her ever-growing palmarès. 

The Dutchwoman beat former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) with a lunge over the line, taking her 76th career win by the width of her tyre.

A few tense minutes followed, both riders huddling in their teams, as the commissaires ruled on the photo finish. For the second year running, after Marlen Reusser's heroics in 2023, SD Worx-Protime launched into celebration. 

Afterwards, Wiebes said she was "really happy to finally win" Gent-Wevelgem, a race she has started six time, and failed to finish in the previous two editions.

"It took a few years," the sprinter smiled. "The team did an amazing job. We made the race hard, but in the end it was anyway a bunch sprint." 

The peloton splintered at points over the 171.2km course, with a handful of riders trying their luck on the run-in to Wevelgem. With 500m to go, world champion Lotte Kopecky wound up the lead-out for her team-mate Wiebes, unleashing her with the gantry in sight. 

"I was really happy with the legs and really happy with the lead-out from Lotte," Wiebes said. Balsamo, the in-form rider, having won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Classic Brugge-De Panne, darted up the inside, but couldn't edge past the Dutchwoman. 

How it happened

Echelons ripped through the peloton as it crossed the fields of West Flanders early on Sunday afternoon. By the time the group reached the first of seven punchy climbs, though, the race had come back together. 

Kopecky, characteristically, was one of the most active riders over the steep, cobbled hellingen. The world champion led into the foot of the final ascent, the Kemmelberg, towing her team-mate Wiebes over its 20% crest. Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL), dressed in the British champion bands, tagged along as an invited guest, in what looked to be the decisive move.

The pace, however, was not high enough for the trio to stay clear on the road into Wevelgem. A small chasing group containing Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) quickly caught up, before the peloton reeled all the leaders back in. 

Into the final 25km, Movistar did their best to foil a bunch sprint. Emma Norsgaard tried a flyer, lasting 5km out front, before Floortje Mackaij too went on the attack. The pair then repeated their moves, yo-yoing off the front in the finale, but nothing stuck; SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek patrolled the bunch.

With 2.5km to go, Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) put in a last-gasp dig for victory. The Australian, a formidable time triallist, leapt clear of the bunch and led solo under the flamme rouge. Could she disrupt the inevitable sprint? The answer, it transpired, was no. 

Brown was caught with 500m to go, victim of a finely-tuned SD Worx-Protime train that delivered Wiebes to triumph across the line. It was a common race ending for cycling fans, and a sight at which the Dutch super-team will never grow tired. 

Results

Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Ypres > Wevelgem (171.2km)

1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 4:16:19
2. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Chiara Consonni (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
4. Charlotte Kool (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
5. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Uno-X
6. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Movistar
7. Puck Pieterese (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
8. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny
9. Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Deceuninck
10. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Can) Roland, all at same time

Former world champion Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) outmuscled the current rainbow-jersey-wearer, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), to take his second career victory at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

The duo broke free together over the final climb with 35km to go, setting up a two-up sprint at the line. Pedersen launched his dash first, and held off Van der Poel, who bowed over his handlebars in the closing metres, defeated. 

The win marked the Dane's seventh already this year, in what has been a roaring start to the season.

"I had to believe that my sprint was good enough to beat Mathieu," Pedersen said in Wevelgem. "With the shape he has shown lately, it was hard to believe, but I had to try the sprint and nothing else. 

"It was a gamble. I took the front because I knew he would be happy, well, [Alpecin-]Deceuninck would be happy if the bunch came back with [Jasper] Philipsen as well. I had to keep the speed high and hope I still had the legs for a good sprint." 

Pedersen led the charge over the final ascent of the Kemmelberg, Gent-Wevelgem's totem climb, towing the world champion away with him. "Either it was going to be me or Mathieu putting on the pressure there," he said. "If I could control the tempo, and not put myself over the limit, it would be more beneficial for me than letting him do it and maybe put me above the limit."

The duo then swapped through turns to the finish line, holding off the peloton, who stripped their advantage from over a minute to just 16 seconds in the end. 

"This confirms to me that the shape is definitely good," said Pedersen, looking ahead to next Sunday's Tour of Flanders. "I'm definitely confident for the next week."  

How it happened

After rolling out from under the Menin Gate in Ypres, an eight-rider breakaway formed that lasted only to the midway point, before the first of steep hellingen ascents.

In total, the men would tackle nine climbs, including three assaults on the Kemmelberg, whose summit at 154m marks the highest point in West Flanders. 

On the first ascent of the Kemmelberg, with 85km to go, Van der Poel looked to test his rivals. The world champion, who won the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday with a 43km solo, accelerated away from the main pack. His move was followed by 21-year-old Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Lidl-Trek trio Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven and Jonathan Milan, the latter attacking alone over the three gravel plugstreets. 

Milan’s foray lasted around 20km before Van der Poel, Pithie and Pedersen joined him. The Lidl-Trek rider then zipped clear again on the second Kemmelberg test, winding up the pace for his Danish team-mate, before dropping back to the peloton.

Pedersen led over the third and final ascent of the Kemmelberg, tackled from the tougher west side, with pitches at 20%. There, having brushed shoulders with world champions past and present, Pithie lost Van der Poel’s wheel, leaving the duo to jostle for the victory. Honours, in a simple drag race, went to Pedersen. 

Results

Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Ypres > Wevelgem (253.1km)

1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, in 5:36:00
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, at same time
3. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe, +16
4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck
5. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
6. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
7. Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty
8. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
9. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jayco AlUla
10. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, all at same time

Holy Week, or the run-up to the Tour of Flanders, properly begins with Gent-Wevelgem on the Sunday before the big one. Confusingly, it does not start in Ghent, instead being raced between Ypres and Wevelgem. 

In the last decade, Plugstreets have been added to the course, a trio of semi-paved gravel roads. The key climbs are the Kemmelberg and the Baneberg, but the race has a different vibe to its bigger sibling, with less climbing overall.

Last year, Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) won, showing the dominance of their super-teams. It has morphed from a sprinter’s race to a puncheur’s in recent years, but a bunch finish would not be a surprise.

Both the men's and women's races are WorldTour level. Despite its position as the perfect buildup race to Flanders, the last man to win both it and the Ronde a week later was Tom Boonen, and no woman has ever managed the double (although a women's race has only been around for a decade).

In last year's women's edition, Reusser attacked from 40km to time trial to victory, with not even a wrong turn towards the end derailing her; the Swiss rider is not thought to be defending her title, opening it up for her teammates Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, along with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).

Meanwhile, the men's race saw an attack from even further out, as Laporte and Wout van Aert surged away with 52km to go. There will be no repeat of this, as Van Aert is absent, but Laporte will defend his crown, battling Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and maybe even Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Gent-Wevelgem 2024 key information

Date: Sunday, 24 March
Location: Ypres-Wevelgem, Belgium
2023 winner: Christophe Laporte (men), Marlen Reusser (women)
TV: Discovery+/Eurosport
Distance: 253.1km (men), 171.2km (women)

Gent-Wevelgem 2024 route

Both the men's and women's routes are largely similar, with the women's just skipping an extra loop towards Kortrijk at the beginning of the group. From Ypres, the race heads towards the North Sea before looping back towards Wevelgem, staying with West Flanders.

There are none of the famous climbs of the Tour of Flanders, with the race instead being decided on its own bergs, the Baneberg and the Kemmelberg, both of which can blow the event apart.

The Kemmelberg ascent from Ossuaire features pitches of nearly 20% on uneven cobbles, making for a nasty sting in the tail as the race nears its finale. From there, the final 20 kilometres of the day are relatively flat on wide, exposed roads.

Gent-Wevelgem 2024 riders to watch

Jasper Philipsen
Alpecin-Deceuninck
*****

If the race finishes in a sprint, it would be hard to look past Philipsen, who is probably the fastest man in cycling right now. His victory at Milan-San Remo earlier in March proved his ability to sprint at the end of a long, hard race, especially with the help of his teammate, world champion Mathieu van der Poel.

Mads Pedersen
Lidl-Trek
*****

Gent-Wevelgem is made for a punchy rider with a fast finish like Pedersen, as he proved by winning it in 2020. The Dane won six races at the beginning of February, but missed out on wins narrowly at Paris-Nice. He then failed to make the podium at Milan-San Remo, but the fact he was in that leading group of 12 proves his form.

Olav Kooij
Visma-Lease a Bike
****

It would be an oversight to not include a Visma-Lease a Bike rider in this list, considering the team's overwhelming strength in the Classics, and Kooij is the most likely to win in a sprint should it come down to a bunch finish. The support of last year's winner, Christophe Laporte, could be vital.

Lotte Kopecky
SD Worx-Protime
*****

The world champion is almost unbeatable in the Classics. While she might have come second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, she bounced back with victories at Strade Bianche and Danilith Nokere Koerse. She will want to hit the ground running ahead of Flanders with victory in Wevelgem.

