Gent-Wevelgem

Two elements define the Gent-Wevelgem race (UCI WorldTour; also including a women’s event), located on the Sunday prior to the Tour of Flanders from one decade ago. One of the two has been a characteristic of the race for many years: differently to other Belgian top-ranked events in March, held over the eastern part of the Flemish Ardennes, this race explores the so-called ‘Heuvelland’, a terrain across the French border which the race reaches after more than hundred kilometers of flat roads.

The second characteristic of this course was first used in 2017. As well as the cobblestones and the tough ‘hellingen’ -only eleven hills on a long, 250km parcours-, the event features the ‘Plugstreets’, white gravel roads which connected battle trenches on World War I a century ago, and now serve as a remembrance of the fallen ones with a healthier sporting fight. The sections -which, due to Britain’s participation in the Great War, have English names: Hill 63, Christmas Truce and The Catacombs- are tackled with 60km to go, following a long section of hills and cobbles still far from the finish.

The Catsberg (137km), the Kokereelberg (140km) or the hills around the Mont Noir (145 + 150km) act as preview of the first loop around the Baneberg (168km) and the tough Kemmelberg (176km), set to be covered again after the ‘Plugstreets’, with 38 and 34km to go respectively. After that, a long flat section -with beautiful landscapes, especially as the race goes through Ieper / Ypres and its Menenpoort door- to keep breaking the race apart or seek for a bunch sprint which is not secured at all.