Gent–Wevelgem

Template:Short description Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the Tour of Flanders.

Although the event is often called a sprinters' classic due to its flat finishing terrain, its early-season date means riders are often tested by wind and rain, as well as several climbs, including two ascents of the steep and fully cobbled Kemmelberg. As a result, few editions of Gent–Wevelgem actually end in a bunch sprint – often the winner comes from a small group of escapees.

In 2005 the race was included in the inaugural UCI ProTour and in 2011 in its successor, the UCI World Tour. Since 2011 it is organized by Flanders Classics, which also organizes the Tour of Flanders. Since 2012 a woman's event is held on the same day as the men's race, included in the inaugural UCI Women's World Tour in 2016.

Seven riders share the record of victories. Belgians Robert Van Eenaeme, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Tom Boonen, Italian Mario Cipollini, Slovak Peter Sagan and Dane Mads Pedersen each won the race three times. Sagan also achieved a record six podium finishes in the race.

History

Amateur event

File:Tour de France - Rebry, avec casquette sools.JPG

The event was created in honour of Gaston Rebry, although he never participated.

Created in 1934 and originally run by the newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen, the race's finish town of Wevelgem was selected because it was the home town of the event's first owner, local textile manufacturer Georges Matthijs. Template:Efn Its origin is a tribute to Gaston Rebry, a native of Wevelgem, who was one of the stars of cycling in Belgium in the 1930s.

The first edition was run on 9 September 1934 as an amateur race on a flat, 120 km route. The race only had Belgian participants and was won by Gustave Van Belle.Template:Efn In 1936 the race distance was increased to 168 km and Robert Van Eenaeme was the first professional winner.

Spring classic

The event had its only interruptions during World War II, and was subsequently organized again as a professional event in 1945. Gaston Rebry, by then president of bike club "Het Vliegend Wiel", was the new race director. Robert Van Eenaeme was declared winner of the first post-War edition, surprisingly ten days after the race was over, after officials had closer inspected the photo finish.

In 1947 Gent–Wevelgem was granted a springtime date on the calendar and gained prestige. Organizer Rebry managed to line up Italian cycling icons Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi, who attracted vast numbers of spectators to the race.

In 1957 the race became part of the short-lived Trophy of Flanders, a two-day formula with the Omloop Het Volk, in which Gent–Wevelgem was raced on Saturday, the Omloop on Sunday. In the 1960s the race garnered international prestige. Belgian cycling legends Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx won the race three times; Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil was the first French winner in 1964.

The race was in a constant search of identity and re-invention, as reflected in the regular route and calendar changes. In 1977 the distance was 277 km, the longest edition ever, featuring eleven climbs in the Flemish Ardennes and a double ascent of the Kemmelberg. The arduous edition was won by Bernard Hinault, claiming his first international success.

File:Mario CIPOLLINI 1.jpg

Italian sprint star Mario Cipollini is one of seven riders who won the race three times.

In Flanders Fields Classic

Since the 1980s the race has built a reputation as a sprinters' classic. Italian sprint star Mario Cipollini claimed three victories. Sean Kelly, Guido Bontempi, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov and Tom Steels are some of the other sprint specialists on the roll of honour.

In 2003, Gent–Wevelgem abandoned its original start location Ghent and moved to suburban Deinze. Tom Boonen claimed his first classic victory in 2004, later proceeding to equal the winning record of three wins. For many decades, the race held a mid-week position between the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. In 2011, the race was included in the UCI World Tour and returned to a Sunday date in the weekend between Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Flanders.Template:Efn

Since 2015, the event is named Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, after the iconic war poem by John McCrae. Organizers wanted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, as the Westhoek region was at the heart of the war and is home to several Commonwealth war graves. The 2015 edition was won by Luca Paolini, but was particularly memorable as it was run in abysmal weather, with strong winds scourging the peloton. Several riders were blown violently off their bikes, including Geraint Thomas when he was leading the breakaway group, prompting media to describe the race as "mayhem" and "one of the wildest bike races in recent years". Only 39 riders finished the race.

The 2016 edition was marred by the death of Belgian rider Antoine Demoitié, suffering fatal injuries from a crash and collision with a motor bike. Peter Sagan won the 2018 event, marking Sagan's third Gent–Wevelgem title and sixth podium finish, thereby becoming the most successful rider in the race's history.