Elisa Balsamo
Lidl-Trek
*****

The Italian comes into Gent-Wevelgem in form, as the victor of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda last weekend. She has also won this race before, and it is perfectly suited to her skill set - Balsamo is one of the fastest finishers, but can also get over climbs, as she proved at Binda.

Pfeiffer Georgi
dsm-firmenich PostNL
****

dsm will likely be riding for their star sprinter, Charlotte Kool, with Georgi as a key part of the leadout train. However, if the race breaks up, Georgi herself would be a top tip for the group of favourites; the Briton has the skill to make it there. The winner of the Classic Brugge-De Panne last year, it might be time for another breakout result.

Gent-Wevelgem 2024 start lists

Men's

Visma-Lease a Bike
LAPORTE Christophe
BENOOT Tiesj
HAGENES Per Strand
KOOIJ Olav
VAN DER SANDE Tosh
VAN DIJKE Mick
VAN DIJKE Tim

Alpecin-Deceuninck
VAN DER POEL Mathieu
PHILIPSEN Jasper
KIELICH Timo
KRAGH ANDERSEN Søren
DILLIER Silvan
VERMEERSCH Gianni

Intermarché-Wanty
GIRMAY Biniam
MIHKELS Madis
PAGE Hugo
REX Laurenz
PETIT Adrien
TEUNISSEN Mike
ZIMMERMANN Georg

Soudal Quick-Step
MERLIER Tim
LAMPAERT Yves
GELDERS Gil
ČERNÝ Josef
VAN LERBERGHE Bert
VANGHELUWE Warre
WARLOP Jordi

Arkéa-B&B Hotels
DÉMARE Arnaud
DEKKER David
LE BERRE Mathis
MOZZATO Luca
MCLAY Daniel
SCOTSON Miles
ALBANESE Vincenzo

Astana Qazaqstan
CAVENDISH Mark
BOL Cees
FEDOROV Yevgeniy
GAZZOLI Michele
GRUZDEV Dmitriy
MØRKØV Michael
SYRITSA Gleb

Bahrain-Victorious
MOHORIČ Matej
GOVEKAR Matevž
GRADEK Kamil
MIHOLJEVIĆ Fran
PASQUALON Andrea
RAJOVIĆ Dušan
WRIGHT Fred

Bora-Hansgrohe
MEEUS Jordi
DENZ Nico
HALLER Marco
MACIEJUK Filip
MULLEN Ryan
KOCH Jonas
VAN POPPEL Danny

Cofidis
ALLEGAERT Piet
ANIOŁKOWSKI Stanisław
DE GENDT Aimé
FRETIN Milan
NOPPE Christophe
RENARD Alexis
ROBEET Ludovic

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
NAESEN Oliver
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
DE BONDT Dries
DE PESTEL Sander
GAUTHERAT Pierre
LABROSSE Jordan
BENNETT Sam

dsm-firmenich PostNL
DEGENKOLB John
EDDY Patrick
EDMONDSON Alex
EEKHOFF Nils
LEIJNSE Enzo
MÄRKL Niklas

EF Education-EasyPost
BISSEGGER Stefan
DOULL Owain
ROOTKIN-GRAY Jack
RUTSCH Jonas
SWEENY Harry
VALGREN Michael

Groupama-FDJ
KÜNG Stefan
ASKEY Lewis
BYSTRØM Sven Erik
LE GAC Olivier
LIENHARD Fabian
PITHIE Laurence

Ineos Grenadiers
NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
ROWE Luke
SHEFFIELD Magnus
SWIFT Ben
SWIFT Connor
TARLING Joshua

Jayco-AlUla
MATTHEWS Michael
DURBRIDGE Luke
MEZGEC Luka
O'BRIEN Kelland
REINDERS Elmar
GROENEWEGEN Dylan
WALSCHEID Max

Lidl-Trek
PEDERSEN Mads
DECLERCQ Tim
GIBBONS Ryan
HOOLE Daan
KIRSCH Alex
MILAN Jonathan
STUYVEN Jasper

Movistar
GAVIRIA Fernando
CANAL Carlos
JACOBS Johan
NORSGAARD Mathias
MORO Manlio
RANGEL Vinicius
ROMEO Iván

UAE Team Emirates
MORGADO António
OLIVEIRA Ivo
BJERG Mikkel
HODEG Álvaro José
MOLANO Juan Sebastián
VINK Michael
POLITT Nils

Lotto Dsnty
DE LIE Arnaud
BEULLENS Cedric
EENKHOORN Pascal
GRIGNARD Sébastien
SLOCK Liam
VAN MOER Brent
DE BUYST Jasper

Israel-Premier Tech
ACKERMANN Pascal
BOIVIN Guillaume
SHEEHAN Riley
STEWART Jake
VAN ASBROECK Tom
VERNON Ethan
HOFSTETTER Hugo

Q36.5 Pro Cycling
FRISON Frederik
CHRISTEN Fabio
DEVRIENDT Tom
LUDVIGSSON Tobias
STEIMLE Jannik
TOWNSEND Rory
ZUKOWSKY Nickolas

Tudor Pro Cycling
TRENTIN Matteo
KOLZE CHANGIZI Sebastian
HEMING Mika
KELEMEN Petr
MAYRHOFER Marius
PLUIMERS Rick
ZIJLAARD Maikel

Uno-X Mobility
KRISTOFF Alexander
ABRAHAMSEN Jonas
FREDHEIM Stian
GUDMESTAD Tord
RESELL Erik Nordsæter
TILLER Rasmus
WÆRENSKJOLD Søren

Flanders-Baloise
CLAEYS Arno
COLMAN Alex
DE VYLDER Lindsay
DE WILDE Gilles
DEWEIRDT Siebe
VAN HEMELEN Vincent
VANHOOF Ward
VANDEVELDE Yentl

TotalEnergies
VAN GESTEL Dries
BONNET Thomas
DUJARDIN Sandy
GACHIGNARD Thomas
JEANNIÈRE Emilien
SOUPE Geoffrey
TURGIS Anthony

Women's

SD Worx-Protime
KOPECKY Lotte
WIEBES Lorena
CECCHINI Elena
GERRITSE Femke
GUARISCHI Barbara
BREDEWOLD Mischa

AG Insurance-Soudal
BOOGAARD Maaike
BORGSTRÖM Julia
(LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley
PLUIMERS Ilse
RIJNBEEK Maud

Canyon-SRAM
DYGERT Chloe
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
CROMWELL Tiffany
SKALNIAK-SÓJKA Agnieszka
TOWERS Alice
VAN DER DUIN Maike

Ceratizit-WNT
ARZUFFI Alice Maria
FIDANZA Arianna
BERTON Nina
LACH Marta
SCHWEINBERGER Kathrin
TEUTENBERG Lea Lin

FDJ-SUEZ
BROWN Grace
BUIJSMAN Nina
DEMAY Coralie
LE NET Marie
VERHULST-WILD Gladys
WIEL Jade

Fenix-Deceuninck
CANT Sanne
COUZENS Millie
DE WILDE Julie
KUIJPERS Evy
PERKINS Flora
PIETERSE Puck

Human Powered Health
CORDON-RAGOT Audrey
EDWARDS Ruth
KASPER Romy
RAGUSA Katia
WILLIAMS Lily
ZANARDI Silvia

Lidl-Trek
BALSAMO Elisa
BRAND Lucinda
DEIGNAN Elizabeth
LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
VAN DIJK Ellen

Liv AlUla Jayco
BAKER Georgia
CAMPBELL Teniel
KOREVAAR Jeanne
PATE Amber
PATERNOSTER Letizia
ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby

Movistar
BIANNIC Aude
NORSGAARD Emma
MACKAIJ Floortje
RUIZ PÉREZ Laura
RUIZ PÉREZ Lucía
SIERRA Arlenis

Roland
COLES-LYSTER Maggie
CHRISTOFOROU Antri
COLLINELLI Sofia
DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
SWINKELS Sylvie
VETTORELLO Giorgia

dsm-firmenich PostNL
BARBIERI Rachele
GEORGI Pfeiffer
KOCH Franziska
KOOL Charlotte
PLOUFFE Maeve
SMITH Abi

UAE Team ADQ
PERSICO Silvia
CONSONNI Chiara
BUJAK Eugenia
GASPARRINI Eleonora Camilla
NEUMANOVA Tereza
SWINKELS Karlijn

Uno-X Mobility
DIDERIKSEN Amalie
BEEKHUIS Teuntje
BOILARD Simone
CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia
KOERNER Rebecca
OLAUSSON Wilma

Visma-Lease a Bike
VAN EMPEL Fem
ACHTEREEKTE Carlijn
NOOIJEN Lieke
VIGIE Margaux
RIEDMANN Linda
VON BERSWORDT Sophie

