Profile & Route Gent-Wevelgem 2023

Profile. The 26th of March is a very important day this spring. As the riders have exactly one week to prepare for the Tour des Flandres, they take on what is the second longest cobbled classic of the season in Gent-Wevelgem, one of the most spectacular races of the spring.

Most of the 261-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 new off-road sections which have been added in recent years.

Start Time: 11:00CET

Finish Time: 17:05CET

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 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 66 kilometers to go.

The second time up the Kemmelberg will be with 52 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 34.5 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.