Route

File:Gent-Wevelgem 2014.jpg

Route map of the 2014 Gent–Wevelgem: Starting in Deinze and finishing in Wevelgem, the race covers around 250 km

File:Gent-Wevelgem 2018 men.png

Final 100 km of the 2018 event

Unlike most of the Flemish spring classics, which centre around Oudenaarde and the plentiful hills in the Flemish Ardennes, Gent–Wevelgem travels west into West Flanders and Northern France and has fewer hills, providing it with a different character and making it more suitable for sprinters. In recent years the total distance of the race was around 250 km.

Present course

Since 2004, the race starts in Deinze, East Flanders, southwest of Ghent. After the unofficial start on the city's Market Square, the route heads west, facing 100 kilometres through the wind-swept flatlands of West Flanders, up to and along the North Sea coast before turning south into the North department of France. After 120 km comes the cobbled Kasselberg climb in Cassel, which is addressed twice in quick succession.Template:Efn After the Katsberg, the second hill in France, the race re-enters Belgium after on French roads, to enter the key section of the race in Heuvelland.

The hill zone in the very south of West Flanders holds three climbs, the Baneberg, Monteberg and Kemmelberg, covered within twelve kilometres of one another. This succession of climbs is interspersed with technical descents along narrow country roads, including the difficult descent of the Kemmelberg. The Kemmelberg is the hardest and most iconic climb of the race.

After these three bergs, the course loops round and riders re-ascend the Baneberg–Monteberg-Kemmelberg sequence, covering a total of nine categorized climbs. After the top of the ultimate climb of the Kemmelberg, some from the finish, the course invariably ensues on a long and flat run-in to Wevelgem. The finish is on the Vanackerestraat, Wevelgem's central avenue.

Character of the race

The essential ingredients of Gent–Wevelgem have remained the same for decades. First to take their toll on the peloton, in the opening 100 kilometres, are the crosswinds and often rainy weather on exposed, flat roads across Flanders’ largest open plain. As teams try to protect and position their captains in the early stages of the race, splits and echelons at this point frequently see 40 to 60 riders eliminated from the running.

File:Kemmelberg23.jpg

The Kemmelberg first featured in 1955 and has become the centrepiece of the race. The steepest slopes reach 23 % gradient near the top.

Subsequently, after hours of pounding across the Flanders flatlands and the occasional excursion to Northern France, the riders approach the hill zone in Heuvelland, which features the day's most difficult ascents. The hills are at the heart of the action and usually the sites where breakaways are formed. The race's most renowned climb is the Kemmelberg, a fully cobbled hill road in Kemmel with gradients up to 23%, but equally notorious for its difficult and technical descent.

The Kemmelberg, the highest point in the region, is the toughest climb and the emotional centrepiece of the race. Named after Camulos, the Celtic god of war, the Kemmelberg's summit lies atop a thickly wooded ridge which was the scene of the Battle of the Lys in April 1918, in which more than 200,000 soldiers died. The climb has been controversial in the past because of several severe crashes in its descent. In 2007 French rider Jimmy Casper crashed heavily, suffering numerous facial and other fractures. In 2016 the climb was addressed by its steepest road for the first time in more than 20 years.

After the Kemmelberg, the ultimate battle between breakaways formed on the bergs and the chasing peloton unfolds on the 35-kilometre flat roads towards the finish. Despite its reputation as a sprinter's classic, Gent–Wevelgem's breakaways frequently hold off their pursuers because of the unpredictable terrain.

File:Peloton1 Kemmelberg 4JDD2010.JPG

The Kemmelberg is one of the only cobbled sites in the race.

Cobbles

Although media usually classify Gent–Wevelgem as a cobbled classic, the route actually has very few sections of cobbled roads. Only the Kemmelberg and the upper stretches of the Kasselberg are cobbled, totaling a possible maximum of two kilometres of cobbled section, which is significantly less than the other cobbled races of Flanders and Northern France. Moreover, there are no flat sections of pavé and both cobbled climbs are in excellent condition, as they are part of a busy suburban traffic network.

Course changes

The first race was in 1934 on an all-flat route from Ghent's St Pieter's Station to Wevelgem. The second edition in 1935 addressed the Flemish Ardennes in East Flanders and included the climbs of Kwaremont, Kluisberg and Tiegemberg. From 1936 to 1939 the race ran from Ghent to Kortrijk, followed by local laps, including the Lauwberg as the main difficulty.