Cofidis
BERTEAU Victoire
CASTRIQUE Alana
FORTIN Valentine
MÉNAGE Lise
TALBOT Josie
VAN HAAFTEN Kirstie

Arkéa-B&B Hotels
DRUMMOND Michaela
FAHLIN Emilia
FOUQUENET Amandine
LE DEUNFF Marie-Morgane
MORICHON Anais
TRÉGOUËT Maurène

Chevalmeire
BEX Nathalie
BRAAM Danique
ERIKSEN Malin
GRÖNDAHL Antonia
NILSSON Hanna
WATTS Emily

Coop-Repsol
GRANGIER India
GREENWOOD Monica
JØRGENSEN Tiril
MOHR Mari Hole
TACEY April
VAN ROOIJEN Eline

EF Education-Cannondale
ARMITAGE Megan
BORGHESI Letizia
KESSLER Nina
LABECKI Coryn
RÜEGG Noemi
STANNARD Elizabeth

Lifeplus-Wahoo
BURLOVÁ Kristýna
KING Eluned
LEECH Madelaine
JAMIESON Ella
VAN DER WOLF Babette
RYSZ Kaja

Lotto Dsnty
DE JONG Thalita
ARENS Maureen
DE CLERCQ Katrijn
DOCX Mieke
HENDRICKX Julie
VAN WERSCH Anna

Proximus-Cyclis
AERNOUTS Amber
BOSKAMP Lente
DE GROOT Marieke
MEERTENS Lone
LÓPEZ Marga
VAN GOETHEM Femke

VolkerWessels
DEMEY Valerie
DIJKSTRA Anneke
MEERT Marieke
MOLENAAR Laura
SCHOENS Quinty
VANPACHTENBEKE Margot

Throughout the 1990’s as they dominated the Classics scene across Europe, the Belgian Mapei superteam epitomised their Latin ethos of Vincere Insieme as they swept up victories left right and centre from a handful of different riders. 

Translated to English, it means to win together, and more than a decade later Jumbo-Visma are repeating their same Classics dominance, but under a different phrase with a similar meaning, Samen Winnen, winning together.

Wout van Aert’s willingness to sacrifice his own ambitions for those of his teammate Christophe Laporte at Gent-Wevelgem lived and breathed that ideology. It was a continuation of Jumbo-Visma’s collectivism which has already brought them huge success this spring. 

Before Sunday’s result, no other team had managed to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, the E3 Saxo Classic, and Gent-Wevelgem in the same season. Although on the penultimate ascent of the rain-soaked Kemmelberg, Van Aert and Laporte set to work to ensure Jumbo-Visma became the first to do so. 

When the finish arrived, handing the win to Laporte also bought Van Aert the undying loyalty of a perfect ally to help him achieve his Tour of Flanders dream next Sunday.

Brought in from Cofidis prior to the 2022 season, Laporte was instrumental in much of his team’s success last year. Van Aert knew this, and discussing the decision making behind handing Laporte the win in Wevelgem, he highlighted the Frenchman's willingness to work for their shared goals post-race to the media.

“He is such a team player, so it was an easy decision,” Van Aert said, thinking ahead to the final phase of racing in the dust of Flanders next weekend. The Belgian will need all the team players he can muster if he is to overcome the looming threat of Tadej Pogačar.

In the aftermath of it all, those questioning Van Aert have evidently missed the bigger picture.

How could he possibly have given away such a result when he was the strongest rider on the Kemmelberg? Where was the killer instinct in him, and why didn’t he ride away when Laporte faded on the final ascent? 

WINNING TOGETHER

Firstly, Van Aert had just landed a morale boosting win over his Flanders rivals at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday, he didn’t need yet more assurance of his own ability. He doesn’t need to prove anything.

Not having a second Gent-Wevelgem title on his palmarès isn’t suddenly going to put Van Aert out of work in his post-racing career. A second win would have meant little compared to the significance of winning Flanders or Paris-Roubaix in the coming fortnight.

Instead, Van Aert opted to go all in for a teammate proving that the words Samen Winnen have weight to him, and you really cannot buy that type of team spirit reverberating around Jumbo-Visma currently. 

Cycling has moved on since the likes of Tom Boonen and Van Aert’s other critics were active in the peloton. The current generation understands there are other ways to win that don't require bulldozing all before you, furthermore teammates don’t exist solely for the purpose of handing bottles and food to their leaders. 

Speaking to HLN, Johan Museeuw suggested Van Aert may look back on this particular moment in retirement and be full of regret.

“In 15 years, Wout might think back to this moment and be angry with himself,” he said, adding his voice to the chorus of ex-Belgian riders, including Eddy Merckx, who while admitting that they understood the thinking behind it, also questioned Van Aert’s final decision to simply hand over Gent-Wevelgem to the Frenchman.  

Meanwhile Boonen even suggested to Sporza that the duo should have sprinted it out, implying that Laporte’s win looked good solely from a marketing point of view, and that giving away Gent-Wevelgem was a bigger loss to Van Aert than the previous victory he handed to Laporte at Paris-Nice.

Clearly anticipating the naysayers, Van Aert begged to differ, recognising the importance of sometimes putting your teammates over your own agenda. Laporte was yet to win a major Classic, so it made sense to help a loyal, trusted lieutenant add to his list of wins as they built form together, and team morale ahead of the races still to come.

"FRIENDS ARE GOOD ON THE DAY OF BATTLE"

Plus, the pair appear to genuinely be friends. “People at home only see this race, but Christophe is a good friend,” Van Aert said. “We have been on the road together for a whole year… and when you get into this situation, it would feel strange to sprint against one another.”

In the heart of the Somme battlefields of the First World War in France, there is an ancient Gaelic proverb, carved into the memorial to the 51st Highland Division near Beaumont Hamel.

"La a'Blair s'math n Cairdean" which in English translates to “friends are good on the day of battle”.

As they traversed the battlefields further north around Ypres, riding away from Laporte on the Kemmelberg would have been a kick in the teeth to a friend who has proved so invaluable for Jumbo-Visma and Wout Van Aert to date. A friend that he will want firmly by his side when the inevitable attacks from Mathieu van der Poel rain down on the Oude Kwaremont on Sunday.

“It was a dream of mine- like winning a stage of the Tour de France- to win a Classic, and I’ve done it now, thanks to the team and thanks to Wout,” Laporte said as he reflected on the significance of his latest win in the colours of his new team.

On paper, Laporte could feasibly win either Flanders or Roubaix himself in the coming weeks. Although Samen Winnen, winning together, may well prove more important. Now that one man’s Classics dream has been fulfilled, expect to see him going all out to help another achieve his Flanders dream on Sunday.  

In just her third outing this year, Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) soloed through the wind and rain to claim a maiden Classics victory at Gent-Wevelgem.

The Swiss rider drifted off the front with 40km to go and drew on her time-trialling prowess to stay clear of the peloton. 

By the time she crested the final climb, Reusser’s advantage stood at over a minute, which she then doubled on the flat roads into Wevelgem. A wrong turn in the final 5km brought a moment of panic, but ultimately didn't dent the SD Worx rider's resounding victory. 

"I'm so tired, I think I'm not yet here with my head," she said after the race. 

Asked about her race-winning move, Reusser said: "I didn't attack. I thought maybe we could make a little bit of a selection, or a small group, and there was just nobody on my wheel. I thought, 'Let's try a bit!'

"With 1km to go, I was slowly getting more sure, but even at 400m, 300m, I was thinking maybe somebody will come, but I was thinking it was going to work out." 

The attritional conditions in West Flanders made for a crash-marred race, in which Reusser herself took a tumble early on. 

Megan Jastrab (Team DSM) sprinted to second from the peloton - a first Classics podium for the 21-year-old American - while Canyon-Sram's Maike van der Duin was awarded third place in a photo finish.

How it happened

Heading north out of Ypres, the peloton travelled towards the coastline on a tour of the First World War battlefields. The opening 100km of racing were set up to be relatively featureless, before the route dealt a string of seven challenging bergs. 

For the first half of the race, the pack kept any hopeful attackers on a tight leash. Pien Limpens (Parkhotel Valkenburg) and Malin Eriksen (Duolar-Chevalmeire) were both allowed a small gap, but were swiftly swallowed up by the bunch. 

No attacks came over the opening two climbs, before a crash on the cobbles forced Brugge-De Panne winner Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) into a bike change. The former British road champion then fell victim to a pile-up with 44km to go, when a rider hit the ridge in the middle of the road and slid out through the peloton. 

On the first of two ascents of the Kemmelberg, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram) whittled down the peloton, before both were caught by the bunch. 

