ANALYSIS: Five editions of Gent Weveglem that made it a fan favourite

Gent Wevelgem takes place today, a race that is a fixture of Belgium’s beloved Spring Classics calendar and a race that blends cycling drama with historical importance. First held in 1934, the race typically unfolds on the final Sunday of March, slotted perfectly a week before the Tour of Flanders.

While often labelled a “sprinters’ classic” due to its flat finish, Gent Wevelgem has defied that reputation time and again, with its unpredictable conditions, punishing cobbled climbs, and exposed fields that turn wind into a weapon.

What sets Gent Wevelgem apart is its geographical and emotional setting. The course weaves through the former battlefields of World War I in West Flanders. Riders pass under the Menin Gate in Ypres, a solemn monument to fallen soldiers, and tackle climbs like the Kemmelberg, a brutal cobbled ascent with gradients reaching 23%. These roads, etched with history and frequently soaked with rain and whipped by winds, create a brutal race where survival often trumps sprinting speed

Beyond the suffering and strategy lies the symbolism: the race’s official title pays homage to the poem “In Flanders Fields,” and since 2012 it has featured both men's and women's races on the same day. Together, these attributes make Gent Wevelgem one of the sport’s most emotionally resonant and tactically unpredictable events.

Below, we look back at five editions (across both men’s and women’s races) that capture the essence of this historic one-day classic.

The 1977 Gent Wevelgem broke all conventions. At 277 km, it remains the longest edition in the race’s history. This year’s course veered deep into the Flemish Ardennes, with eleven climbs including the Koppenberg and two ascents of the fearsome Kemmelberg. Rather than offering up a typical fast-man finale, the race resembled a miniature Tour of Flanders, a punishing journey that turned the peloton into survivors.

Out of this chaos, a 22-year-old Bernard Hinault made his mark. Known then as a promising French talent, Hinault powered away from a group and soloed to victory in Wevelgem. This win wasn’t just a surprise; it was a declaration of intent.

The future five-time Tour de France winner showed that he could not only dominate stage races but also master the rough roads and cobbles of northern Europe. It was rare then (and still now) for a Grand Tour contender to conquer Gent Wevelgem, but Hinault’s win confirmed the race’s ability to crown true all-rounders. In the larger context of classics history, 1977 proved Gent–Wevelgem could be as hard, as tactical, and as prestigious as any of the Monuments.

Gent–Wevelgem’s expansion into the women’s calendar came in 2012 with the inaugural women’s race. It was a long-overdue move, but it was made memorable by a bold and brilliant ride from Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead (now Deignan).

Attacking with 40 km to go, Armitstead braved the wind and cobbles solo, resisting all chase efforts behind. On a course built to test positioning and power in the crosswinds, her solo effort became a lesson in how to pace the race. It was not only a spectacular win but a symbolic one, launching her 2012 campaign that would peak with an Olympic silver medal later that year.

The race also signalled the growing credibility of the women’s classics calendar. Gent Wevelgem’s commitment to a women’s edition laid groundwork for future expansion, eventually earning a spot on the Women’s WorldTour in 2016.

If ever there was a Gent Wevelgem that disproved its reputation as a predictable race for sprinters, it was 2015.

The men’s edition that year turned into a battle of survival against the elements, as ferocious crosswinds tore the peloton to pieces. At one point, a gust lifted Geraint Thomas clean off his bike and into a ditch, a moment that would become one of the most-shared clips of the spring.

Only 39 of the nearly 200 starters made it to the finish line. The rest succumbed to crashes, fatigue or the relentless wind. Amidst the mayhem, veteran Italian Luca Paolini launched a late solo attack from a group of battered contenders.

With 6 km to go, he accelerated, and no one could respond. At 38 years old, Paolini claimed the biggest one-day victory of his career.

The 2015 edition is remembered not only for Paolini’s canny move but for highlighting Gent Wevelgem’s harshness. Far from a calm sprinters’ parade, it was a war zone on wheels. It demonstrated that under the right (or wrong) weather, this race could be every bit as brutal as Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders.

The 2015 women’s race, run in the same hurricane like conditions, provided its own unforgettable storyline. As the peloton splintered under the strain of wind and rain, young Dutch rider Floortje Mackaij stayed cool amid the chaos. Just 19 years old and in her first full pro season, Mackaij made the key split alongside teammate Amy Pieters.

With just 3 km to go, she attacked the lead group and didn’t look back. Mackaij’s solo win (her first as a pro) was a moment of youthful defiance against both her elders and the weather gods.

Mackaij’s win is still cited as one of the best moments in the women’s race’s history, a reminder that sometimes the boldest move wins, no matter how experienced you are.

Gent Wevelgem’s 2022 men’s race delivered a landmark moment, not just for cycling but for sport as a whole. Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay outsprinted a select breakaway group to win, becoming the first African cyclist to claim victory in a major one-day classic.

The 21-year-old’s triumph capped a tactical and high-paced race, where he made the final selection with Christophe Laporte, Jasper Stuyven and Dries Van Gestel. With the bunch closing fast, Girmay launched an early sprint from about 250 metres out, a bold move that paid off. Laporte surged alongside him, but Girmay held on to win by half a wheel.

It was a win that reverberated beyond Belgium, proof that the classics were becoming truly global. Later that season, Girmay confirmed his class by winning a stage of the Giro d’Italia, but it was Gent Wevelgem that had put him in the spotlight.

More than just a race, Girmay’s win was a cultural milestone. It spoke to the diversity and evolution of the sport, one where a young African rider could now conquer the toughest of classics.