ANALYSIS: Five editions of Gent Weveglem that made it a fan favourite
Cycling
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.
1977
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.
2012
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.
2015 (men)
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.
2015 (women)
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.
2022
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.
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- Powless just got “better” at 28, Rog hasn’t gotten worse at 35, GT only really started getting going in GT late twenties. Give the guy a chance, he’s not even been let off the leash yet, remember what Jonas achieved GT wise since being given leader status.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Jorgenson turns 26 this year, he won't get much bettervappaxbipmv02-04-2025
- i completely agree. wouter has been through a meat grinder. he’s such a class act, a man of such character that he would never complain or make excuses, that’s why it’s so infuriating to hear him spoken about as if he was failing, choking, or in any way not fulfilling what’s expected of him. i get it, he’s a PRO, so part of what he gets paid for is to be a target for anyone with an opinion. fair enough. MY opinion is that he needs TIME to overcome a pile of injuries. i hope he gets there, because he deserves a pile of wins.OCexile02-04-2025
- I just went through the list of events in his recent riding history listed in another article (so not including his very expensive legal affair and any potential trouble at home) and it’s a half miracle he’s still riding at all. He's outfallen Roglič for sure, who always came away RELATIVELY unharmed.Mistermaumau02-04-2025
- ugh. slice and dice this any way you like. if you’re one of the belgians TRYING to believe wout is going to be in the fight at de ronde and roubaix, this is an ice cold dose of reality. my opinion is that nobody — ESPECIALLY his own team — should have been fanning any expectations of wout at this point after what he’s endured.OCexile02-04-2025
- I guess when you’re high, you don’t (need to) focus on anything ;-)Mistermaumau02-04-2025
- True but things also change, Primoz will get older, Remco crashes, MJ isn’t peaking yet and people can improve their weaknesses faster than others improve their strengths, cf MVDP climbing, JV TTing.Mistermaumau02-04-2025
- Sorry, yeah doesn’t look great but it seems all the recent context gets completely ignored in order to make a big story out of this. Honestly, did anyone at this point really expect Wout to suddenly have recovered all his missing form? Respect to Powless but he’s no nobody, his 2022-2023 presaged something like this. Yes they messed up but it also nearly worked, impossible to know how good your opponent is going to be in such a situation unkess it’s an in form Pog or MVDP. I’d not see this as a disaster but a really bad call, there are positives, they distanced a very strong 2nd group (Mads might be saving himself though) and Wout was very close to a place he’s not heen in a long time. I’d call that progress. Only a few meters would have led to completely different headlines. Why make everything so boack and white? Wout obviously understands and it is in part everyone putting all that pressure on him that led to him making a bad call. That said, had he let his mates go for the win (no guarantee either) héd have received different criticism.Mistermaumau02-04-2025
- Pogi is just had 9 days of racing.
James2631802-04-2025 - I’d advise doing brain scans during max efforts, you never know, he may be having micro blackouts without realising it at the time and with a crash you tend not to remember it after either. Like when you nod off a split second while driving, or realise you can’t remember any details from the last few km.Mistermaumau02-04-2025