With 40km remaining, Reusser then slipped off the front on the Baneberg, the penultimate climb, and drew out a one-minute gap into the foot of the Kemmelberg. Just a handful of kilometres later, the SD Worx rider had managed to stretch her advantage to over two minutes, tucking her elbows in to remain as aerodynamic as possible.  

A chasing group finally set sail with 15km remaining, but their efforts came too late. Reusser’s team-mate Christine Majerus (SD Worx) cleverly interfered, rolling and easing up to slow their advances. Into the final 5km, Reusser held so much of a gap, that even a brief wrong turn proved inconsequential. 

The victory marked the Swiss rider's first since claiming stage four of last year's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and proved another tactical masterclass from SD Worx. The Dutch team have enjoyed a commanding start to the 2023 season, also winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche and the Ronde van Drenthe, all with different riders.

"If you know Marlen, you know she's capable of doing this," Kopecky told reporters after the race. Perhaps the peloton didn't know Reusser as well as they should have. 

Results

Gent-Wevelgem 2023 (162.5km)

1. Marlen Reusser (Sui) SD Worx, in 4-16-47
2. Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM
3. Maike van der Duin (Ned) Canyon-Sram
4. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
5. Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Deceuninck
6. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
7. Elinor Barker (GBr) Uno-X
8. Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Suez
9. Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma
10. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-Sram, all at 2-42

Having finished second last year, Christophe Laporte prevailed in grisly weather at Gent-Wevelgem with the help of his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Wout van Aert. 

It was a trademark show of dominance from the Dutch team in Flanders. Van Aert and Laporte attacked together on the penultimate ascent of the Kemmelberg and swapped through turns for 52km. Drawing out a two-minute gap, the pair rode arm in arm into Wevelgem to secure an impressive one-two, the Frenchman's wheel crossing the line first.  

For onlookers, there were echoes of last year’s E3 Saxo Bank Classic, where the same duo rode away in tandem, that time for the Belgian to win. 

Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech) won the bunch sprint for third to complete the podium at the Belgian Classic.  

How it happened

Wrapped in gilets, rain capes and leg warmers, the peloton rolled out from beneath the arches of Ypres’s Menin Gate, embarking on a 260.9km route through West Flanders. They would face nine tough hellingen en route to Wevelgem, including three ascents of the mighty Kemmelberg. 

The race started fast. With the first climb not expected for 165km, a five-man breakaway formed, featuring Groupama-FDJ’s Lewis Askey, and cruised at 46.5km/h for the first two hours. Two chasing groups then joined, swelling the breakaway to 14 riders after the first 100km. 

At the race’s halfway point, Soudal Quick-Step drove splits in the bunch, taking advantage of the wind which tore across the open country plains. A few crashes came here, with Łukasz Wiśniowski (EF Education-EasyPost), Michał Kwiatkowski and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadies) all forced to withdraw. 

Reigning champion Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) was also among those who hit the deck, but the Eritrean was able to remount his bike and catch back up with the peloton. 

When the climbs finally arrived, the breakaway held an advantage of just one and a half minutes. 

Over the bergs, tyres skipped across the wet cobbles, the riders’ faces unrecognisable with dirt. The peloton soon began to thin out, and the attackers were reeled back in with 55km to go, on the approach to the final five climbs. 

On the penultimate ascent of the Kemmelberg, the sixth of the day's nine climbs, Van Aert launched the race-winning move, flanked by team-mate Christophe Laporte. Behind, a small group attempted to chase, but couldn’t break free from the peloton. 

The Jumbo-Visma duo led by a minute onto the final climb - the tougher, steeper side of the Kemmelberg - where Van Aert began to distance Laporte. The Frenchman then clung on as his team-mate hurtled through the flat roads, stretching out their advantage to over two minutes towards Wevelgem. 

Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) tried to attack on the run-in to the town, but neither could distance themselves from the chase. 

Having won the E3 Saxo Bank Classic earlier in the week, Van Aert was content to sit back and let Laporte edge for his first victory of the season. 

Smiling, the duo gestured towards each other as they came across the line. The history books will list Laporte as the winner, but the victory was certified Jumbo-Visma. 

Results

Gent-Wevelgem 2023 (260.9km) 

1. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma, in 5-49-39
2. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma, s.t.
3. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
6. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates, all at 1-56
7. Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
10. Dan McLay (GBr) Team Arkéa Samsic, all at 2-04

Quick guide to watching Gent-Wevelgem 2023

Like a large proportion of cycling's biggest races, you can live stream Gent-Wevelgem on GCN+ and Eurosport in the UK, and FloBikes in the USA. Subscription costs for both services range from between £6.99 per month to $150 per year.

Date: 26 March

AUS FREE Live stream: SBS on demand

UK: Stream on GCN+ and Eurosport Player (£6.99 per month)

US: Stream on FloBikes ($150 per year / $30 per month)

Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with ExpressVPN

There are a plethora of VPN options out there but ExpressVPN has consistently been highly rated by our colleagues at CyclingWeekly sister site TechRadar.

What to expect at Gent-Wevelgem

A variety of riders can flourish at Ghent-Wevelgem due to the relatively balanced parcours. 

However, the race's marquee cobbled climb, the Kemmelberg, is severe enough to cause major splits in the action. Wind also nearly always plays a factor on the long, relatively flat run into the finish on exposed roads. Nowadays, the men's race doesn't start in Gent. It now starts in the centre of Ypres before heading out towards the coast, and then back in land via several climbs in the west of the Flanders region. Last year, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché circus-Wanty) took a stunning win in the men's race.

Girmay outsprinted Jumbo-Visma's Christophe Laporte in the final few metres of the race to become the first African champion of the cobbled Classic. Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) won the women's race in 2022, powering away from the likes of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx). 

Expect cobbles, wind and rain and potential sprint finishes. 

Read more

Gent-Wevelgem news

Route breakdown: Men's and women's races

How to watch Gent-Wevelgem in Australia

Down in Australia, both the men's and women's versions of Gent-Wevelgem will be broadcast live and for free on SBS. If you're in Australia and want to watch the race, just head to the SBS On Demand player and catch all of the action from the Cobbled classic, as well as replays and highlights.

Aussies out of the country can still use a VPN to get access to the SBS live stream, free from abroad. Just download a VPN, then set your location as Australia to ensure you get access to the live coverage as if you were back at home. 

How to watch Gent-Wevelgem from outside your country

If you're out of your home country this weekend but still feel like watching Gent-Wevelgem, you can. One thing to note with being abroad is that you might lose access to your favourite home broadcaster and consequently, it's not then possible to stream the action.

However, downloading a VPN will help you avoid that problem and ensure you get access to your favourite coverage.

By using a VPN, a software tool that offers online privacy and the ability to change your IP address, you can access on-demand content and live TV as if you were back at home.

Cycling Weekly's sister site TechRadar recommends the paid ExpressVPN option, which it consistently rates as the best VPN provider.

Use a VPN to watch Gent-Wevelgem from abroad:

How to watch Gent-Wevelgem in the USA

If you're stateside this weekend, you can tune into all the action from the men's and women's Gent-Wevelgem via Flo Bikes.

If you're stateside and want to watch the race via Flo Bikes you'll need a subscription. You can subscribe for a year for $150 in the USA or $209.99 in Canada.

How to watch Gent-Wevelgem in the UK

If you’re based in the UK, you will be able to watch all of the live coverage from regular cycling broadcasters GCN+ and Discovery+ / Eurosport. 

You can buy a month-long pass to get access to the live streams available via the Eurosport player or Discovery+ website.  Buying a pass costs just £6.99 although it's worth remembering that it will then auto renew at the same price each month unless you cancel before the renewal date.

If you're a year round cycling fan looking to gain access to live streams throughout the 2023 WorldTour season, you may wish to purchase a year long pass instead. The year long pass costs £59.99 and represents a significant saving of £23.89.

Another option is deciding to go for a GCN+ subscription at a cost of £39.99 for the year. Or you can buy a race pass for £6.99 per month. A GCN account also means you'll then have access to both live and on demand race footage as well as long or short highlight streams and in-depth analysis.

If you happen to be out of the country when the race is on then you can just download a VPN and choose your location to watch live as if you are back at home. Setting up a VPN is simple – just download, install, open the app and select your location.

There are several VPN options out there, but we think going with Express VPN is the best.

ExpressVPN will also give you a 30-day money-back guarantee.  

What time is Gent-Wevelgem on TV?

Coverage of the men's race starts at 12:00 pm GMT on GCN + in the UK. The women's race coverage begins on the same service at 15:15 GMT.

Check your streaming service of choice, whatever country you're in for full details on the timings where you are. 

The 2023 edition of the men's Gent-Wevelgem will keep to its usual format of starting in the town of Ypres, under the Menin Gate.

