Gent-Wevelgem

Now that the fans and media have held for weeks a debate on this or that race becoming the ‘sixth Monument’, it must be said that Gent-Wevelgem could perfectly have a say on this. It’s a long event (no less than 253km), with cobblestones, some gravel -added already quite some years ago-, wind, stress and demand. The best possible prelude to ‘De Ronde’, just seven days away from ‘De Hoogmis’.

As usual, and other than the three ‘sterrati’, here called ‘Plugstreets’ to remember the trenches from the World Wars, the event will be decided on the three ascents of the Kemmelberg, the hardest of the nine hills on the route. The final climb, covered through a different side from the earlier two, is crested with 45km to go. The final chase from there is always exhilarating.