File:Heuvelland vanaf de Rodeberg.jpg

Since 1945, the hills in Heuvelland, including Kemmelberg and Rodeberg (pictured) are the heart of the finale.

After World War II, Gent–Wevelgem restyled with a new route across the Flemish Ardennes and the Heuvelland region. The Edelareberg, Hoppeberg, Kwaremont, Zwarteberg and Rodeberg featured along the way. In 1947 and 1948 the course looped up to and along the North Sea coast for the first time.

From 1949 to 1954 the Flemish Ardennes returned, followed by the Heuvelland hills of Rodeberg and Vidaigneberg. In 1955 the Kluisberg and Kemmelberg made their first appearance. The road on the Kemmelberg was still unpaved. In 1956 the Eikenberg was included.

File:Vueduclocher.jpg

Mont Cassel is one of the Franco-Flemish hills in Northern France, introduced in 1957.

In 1957, as Gent–Wevelgem was part of the Trophy of Flanders, organizers introduced climbs in French Flanders: Zwarteberg, Mont Cassel, Katsberg and Wouwenberg preceded the Kemmelberg. In 1958, these Franco-Flemish climbs were not included: the pre-Schengen border crossing caused too many administrative burdens. After the run-up to the coast, the route featured only the Rodeberg, Vidaigneberg and Kemmelberg climbs in Heuvelland.

In 1960 scheduling conflicts marked the end of the Trophy of Flanders and the race placed itself on the calendar between the more prestigious classics the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. In 1961 Gent–Wevelgem implemented a two-day course, a one-year novelty. The race ran from Ghent to Antwerp on the first day and to Wevelgem on the second.

From 1962 to 1976 Gent–Wevelgem ran via the coast to Heuvelland, with the Rodeberg, Vidaigneberg and Kemmelberg as fixed venues, sometimes supplemented with Monteberg, Baneberg, Sulferberg, Goeberg, Suikerberg (Sugar Hill), Kraaiberg and Scherpenberg.

In 1977, the hills of the Flemish Ardennes were addressed for the last time to date, featuring eleven significant climbs, including Koppenberg, Edelareberg, Kattenberg, Varent, Kluisberg and Tiegemberg. In 1993, the Franco-Flemish hills made their re-appearance but were omitted again in 1996.

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The race passes under the Menin Gate World War I memorial in Ypres during the race finale.

In 2008, the route was substantially modified, following the race's status as a UCI Pro Tour event. The distance was increased from ca. 200 km to 235 km. The course no longer ran along long coastal stretches, but instead approached Veurne from the polders. More climbs in Heuvelland were inserted: Zwarteberg, Baneberg, Rodeberg, Vidaigneberg and Monteberg preceded the double ascent of the Kemmelberg. As a consequence of the heavy crashes of the 2007 race, the Kemmelberg was approached from the village of Kemmel, in order to avoid the dangerous cobbled descent and potential new crashes.

In 2010 the Franco-Flemish hills of Kasselberg, Scherpenberg, Katsberg, and Berthen were re-introduced, before ensuing the traditional route in the Heuvelland hills. In recent years the city of Ypres features prominently in the race finale. In the context of the Centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the peloton crosses the city centre and leaves it passing under the iconic Menin Gate, arguably the most famous Flanders Fields memorial, before proceeding on the final run-in to the finish in Wevelgem.

The 2017 race saw the addition of three so-called Plugstreets in Ploegsteert Wood, semi-paved gravel roads at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, to commemorate the Christmas truce of 1914.Template:Efn The three Plugstreets were integrated between the two Kemmel climbs, with a total distance of .

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the change of calendar and that year's edition was postponed for the 11th of October.