The Menin Gate is a huge stone memorial to the victims of the First World War, in particular those who lost their lives in the third battle of Ypres, otherwise known as Passchendaele. At 260.9 kilometres, the route is slightly shorter than last year's edition which was won by Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Circus Wanty).

Once the race has got underway in Ypres, the riders will head out on the usual loop, passing various large First World War cemeteries as they travel out to West Flanders.  As they circle back inland, the peloton will face a series of climbs around the area of Mesen before the final tough phase of racing.

The final 120 kilometres of the day feature a series of tough cobbled climbs including the infamous Kemmelberg.

Once the riders have crested the Kemmelberg, they face a relatively flat run in towards the town of Wevelgem. Typically, the race is decided on the Kemmelberg, with a select group of riders then emerging into town for a reduced sprint to the line.

The second phase of the action features nine tough climbs, including three ascents of the Kemmelberg.

Cobbled climbs are tough enough as it is, but when you factor in the wind and rain, it makes the climbing in Gent-Wevelgem an even tougher challenge. The peloton will climb the Kemmelberg twice from the Belvedere side, before the final ascent takes the riders up from Ossuaire. The final ascent is very much seen as being the toughest.

The full list of climbs is below:

- Scherpenberg
- Baneberg
- Monteberg
- Kemmelberg (Belvedere)
- Monteberg
- Kemmelberg (Belvedere)
- Scherpenberg
- Baneberg
- Kemmelberg (Ossuaire) 

The women's race

Similarly to the men's race, the women's edition of Gent-Wevelgem provides some of the best sprinters in the women's WorldTour with the opportunity of getting a victory in a major Classic.

Echoing the men's edition, the women's race also typically begins in Ypres under the Menin Gate before heading out towards West Flanders and the Belgian coastline. The first phase of racing is almost completely flat, but the riders will need to be on their guard due to the high risks posed by potential crosswinds whipping in from the coastline.

The route is largely similar to last year, with the exception of a few more kilometres at the end of the lap around Wevelgem. Seven punchy ascents feature on the women's course, including two of the Scherpenberg climb as well as a double ascent of the Baneberg and Kemmelberg. Last year, the women's peloton faced the steeper and toughest side of the Kemmelberg, from Ossuaire, and that's incorporated into the race once more in 2023.

The Kemmelberg ascent from Ossuaire features pitches of nearly 20% on uneven cobbles, making for a nasty sting in the tail as the race nears its finale. From there, the final 20 kilometres of the day are relatively flat on wide, exposed roads.

Crosswinds could still play a major part as the peloton sails into Wevelgem.

The full list of climbs which will feature in the women's race is as follows:

- Scherpenberg
- Baneberg
- Monteberg
- Kemmelberg (Belvedere)
- Scherpenberg
- Baneberg
- Kemmelberg (Ossuaire)

GENT-WEVELGEM 2023: MEN'S STARTLIST

ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK

PHILIPSEN Jasper  
DILLIER Silvan
GHYS Robbe
KRAGH ANDERSEN Soren
KRIEGER Alexander
BALLERSTEDT Maurice
VERMEERSCH Gianni

AG2R CITROEN

VAN AVERMAET Greg
GAUTHERAT Pierre
NAESEN Laurence
NAESEN Oliver
SCHAR Michael
TOUZE Damien
DE WULF Stan

ASTANA QAZAQSTAN

CAVENDISH Mark  
BOL Cees
BASSO Leonardo
FEDOROV Yevgeniy
GRUZDEV Dmitry
LAAS Martin
SYRITA Gleb

BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS

MOHORIC Matej
GRADEK Kamil
MILAN Jonathan
ARNDT Nikias
PASQUALON Andrea
RAJOVIC Dusan
WRIGHT Fred

BORA-HANSGROHE

Bennett Sam
HALLER Marco
Jungels Bob
MEEUS Jordi
MULLEN Ryan
POLITT Nils
VAN POPPEL Danny

INTERMARCHE-CIRCUS-WANTY

GIRMAY Biniam
BYSTROM ERIK Sven
DE GENDT Aime
PAGE Hugo
PETIT Adrien
TEUNISSEN Mike
VAN DER HOORN Taco

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP

MERLIER Tim
LAMPAERT Yves
ASGREEN Kasper
BALLERINI Davide
PEDERSEN Casper
STEIMLE Jannik
VAN LERBEGHE Bert

JUMBO-VISMA

VAN AERT Wout
LAPORTE Christophe
KOOIJ Olav
ROOSEN Timo
VAN DIJKE Tim
VAN EMDEN Jos
VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan

TREK-SEGAFREDO

STUYVEN Jasper
HOELGAARD Markus
HOOLE Daan
KIRSCH Alex
PEDERSEN Mads
VERGAERDE Otto
THEUNS Edward

COFIDIS

ALLEGAERT Piet
CONSONNI Simone
KREDER Wesley
NOPPE Christophe
PERICHON Pierre-Luc
RENARD Alexis
WALLAYS Jelle

EF EDUCATION EASYPOST

BETTIOL ALberto
BISSEGER Stefan
DOULL Owain
VAN DEN BERG Marijn
RUSTCH Jonas
SCULLY Tom
WISNIOWSKI Lukasz

GROUPAMA-FDJ

DEMARE Arnaud
ASKEY Lewis
KUNG Stefan
LE GAC Stefan
LIENHARD Fabian
STEWART Jake
WATSON Samuel

INEOS GRENADIERS

GANNA Filippo
HEIDUK Kim
KWIATKOWSKI Michal
NARVAEZ Jhnothan
SHEFFIELD Magnus
SWIFT Ben

MOVISTAR

GAVIRIA Fernando
GARCIA CORTINA Ivan
ERVITI Imanol
JACOBS Johan
NROSGAARD Mathias
KANTER Max
LAZKANO Olier

ARKEA-SAMSIC

LEDANOIS Kevin
PONOMAR Andrii
DEKKER David
BIERMANS Jenthe
MCLAY Daniel
MOZZATO Luca
RUSSO Clement

DSM

DEGENKOLB John
BEVIN Patrick
BITTNER Pavel
ANDRESEN Tobias Lund
EEKHOFF Nils
MAYRHOFER Marius
VERMAEKE Kevin

JAYCO AIUla

GROENEWEGEN Dylan
MEZGEC Luka
QUICK Blake
REINDERS Elmar
STEWART Campbell
STYBAR Zdenek
O'BRIEN Kelland

UAE TEAM EMIRATES

OLIVERIA Rui
GROSSCHARTNER Felix
WELLENS Tim
ACKERMANN Pascal
TRENTIN Matteo
LAENGEN Vegard Stake
MOLANO Juan Sebastian

LOTTO DSTNY

EWAN Caleb
DE LIE Arnaud
BEULLENS Cedric
DE BUYST Jasper
FRISON Frederik
VAN MOER Brent
VERMEESCH Florian

FLANDERS-BALOISE

APERS Ruben
BRAET Vito
COLMAN Alex
DE PESTEL Sander
FRETIN Milan
HESTERS Jules
VAN POUCKE Aaron

BINGOAL WB

BLOUWE Louis
DE MAEGHT Dorian
ROBEET Ludovic
DESAL Ceriel
VAN BOVEN Luca
VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillame
MERTENS Julian

HUMAN POWERED HEALTH

BASSETT Stephen
DE VOS Adam
JOYCE Colin
LEMMEN Bart
PERRY Ben
SCHONBERGER Sebastian
VAN HOECKE Gijs

ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH

VANMARCKE Sep
HOULE Hugo
NIZZOLO Giacomo
REYNDERS Jens
VAN ASBROECK Tom
ZABEL Rick

UNO-X

KRISTOFF Alexander
HALVORSEN Kristoffer
URIANSTAD Martin
RESELL Erik Nordstaeter
WAERENSKJOLD Soren
SKAARSETH Anders
TILLER Rasmus

TOTAL ENERGIES

SAGAN Peter
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
OSS Daniel
BODNAR Maciej
SOUPE Geoffrey
TURGIS Anthony
VAN GESTEL Dries

GENT-WEVELGEM 2023: WOMEN'S START LIST 

TREK-SEGAFREDO

BALSAMO Elisa
BRAND Lucinda
LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
SANGUINETI Ilaria
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin

SD WORX

KOPECKY Lotte
WIEBES Lorena
REUSSER Marlen
CECCHINI Elena
MAJERUS Christine
UNEKEN Lonneke

UAE TEAM ADQ

BASTIANELLI Marta
GASPARRINI Eleonara Camilla
BUJAK Eugenia
CONSONNI Chiaria
AMIALIUSIK Alena
HOLDEN Elizabeth

EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB

BÄCKSTEDT Zoe
BORGHESI Letizia
HONSINGER Clara
JACKSON Alison
SMITH Abi
STEPHENS Lauren

