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51-399: 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

102-467: A larger build than the average road racing cyclist, combining the strength of their legs with their upper body to produce a short burst of speed necessary in a closely contested finish. Some sprinters have a high top speed but may take a longer distance to achieve it, while others can produce short and sharp accelerations. Aerodynamics plays a key role in sprints. A sprinter is usually heavier, limiting their speed advantage to relatively flat sections. It

153-611: A record seven Points classification in the Tour de France . He won three consecutive World Championship , one European Championship , two Monument races Paris–Roubaix and Tour of Flanders . The only three riders in cycling's history to win stages at all three grand tours in the same calendar year were all sprinters: Miguel Poblet in 1956, Pierino Baffi in 1958 and Alessandro Petacchi in 2003. A good sprint can also secure several victories for other specialists, such as Classics riders and GC -contenders. Seán Kelly won 21 stages in

204-411: 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

255-573: A total distance of 5.2 km (3.2 mi). The COVID-19 pandemic led to the change of calendar and that year's edition was postponed for the 11th of October. Riders in italics are still active 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

306-407: Is Milan–San Remo , won four times by Zabel and three times by three-time World Champion Óscar Freire . Other "flat" one day races considered important sprinter classics include Gent–Wevelgem , Scheldeprijs , Vattenfall Cyclassics , Paris-Brussels and Paris–Tours . Sprinting on a cycle track or velodrome ranges from the highly specialised sprint event (where two or more riders slowly circle

357-629: Is addressed twice in quick succession. After the Katsberg , the second hill in France, the race re-enters Belgium after 50 kilometres (31 mi) 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

408-568: 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 35 kilometres (22 mi) from

459-619: 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

510-493: Is therefore not uncommon for sprinters to be dropped by the peloton (also known as the 'bunch' or 'pack') if a race is through hilly terrain. Sprinters may have different preferences. Some prefer a longer "launch" while others prefer to ' draft ' or slipstream behind their teammates or opponents before accelerating in the final meters. Some prefer slight uphill finishes, while others prefer downhill finishes. In conventional road races, sprinters may bide their time waiting until

561-683: 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. 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

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612-534: 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. 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

663-592: The Tour de France and twice the Points classification . He also built his legend by winning titles ahead of major cyclists, as the 1955 French National Championship ahead of Louison Bobet and the 1956 Giro di Lombardia ahead of Fausto Coppi . He finished on the podium of the World Championship 4 times in a row and won the title in 1959. Freddy Maertens only participated in six grand tours but took home

714-583: The Tour of Flanders (like Rudi Altig and Jan Raas ), Paris–Roubaix ( Eddy Planckaert ) and the Giro di Lombardia (like André Darrigade ) or even stage races (in addition to the aforementioned Leducq , Rodríguez , Maertens , Saronni and Moser , they include Rudi Altig , Sean Kelly and Laurent Jalabert who all won the Vuelta, as did 1968 Tour de France winner and all-rounder Jan Janssen . The ultimate sprinter classic due to its relatively flat course

765-673: 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

816-420: 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. 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

867-434: The points classification in the Tour de France , the maillot vert (green jersey) is won by the race's most consistent sprinter. At the Tour de France, the most successful recipient of this honor is Slovak sprinter Peter Sagan , who has won seven Tour de France green jerseys (2012–2016, 2018–2019). Sprinters have a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers than non-sprinters. Road cycling sprinters sometimes tend to have

918-420: The slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy. Apart from using sprinting as a racing tactic, sprinters can also compete for intermediate sprints (sometimes called primes ), often to provide additional excitement in cities along the route of a race. In stage races, intermediate sprints and final stage placings may be combined in a points classification . For example, in

969-496: 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

1020-493: 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 . In 1936 the race distance was increased to 168 km and Robert Van Eenaeme was the first professional winner. 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",

1071-533: 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

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1122-504: The Overall Classification a few years later. Another successful sprinter of the interbellum was French allrounder André Leducq . Although he could do more than sprint alone, including winning stage races (winning the Tour de France twice) and classics, 15 of his total 25 stage victories in the Tour were in bunch sprints. André Darrigade is considered as the greatest French sprinter of all time. He won 22 stages in

1173-479: The Points Jersey on four occasions, winning 12 of his 15 Tour de France stage wins in a bunch sprint. His only participation in Vuelta a España in 1977 resulted not only in a record 13 stage wins, but also in the win of the general classification. Just five days after finishing the Vuelta, he went on race the Giro d'Italia , where he won 7 stages before having to abandon the race after a crash halfway through