Winners

Year	Country	Rider	Team
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940– 1944
1945
1946			Alcyon
1947			Alcyon
1948
1949
1950			Alcyon
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955			Alcyon
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967			Peugeot
1968			Flandria–De Clerck
1969			Goldor–Hertekamp–Gerka
1970			Faemino–Faema
1971			Hertekamp–Magniflex
1972			Molteni
1973			Molteni
1974			Gan–Mercier
1975			Carpenter–Confortluxe–Flandria
1976			Flandria–Velda–West Vlaams Vleesbedrijf
1977			Gitane–Campagnolo
1978			Marc Zeepcentrale–Superia–ISC
1979			Sanson
1980			TI–Raleigh–Creda
1981			TI–Raleigh–Creda
1982			TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo
1983			TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo
1984			Template:Cycling data CAR
1985			Panasonic
1986			Template:Cycling data CAR
1987			Panasonic
1988			Kas
1989			Superconfex–Yoko
1990			Histor–Sigma
1991			Template:Cycling data CAR
1992			GB-MG
1993			GB-MG
1994			GB-MG
1995			Festina–Lotus
1996			Mapei–GB
1997			Template:Cycling data COF
1998			Mapei–Bricobi
1999			Mapei–Quick-Step
2000			Farm Frites
2001			U.S. Postal Service
2002			Template:Cycling data CTA
2003			Team Telekom
2004			Template:Cycling data QST
2005			Template:Cycling data SIL
2006			Crédit Agricole
2007			T-Mobile Team
2008			Template:Cycling data RAB
2009			Team Columbia–High Road
2010			Team HTC–Columbia
2011			Template:Cycling data QST
2012			Template:Cycling data OPQ
2013			Template:Cycling data CAN
2014			Template:Cycling data GIA
2015			Template:Cycling data KAT
2016			Template:Cycling data TNK
2017			Template:Cycling data BMC
2018			Template:Cycling data BOH
2019			Template:Cycling data UAD
2020			Template:Cycling data TFS men
2021			Template:Cycling data TJV
2022			Template:Cycling data IWG
2023			Template:Cycling data TJV
2024			Template:Cycling data TFS men
2025			Template:Cycling data TFS men

Multiple winners

Riders in italics are still active

Wins	Rider	Country	Editions
3	Robert Van Eenaeme	Template:Flagu	1936, 1937, 1945
	Rik Van Looy	Template:Flagu	1956, 1957, 1962
	Eddy Merckx	Template:Flagu	1967, 1970, 1973
	Mario Cipollini	Template:Flagu	1992, 1993, 2002
	Tom Boonen	Template:Flagu	2004, 2011, 2012
	Peter Sagan		2013, 2016, 2018
	Mads Pedersen	Template:Flagu	2020, 2024, 2025
2	Raymond Impanis	Template:Flagu	1952, 1953
	Briek Schotte	Template:Flagu	1950, 1955
	Frans Aerenhouts	Template:Flagu	1960, 1961
	Freddy Maertens	Template:Flagu	1975, 1976
	Guido Bontempi	Template:Flagu	1984, 1986
	Tom Steels	Template:Flagu	1996, 1999

Wins per country

Wins	Country
50
7
5
4
3
1	Template:GBR2

Women's race

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Britain's Lizzie Armitstead won the first women's Gent–Wevelgem in 2012.

Since 2012 a women's race of Gent–Wevelgem is held, on the same day as the men's event but over a shorter course. Unlike the men's race, the start is in Ypres and the course does not cover the hills in Northern France. The inaugural women's edition was won by British rider Lizzie Armitstead after a 40-km solo breakaway. Since 2016 the race is included in the UCI Women's World Tour, cycling's top-tier female elite competition.

Year	Country	Rider	Team
2012			Template:Cycling data AAD
2013			Template:Cycling data TLP
2014			Template:Cycling data OPT
2015			Template:Cycling data TLP
2016			Template:Cycling data DLT
2017			Template:Cycling data CBT
2018			Template:Cycling data ALE
2019			Template:Cycling data WNT
2020			Template:Cycling data DLT
2021			Template:Cycling data JVW
2022			Template:Cycling data TFS women
2023			Template:Cycling data SDW
2024			Template:Cycling data SDW
2025			Template:Cycling data SDW

Wins per country

Wins	Country
7
2
1	Template:GBR2

Cyclosportive

Since 2009, a cyclosportive is organized on the day before the professional event. There are four distances, ranging from 60 km to 215 km. All courses start and finish in Wevelgem, at the finishing location of the professional event. Most routes pass through the Menin Gate in Ypres, flirt with the French border, tackle the Kemmelberg before turning back towards Wevelgem. There are 5.000 participants on average; 40% of which are non-Belgians.