AG INSURANCE-SOUDAL QUICK-STEP

BOOGAARD Maaike
BORGSTRÖM Julia
HENTTALA Lotta
KASPER Romy
RIJNBEEK Maud
WOLLASTON Ally

MOVISTAR

BIANNIC Aude
GONZÁLEZ Alicia
NORSGAARD Emma
OYARBIDE Lourdes
GUTIÉRREZ Sheyla
RODRÍGUEZ Gloria

CERATIZIT-WNT

ARZUFFI Alice Maria
BRAUßE Franziska
DE ZOETE Mylène
FIDANZA Arianna
LACH Marta
TEUTENBERG Lea Lin

COFIDIS

ALZINI Martina
BERTEAU Victoire
CASTRIQUE Alana
FORTIN Valentine
PILOTE FORTIN Gabrielle
TALBOT Josie

LIFEPLUS WAHOO

VIGIE Margaux
HARRIS Ella
RICHARDSON Kate
RYSZ Kaja
WYLLIE Ella
LAURANCE Typhaine

JUMBO-VISMA

ACHTEREEKTE Carlijn
HENDERSON Anna
RIEDMANN Linda
LABECKI Coryn
RÜEGG Noemi
SWINKELS Karlijn

PROXIMUS-ALPHAMOTORHOM

GRIT Ilse
HOLMSGAARD Trine
KRAHL Judith
SCHOKKAERT Febe
WASMUS Nienke
VAN HOUTUM Céline

LOTTO DSTNY

AINTILA Wilma
DE CLERCQ Katrijn
DOCX Mieke
SIGMUND Marla
VAN DE GUCHTE Quinty
BURLOVÁ Kristýna

CANYON // SRAM

BOSSUYT Shari
CROMWELL Tiffany
CHABBEY Elise
NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
SKALNIAK-SÓJKA Agnieszka
VAN DER DUIN Maike

FDJ-SUEZ

BORGLI Stine
BROWN Grace
CAVALLI Marta
COPPONI Clara
DUVAL Eugénie
FAHLIN Emilia

ZAAF CYCLING

COLES-LYSTER Maggie
CORDON-RAGOT Audrey
DE FRANCESCO Danielle
DRUMMOND Michaela
JOUNIER Lucie
MEIJERING Mareille

FENIX-DECEUNINCK

DE BAAT Kim
KASTELIJN Yara
DE WILDE Julie
KUIJPERS Evy
SCHWEINBERGER Christina
WRIGHT Sophie

HUMAN POWERED HEALTH

BARNES Alice
PIKULIK Daria
RAAIJMAKERS Marit
SCHMID Kaia
VANDENBULCKE Jesse
WILLIAMS Lily

ISRAEL PREMIER-TECH

BAUR Caroline
COLLINELLI Sofia
DELBAERE Fien
DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
PIRRONE Elena
NGUYỄN Thị Thật

LIV RACING

BARBIERI Rachele
BUURMAN Eva
DE JONG Thalita
DEMEY Valerie
SMULDERS Silke
TON Quinty

UNO-X

KOERNER Rebecca
BARKER Elinor
CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia
DIDERIKSEN Amalie
AHTOSALO Anniina
NORMAN LETH Julie

DSM

GEORGI Pfeiffer
HENGEVELD Daniek
JASTRAB Megan
KOCH Franziska
KOOL Charlotte
PLOUFFE Maeve

JAYCO AIUla

ALLEN Jessica
PATERNOSTER Letizia
HOWE Georgie
KESSLER Nina
MANLY Alexandra
ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby

PARKHOTEL VALKENBURG

FRAIN Nicole
GERRITSE Femke
SCHOENS Quinty
VAN HAAFTEN Kirstie
VANHOVE Marith
VANPACHTENBEKE Margot

DUOLAR-CHEVALMEIRE

BEX Nathalie
ERIKSEN Malin
GINS Tara
GRÖNDAHL Antonia
MARTINEZ Andrea
VAN DEN STEEN Kelly

Gent-Wevelgem 2025, another of the Flanders Classics, will be held on Sunday 30 March. Now in its 77th year as a men's race, it holds an important place in the Flandrien Classics calendar, while the women's race - which takes place on the same day - is in its 14 year.

A WorldTour event, it is the second part of 'Flemish Holy Week' for the men and is sandwiched between the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday and Dwars door Vlaanderen the following Wednesday, all leading up to the Tour of Flanders.

The official name of the race is Gent-Wevelgem – in Flanders Fields, a reference to the First World War.

Both the men's and women's events travel through the area known as Flanders Fields, a symbolic and historic site forever associated with the Great War. Nowadays the race doesn't start in Gent, but at the Menin Gate in Ypres, and often passes Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest burial ground for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any conflict.

A variety of riders can flourish at Gent-Wevelgem due to the relatively balanced parcours. However, the race's marquee cobbled climb, the Kemmelberg, is severe enough to cause major splits in the action, and wind nearly always plays a role due to the long, exposed flat sections. This year the women tackle the Kemmelberg twice and the men three times, along with passes at several significant hills including the Monteberg, Baneberg, and Scherpenberg.

Gent-Wevelgem 2025: Key details

Where: Belgium

When: Sunday 30 March

Rank: UCI WorldTour

Distance: 250.3km (men's), 169.1km (women's)

Key Information: Route and start list I How to watch - 2025 details TBC

Gent-Wevelgem: Past winners (men)

2024: Mads Pedersen (DEN) Lidl-Trek

2023: Christophe Laporte (FRA) Team Jumbo–Visma
2022: Biniam Girmay (ERI) Intermarche- Circus Wanty
2021: Wout van Aert (BEL) Jumbo-Visma
2020: Mads Pedersen (DEN) trek-Segafredo
2019: Alexander Kristoff (NOR) UAE Team Emirates
2018: Peter Sagan (SLO) Bora-Hansgrohe
2017: Greg van Avermaet (BEL) BMC Racing
2016: Peter Sagan (SLO) Tinkoff
2015: Luca Paolini (ITA) Katusha
2014: John Degenkolb (GER) Giant-Shimano
2013: Peter Sagan (SLO) Cannondale
2012: Tom Boonen (BEL) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step
2011: Tom Boonen (BEL) Quick-Step
2010: Bernard Eisel (AUS) HTC-Columbia
2009: Edval Boasson-Hagen (NOR) Columbia-High Road
2008: Oscar Freire (SPA) Rabobank
2007: Marcus Burghardt (GER) T-Mobile
2006: Thor Hushovd (NOR) Credit-Agricole
2005: Nico Mattan Davitamon-Lotto
2004: Tom Boonen (BEL) Quick-Step Davitamon
2003: Andreas Kilier (GER) Team Telekom
2002: Mario Cipollini (ITA) Acqua e Sapone
2001: George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service

Gent-Wevelgem: Past winners (women)

2024: Lorena Wiebes (NED) SD Worx-Protime

2023: Marlen Reusser (SUI) SD Worx
2022: Elisa Balsamo (ITA) Trek-Segafredo
2021: Marianne Vos (NED) Jumbo-Visma
2020 Jolien D'Hoore (BEL) Boels-Dolmans
2019: Kirsten Wild (NED) WNT-Rotor Pro
2018: Marta Bastianelli (ITA) Ale-Cipollini
2017: Lotta Lepisto (FIN) Crevelo-Bigla
2016: Chantal Blaak (NED) Boels-Dolmans
2015: Floortje Mackaij (NED) Liv-Plantur
2014: Lauren Hall (USA) Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies
2013: Kirsten Wild (USA) Argos-Shimano

Official Race Links

Official race Twitter channel

Flanders Classics (Race Organiser) official website

Sam Watson won the under-23 edition of Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, becoming the second British rider to do so in the process.

The 20-year old took the victory in front of Denmark's Sebastian Kolze Changizi and France's Valentin Retailleau, while riding for the Great Britain national team.

Jacob Hennessy was the first British rider to win the under-23 classic in 2017, and Watson has now repeated the feat. Other riders to win the prestigious development race include Mads Pedersen and Greg van Avermaet, in 2016 and 2006.

Speaking after the event, the young man from Leeds paid tribute to the GB team which helped deliver him to the sprint victory in Ypres.

"My teammates did a great job," he said. "Since I finished 3rd in Ghent-Wevelgem Juniors, I wanted to come back to win and I did on the Espoirs race today."

Watson currently rides for Groupama-FDJ's continental team, but has raced twice for the senior Groupama-FDJ team this year, at Danilith Nokere Koerse and the GP Denain.

He finished third behind Quinn Simmons (who now rides for Trek-Segafredo) and Lewis Askey (who rides for Groupama-FDJ) in the 2019 junior edition of Gent-Wevelgem. The Belgian classic clearly suits him, then.

His coach, Jérôme Gannat, said that 20-year old had been "exemplary" in the two times he appeared with the senior team, and therefore deserved this victory.