1224-618: The Tour and Vuelta, and the Points Classifications of both races four times each, in addition to his nine major Classics wins. Likewise, Belgian classics specialists Rik Van Steenbergen , Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck were very successful due to a good final sprint, as were Italian Giro d'Italia -winners Bepe Saronni and Francesco Moser and their compatriot and two-time World Champion, Paolo Bettini . Conversely, many sprinters use their abilities to win more than just stages, and were successful in classics such as

1275-461: The Tour de France. Erik Zabel won a record nine points classifications: six in the Tour de France and three in the Vuelta a España . Of the five riders to win the Points classification in all three Grand Tours, three were pure sprinters: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov , Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish . The other two were all-rounders Eddy Merckx and Laurent Jalabert . Peter Sagan won

1326-553: 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

1377-521: The early stages of the race, splits and echelons at this point frequently see 40 to 60 riders eliminated from the running. 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

1428-631: 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,

1479-520: 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. 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

1530-405: 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. In 2008 , the route was substantially modified, following the race's status as a UCI Pro Tour event. The distance

1581-778: 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 . The three Plugstreets were integrated between the two Kemmel climbs, with

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1632-414: The last few hundred metres before putting on a burst of speed to win the race. Many races will finish with a large group sprinting for the win; some sprinters may have team -mates, so-called domestiques 'leading them out' (i.e., keeping pace high and sheltering the sprinter) so that they have a greater chance of finishing in the leading positions. These teammates tend to "peel off" one by one as they tire;

1683-522: The last teammate is known as the "lead-out sprinter" and the best of them are excellent sprinters in their own right. Several of the Classic one day races, for example Milan–San Remo or Paris–Tours , tend to favour sprinters because of their long distance and relatively flat terrain. A long day of racing does not benefit a sprinter per se, but very long stages or one day races tend to preclude successful breakaways and otherwise aggressive racing, ensuring

1734-580: 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. Cycling sprinter A sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using

1785-409: 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

1836-631: The race starts in Deinze , East Flanders , 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) 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

1887-483: The race three times. Sagan also achieved a record six podium finishes in the race. 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. Its origin is a tribute to Gaston Rebry , a native of Wevelgem, who was one of the stars of cycling in Belgium in

1938-574: 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. Six riders share the record of victories. Belgians Robert Van Eenaeme , Rik Van Looy , Eddy Merckx and Tom Boonen , Italian Mario Cipollini and Slovak Peter Sagan each won

1989-509: The race will come down to a bunch sprint. Most editions of these races end in a bunch sprint, often won by racers also successful in the points classification at stage races. Stronger sprinters with abilities in hilly terrain or on cobblestones also have good prospects of winning the Ardennes classics or the Cobbled classics respectively. The first great pure sprinter in the Tour de France

2040-463: The race's history. 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. Since 2004,

2091-405: The race. As the sport of cycling progressed into one of more specialized riders in the 1980s, bunch sprints became the arena of specialists – pure sprinters like Guido Bontempi , Jean-Paul van Poppel and Mario Cipollini , all focusing primarily on sprint stages, with other riders (classics specialists, time trialists, climbers etc.) aiming for victories in other types of stages. Cipollini holds

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2142-541: 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

2193-788: The record for most stage wins in the Grand Tours as a sprinter; 57, of which 42 were in the Giro d'Italia . Fellow Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi (48 stage wins) won stages and the Points Classification in all three grand tours, including 20 stage wins in the Vuelta . The record for stage wins in the Vuelta belongs to Delio Rodríguez , with 39 wins. Mark Cavendish was named the Tour de France's best sprinter of all time by French paper L'Équipe on July 15, 2012. His tally currently stands on 52 individual stage wins in Grand Tours, 35 of which have been bunch sprints in

2244-404: The track looking to gain a tactical advantage before launching a finishing burst over the final 200 metres, which is timed), to massed-start events decided by the first across the line after a certain number of laps (similar to road racing). The sprint specialist may also ride short track time trials over 1000 metres, the team sprint and Keirin events. In Madison racing, a team may comprise

2295-520: 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. In 1957, as Gent–Wevelgem was part of

2346-438: 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. Since 2015, the event is named Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields , after the iconic war poem by John McCrae . Organizers wanted to commemorate

2397-406: Was Frenchman Charles Pélissier who won eight stages in the 1930 Tour de France , still a record (shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens ). A year later, Pélissier battled with Italian sprinter Raffaele di Paco in one of the first major sprinter clashes. Both won five stages. In the 1941 Vuelta a España , Delio Rodríguez won 12 stages, followed by 8 the next year. He even managed to win

2448-410: 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. Since the 1980s the race has built a reputation as

2499-437: 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

2550-429: 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

2601-521: 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. 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

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