PREVIEW | Gent Wevelgem 2025 - Can Mads Pedersen defend his title?

Gent-Wevelgem, the longest cobbled classic leading up to the Tour of Flanders, offers a captivating spectacle, on the 30th March. While not as challenging as the renowned Flandrien monument, it remains a fiercely dynamic race, renowned for its explosive action and showcasing the talents of the top classics specialists year after year. We preview the race ahead.

Most of the 250-kilometer race is flat, not a hard profile which is the reason why in most years it is a reduced group sprint fighting it out for the win. The race is flat except for a hilly section which is based on three ascents of the Kemmelberg in which every year there are attacks, as well as off-road sections which have been added in recent years.

Through Belvedère, the riders will climb up twice. It’s a grueling ramp where many will suffer, splits will occur in the first time up with around 85 kilometers to go. From there on there will be a few gravel sectors known as the ‘plugstreets’, which will see 4.1 kilometers where mishaps may happen, a game of luck essentially when it comes to mechanicals, with the last one finishing with 67 kilometers to go.

The second time up the Kemmelberg will be with 56 kilometers to go and in this time up attacks are certain as the classics riders will want to push on the pace to definitely drop the fast men, and make a definitive difference.

There are a couple of hilltops following, but the last place to make a difference based on power is the ascent to the Kemmelberg via the Ossuaire. It is a harder ascent, most of it on tarmac but with small-ring gradients before the riders hit the cobbles that go up to 18%. It’s a 30-second max effort where riders tend to crack near the summit, it comes with 34 kilometers to go.

From there on though there will be relief as much of the approach to Wevelgem is completely flat. There will be time to reorganize, put on a chase for both smaller and bigger groups. The race has a very interesting dynamic where the specialists and the sprinters try to balance the race towards their preferred direction, and it’s a race that usually sees different types of scenarios that lead to the win.

Dry but the wind will blow! As is usual in the region, strong winds will affect the race, and it will be strong enough to really make a strong impact. Early in the day the northwestern wind will mostly come as a headwind, but from 100 kilometers onwards this changes and threats loom large. The final 22 kilometers will have an almost exclusive strong tailwind which helps any attacker substantially.

Lidl-Trek - Mads Pedersen, defending champion, will certainly go on the attack. Brilliant form, it's how he won last year, it's how he races... But also the team already have in Jonathan Milan an ideal sprinter to challenge if it does come back to one. In the absence of Pogacar, van der Poel, van Aert and Ganna, he may be the strongest on the climbs, and in any scenario he will also be one of the strongest in a sprint - whilst Jasper Stuyven, Mathias Vacek and Toms Skujins can also play a role in an offensive race.

Jasper Philipsen - No Mathieu van der Poel at the start, and so the team will fully be looking towards a sprint. Gianni Vermeersch may be given a free role if he has the legs, but the team's best chances to win are certainly with the Belgian try to go for it in a final dash to the line.

Soudal - Quick-Step - Quick-Step don't have the men to battle the strongest men on the climbs, and the sprint is the absolute priority. It will be interesting, because both Tim Merlier and Paul Magnier are riders who seem well suited to such a race. Merlier will be the priority, and with his sprint power this year he can definitely win if it comes back to one.

We will have riders who will want to attack, with certainty UAE Team Emirates will try because it's their best shot at a win, with Tim Wellens the designated man for the climbs but Florian Vermeersch and Nils Politt as potential early attackers who are extremely dangerous for the flat finale. The likes of Joshua Tarling, Matteo Trentin and Alec Segaert are also extremely dangerous as strong rouleur, and in Visma (although Olav Kooij is present) Matteo Jorgenson is also certain to be up there in the climbs, attacking or covering moves - whilst Tiesj Benoot will be in a similar role. Bahrain duo Matej Mohoric and Fred Wright; Uno-X duo Jonas Abrahamsen and Rasmus Tiller are also important men to keep in consideration.

However most of the main figures present are sprinters, riders looking to see a conservative race and likely they will have men chasing in the final kilometers to try and brings things back as much as possible. Amongst these we have a very strong Jordi Meeus backed up by premium leadout man Danny van Poppel (who can also do the job himself); Olav Kooij leading Visma; Arnaud de Lie leading Lotto; Michael Matthews leading Jayco; Biniam Girmay leading Intermarché... And many more quality sprinters such as Sam Bennett, Phil Bauhaus, Alexander Kristoff, Soren Waerenskjold, Hugo Hofstetter, Giacomo Nizzolo, Madis Mihkels, Juan Sebastián Molano, Tobias Lund Andresen, Paul Penhoët, Luca Mozzato, Arnaud Démare and Marius Mayrhofer.

*** Mads Pedersen, Jonathan Milan
** Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen, Matteo Jorgenson, Tim Wellens
* Jasper Stuyven, Paul Magnier, Florian Vermeersch, Joshua Tarling, Matteo Trentin, Tiesj Benoot, Jordi Meeus, Olav Kooij, Arnaud De Lie, Michael Matthews, Biniam Girmay, Soren Waerenskjold, Madis Mihkels

Pick: Mads Pedersen

How: Like last year, a win out of a reduced group... Let's say with Tim Wellens and Matteo Jorgenson.