"This victory confirms his excellent physical condition," the Frenchman said. "He showed it in the two races with the WorldTour, during which he played an important role. He was exemplary and he is now rewarded in turn."

The under-23 race came earlier in the day than the elite men's and women's races, which were won by Biniam Girmay and Elisa Balsamo respectively.

A MILESTONE MOMENT FOR AFRICAN CYCLING AS GIRMAY TAKES VICTORY

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) continued his stunningly rapid rise up the professional ranks with victory at Gent-Wevelgem.  

Far from being fatigued from his revelatory fifth-place finish at E3 Saxo Bank Classic two days ago, the 21-year-old looked even better here, staying in contention over the climbs and then forming part of the decisive four-man selection that formed on the flat run-in to the finish, all while reserving enough energy to beat them in a sprint.  

>>> 'Unbelievable, amazing': Biniam Girmay stunned by historic Gent-Wevelgem win

The result marks a significant moment in cycling history, as he becomes the first Eritrean and the first black African to win a major Classic. 

The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 highlighted just how little black representation there is in cycling, when Kévin Reza was the only black participant at the Tour de France during the peloton’s half-hearted show of solidarity on the Champs-Élysées stage.  

In this context, the success and sudden stardom of Girmay (and his performances this week suggest he is very much going to be one of the sport’s very biggest stars) could have a similar impact as the Colombian riders of the 1980s did for their nation. He could be seen as an inspiration not only for other Eritreans, but for potential cyclists across the whole continent.  

All that is of course an awful lot of pressure for a 21-year-old, and we should be cautious of expecting too much or deifying him. Girmay certainly appears not to be getting carried away; he still intends to go home and visit his family rather than compete at the Tour of Flanders, despite his scintillating form.  

But there’s no doubting his extraordinary talent, and that he looks set to become a star of the sport for years to come.  

BALSAMO COMPLETES MOST IMPRESSIVE WEEK OF HER CAREER SO FAR

Some riders struggle when wearing the rainbow jersey, the pressure of its iconic status weighing them down, and its visibility preventing them from ever going under the radar. 

But not Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), who has improved leaps and bounds since winning at the World Championships last year, and won yet again today.  

This week has been her best yet as a professional, with her win here at Gent-Wevelgem (which she named as her favourite race) following successes at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Classic Brugge-De Panne in a remarkable hat-trick of back-to-back WorldTour Classics victories. 

The Italian has established a winning formula that no-one seems able to break. Despite there being many tricky climbs spread across these races — including two ascents of the fearsome Kemmelberg today — she always manages to keep herself in contention come the finish, and no-one is able to match her sprinting pace. 

With the whole team united behind her (including an invaluable Ellen van Dijk — more on her later), and sprinting rival Lorena Wiebes (DSM) having crashed out of contention earlier, Balsamo always looked the likely winner, and delivered on those expectations in the finale.

LAPORTE USES FREEDOM TO FINISH SECOND

For the first time in his three cobbled Classics appearances this spring, Wout van Aert did not take the win, but his Jumbo-Visma still came within an inch of victory as Christophe Laporte was just edged out by Girmay in the sprint. 

>>> Wout van Aert: Jumbo-Visma created perfect situation at Gent-Wevelgem

The team were once again the strongest, spending much of the race at the front of the peloton, and placing three riders (Van Aert, Laporte and Tiesj Benoot) in the eight-man leading group that formed after the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.  

Having not been able to ride away from the rest as they had at E3 Saxo Bank Classic, they decided to attack in tandem, with Laporte marking the decisive move with Girmay, Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Dries Van Gestel (Total Energies) shortly after Van Aert’s attempt to go clear on the Kemmelberg hadn't succeeded.  

Laporte has been so good this spring that he is worthy of co-leadership status rather than just domestique, as appears to be the case based on how content Van Aert was to let his group ride away while he sat on the wheels of the chasers. 

While all eyes are on Van Aert, Laporte enjoys more freedom with his attacks, something that could yet play to his advantage this spring — and potentially see him end his current run of successive runner-up finishes, and claim what could be a career-best victory in one of the remaining cobbled Classics.  

NEW WOMEN'S ROUTE, SAME OUTCOME

In an attempt to shake up a race that has become a little formulaic in recent years, more climbing was added to the women’s Gent-Wevelgem route this year, including a second ascent of the Kemmelberg. 

But despite plenty of exciting racing and countless number of attacks, the result was the same, as a large group contested a bunch sprint at the finish. 

A sprint was far from a foregone conclusion, however. Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) looked especially dangerous, and twice looked as though he might have defied the sprinters, first by going clear over the final time up the Kemmelberg, then with one final acceleration 3.5km from the finish.  

Fearful of Balsamo’s finishing kick, both Jumbo-Visma and SD Worx were clearly not confident that their respective sprinters Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky could defeat her in the finish, and so attacked relentlessly throughout the race.  

Kopecky herself made a move earlier on with Jumbo-Visma’s Anna Henderson plus Liane Lippert (DSM) and a typically lively Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), and their riders continued to attack during the flat-run in to the finish, with Coryn Labecki (Jumbo-Visma), Marlen Reusser, Chantal van den Brock Blaak and Christine Majerus (all SD Worx) trying umpteen times to go clear.  

Ultimately the teams were right to doubt their chances in a sprint. Both came close, with Vos finishing fast to finish fourth and Kopecky not giving up when Balsamo overtook her and holding on to fourth, but the Italian again came out on top. They will hope the more challenging terrain of the Tour of Flanders will help them drop her next week.  

VAN DIJK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPRINT AND A SUCCESSFUL BREAKAWAY

Both the men’s and the women’s races culminated in a furious battle during the final 3km flat run-in to the finish between those trying to go clear and those trying to keep things together, with attackers succeeding in the former, and the sprinters having their way in the latter. 

The reason for these different outcomes boiled down to just one rider — Ellen van Dijk. The Dutchwoman used all of her skills as world time trial champion to moto-pace the peloton, setting the pace almost every time there were flat roads inside the final 50km.  

At one point, after she found herself in a group that had slipped clear from the rest of the peloton, she dropped back in order to help Balsamo, who had missed the split. A mere matter of minutes later, she’d already dragged Balsamo and everyone else back up. 

By contrast, no team or individual was able to control matters in the finale of the men’s race in the same way. The strongest team, Jumbo-Visma, had representation in the attack that went clear, meaning it was up to the others to do the chasing.  

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl were again below par, and perhaps lacked the incentive to fully commit after their main sprinters Fabio Jakobsen and Florian Sénéchal had already been dropped out of contention.  

Alpecin-Fenix perhaps should have done more given they had both Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, but seemed reluctant to rally entirely behind one of them. Merlier ultimately won the sprint in the peloton, but unfortunately for him it was a sprint for sixth place rather than for victory. 

Elisa Balsamo took a third consecutive win at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday proving herself as the most accomplished sprinter in the peloton.

Coming the back of her wins at Trofeo Binda and Brugge de Panne, the world road champion was the beneficiary of excellent teamwork. Her Trek-Segafredo team reareactedcting to a multitude of attacks and placing her perfectly for the final of the longest ever edition of the women’s race.

Marlen Reusser led SD Worx team-mate Lotte Kopecky out for the sprint, but Balsamo was perfectly positioned on the Belgian champion’s wheel, and when the Italian opened her sprint no one was able to get near her.

Coming into the wind late, last year’s winner Marianne Vos took second place for Jumbo-Visma, while Maria Giulia Confalonieri was the second Italian on the podium for Ceratizit-WNT.

After an attritional race where each of nine climbs caused splits, which then re-formed in a smaller bunch, the closing stages of the race were among the most aggressive you will see, no team wanting to take Balsamo to the line. 

Along with Jumbo-Visma, SD Worx were particularly active, all five of Kopecky’s team-mates attacking in the final 20km, however Kopecky was only able to claim fourth place, after Trek-Segafredo closed every move.

How it happened 

The 2022 Women’s WorldTour continued apace on Sunday, Gent-Wevelgem coming only three days after Brugge De Panne, and a week after a thrilling edition of Trofeo Binda. 

While the Italian race has been around since 1974, the women’s Gent-Wevelgem has only been on the calendar since 2012. Indeed, there was a squabble between the two races, the Belgians wanting promotion for what was a .2 race, the Italians unwilling to change date.

The bigger, more established race organiser, Flanders Classics won the day, and the Belgian Classic and joined Binda in the top tier of women’s racing in 2016, both races retaining their characters.

Flanders Classics have been doing much to promote their burgeoning stable of women’s races in recent years, increasing TV coverage and making event more similar to the men’s version, and this year’s Gent-Wevelgem is no exception.

Increased from its original distance of 115km, this year’s 159km race from Ypres was the longest ever. And, while the women have always climbed the shallower, Belvedere side of the Kemmelberg, for the first time they tackled the hellish Oussuaire side, as the final of nine hellingen climbs.

While the women's peloton has plenty of experience of racing across the notoriously windy ‘moeren,’ this year was the first time the riders tackled it in Gent-Wevelgem.

However, little wind meant nothing happened as they passed the section which is at and below sea level, and an early move was able to retain its lead on the bunch. 

Gulnaz Khatuntseva (Roland-Cogeas-Edelweiss), had been up the road in Italy last week, and Anne van Rooijen from the ever aggressive Parkhotel Valkenburg squad, worked well led by almost three minutes with 30km done.

However, that was reduced rapidly as the day's climbs approached, and with the race heading towards two laps around the Scherpenberg, Baneberg, Monteberg and Kemmelberg they were caught. 

The first time up the Baneberg Christine Majerus kicked off the aggression for SD Worx, splitting the peloton and allowing her team-mate Lotte Kopecky to take group of four up the road.

With Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), Liane Lippert (DSM), and British time trial champion Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma) the group was a strong one. And though they only took a handful of seconds onto the Belvedere climb of the Kemmelberg, that climb shattered the chasing group and only three emerged in close pursuit.

With 45km to go the leading group was seven but, with both SD Worx and Jumbo-Visma now represented by two women in that break, cohesion died almost instantly and the Trek-Segafredo-led peloton caught them.

SD Worx launched a dig ahead of the second ascent of the Baneberg, then another on the climb itself, but though the peloton was briefly thinned, a large group led the race towards the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.

The climb failed to have the desired effect though, and while Grace Brown (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) took a small lead over the top, she was soon swallowed up, only for the 2016 winner, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak to lead a group of four away.

Hers was the first of a series of further punches from SD Worx, with Majerus, Marlen Reusser, and Elena Cecchini all trying their luck before other teams joined the party, all trying to drop Balsamo.

However, the stop-start nature of this racing allowed other groups to get back on and a group of around 40 women rode through Ypres with 21km remaining. The aggression continued on the final run to Wevelgem, but nothing would stick, and even when a group of 13 women finally broke the elastic, Balsamo's team-mate, Ellen van Dijk dropped back and the gap was closed.

After her earlier heroics over the Kemmelberg, Brown got a gap three kilometres from the line, but when she was caught 2,000m later a bunch kick was inevitable.

Result

Gent - Wevelgem 2022: Ypres - Wevelgem (159km)

1. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Seagfredo, in 3-39-15
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
3. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT
4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SDWorx
5. Emma Norsgaard (Den) Movistar
6. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
7. Susanne Andersen (Nor) UNO-X
8. Tamara Dronova (Neutral) Roland-Cogeas-Edelweiss
9. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar Travel and Service
10. Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope, all at same time

The win may have been missing, but Wout van Aert says Jumbo-Visma created the perfect situation for themselves at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

The defending champion was active in trying to create splits in the bunch on the three ascents of the Kemmelberg, but despite his displays of phenomenal power he was unable to make the decisive move of the race.

Instead, it was his team-mate (and the man he rode with to an impressive victory at E3 Saxo Bank Classic on Friday) Christophe Laporte who broke clear with three others with 24km to go from a much-reduced peloton, which had been bruised by Van Aert's stinging attack on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.

>>> 'Unbelievable, amazing': Biniam Girmay stunned by historic Gent-Wevelgem win

With the Belgian champion waiting in the wings in the peloton at around 30 seconds behind, along with team-mate Tiesj Benoot, the situation looked ideal for Jumbo-Visma with Laporte perhaps the most accomplished sprinter amongst a group containing Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux), and Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies).

The Frenchman was undone by Girmay however, who launched a long-sprint and held off the closing-in Laporte to take a historic victory. Despite having to settle for the runner-up spot, Van Aert says the team can be satisfied with another strong, dominant performance in the Classics season.

“We rode a good race and can look back with satisfaction,” Van Aert said. ”I might have hoped for a little better legs today, but we rode for the win with the whole team. The Kemmelberg is a difficult climb, but not long. As a result, the time differences remained small. 

"Behind us were a lot of teams interested in the sprint and they regrouped quickly, so it was impossible to stay away. The fact that in the final Christophe rode away in a small group led to a perfect situation. The only blemish is that we just missed the win.”

Laporte, who has impressed in his first months with the Dutch team, reflected with somewhat more regret on missing what would have been his biggest career victory to date, suggesting he should have started his sprint earlier after running out of road to catch Girmay before the line.

“It was close. I was surprised by Girmay's move," Laporte said of the final sprint. "He took a gap of several metres and it was difficult to close it. Maybe I made a mistake by not starting my sprint earlier. At the moment deception prevails because I felt strong enough to win. My second place on Friday in Harelbeke cannot be compared with this one, as we did win the race as a team then.

“I escaped to put the team in a good position,” he continued. 

“We wanted to make the race hard, but we weren't the only ones. In the end we can't win every race, but you don't always get such a great chance to win a Classic.”

Laporte will line up next at another one-day race in which he has recorded a second place, the Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday. Both he and Van Aert will line-up for the second Monument of the year, the Tour of Flanders next Sunday, where the team will be all in to deliver the win for Van Aert.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) proved the fastest of a four-man group to become the first African winner of Gent-Wevelgem.

The 21-year-old Eritrean launched his sprint early, but held off Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) to top the podium in Wevelgem. 

The race, the second of the six spring Classics held in the cycling heartlands of Flanders, was shaken up by last year's winner, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). The Belgian champion broke free over the final climb, but was reeled in by the peloton who were ultimately outwitted by the four escapees.

Girmay's historic victory comes just two days after he took an assured fifth place at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic on Friday.

How it happened

The 248.9km route rolled north out of Ypres on a flat loop through the First World War battlefields. After 152km, the riders would tackle a circuit of nine hellingen, including three passes over the iconic Kemmelberg. Once the final climb had been crested, a 34km run-in to the finish line would remain to decide the winner. 

It took over 30km of racing for the breakaway to form. The seven-man group, composed of Jelle Wallays (Cofidis), Alexander Konychev (BikeExchange-Jayco), Nikias Arndt (DSM), Ludovic Robeet (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB), Lindsay De Vylder (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Lars Saugstad (Uno-X) and Johan Jacobs (Movistar), quickly stretched out a gap of over five minutes to the peloton.

A few mechanical mishaps provided the only real action in the first three hours of racing. The riders, so often affected in this Classic by strong wind gusts and grim weather conditions, enjoyed a Sunday morning spin in the sun.

With 105km to go, the peloton was dealt a wake-up call when a crash split the pack, leaving some with grazed elbows and ripped shorts. The riders had avoided the ‘death ridge’ that separates the concrete slabs of the road, but came unstuck when a narrow lane pinched the width of the group, causing those on the flanks to tumble into the grass ditch. 

The pace accelerated on the approach to the Scherpenberg, the first of the steep inclines, as Bahrain Victorious and Jumbo-Visma battled for control on the front. The breakaway’s advantage was slashed to less than two minutes, and Van Aert came through to lead the peloton over the initial climbs.

Milan-San Remo winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) then tore the peloton apart on the first descent of the Kemmelberg, forming a group of 18 riders. Of the early escapees, only Jacobs was able to withstand the chasing group, and maintained a gap of just a handful of seconds through the three unpaved ‘plugstreets’. 

The peloton regrouped with 56km remaining and five punchy climbs still to be conquered. Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Van Aert were the first to crest the Kemmelberg on the second pass of the cobbled climb, but were unable to shake off the sprinters at this stage.

The final climb of the day came in the more challenging eastern ascent of the Kemmelberg. Angled at an average gradient of 9.2%, with pitches reaching 23%, the ramp provided the perfect launch pad for the Belgian champion. Van Aert gained a few seconds on his rivals, who caught him on the descent to form an eight-man group that included his Jumbo-Visma teammates Tiesj Benoot and Christophe Laporte.

The race leaders, however, were soon caught. With 24km to go, Laporte went on the attack with Girmay, Stuyven and Van Gestel. The four riders hurtled under the 10km banner with an advantage of 37 seconds.   

Into the final 5km of the race, the reduced group continued to co-operate well to hold off the chasers. Girmay, having hovered behind his rivals in the final kilometre, opened his sprint with 250m to go and kicked powerfully through the pedals, beyond his fellow escapees. 

As he crossed the line, The Eritrean raised his arms aloft to celebrate his first victory at WorldTour level and a historic first for Africa in the Belgian Classic.

Results

Gent-Wevelgem 2022: Ypres to Wevelgem (248.9km)

1. Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, in 5-37-57
2. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma
3. Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, all at same time
5. Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM, at 8s
6. Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
7. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
8. Iván García Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
9. Matej Mohorič (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
10. Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, all at same time