Startlist Middelkerke - Wevelgem 2026 | Riders: Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert to face off on the Kemmelberg

On the 29th of March, the peloton takes on Middelkerke - Wevelgem (formerly knows as Gent - Wevelgem). The Belgian classic is part of the World Tour calendar and is one of the most prestigious one-day races in the calendar, where classics specialists and sprinters go head-to-head in a route that is very balanced towards both. We take a look at the startlist.

The race was created in 1934 as Gent - Wevelgem and was won by Gustave van Belle in its first year. Rik van Looy, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Jan Raas, Francesco Moser, Bernard Hinault, Sean Kelly and Mario Cipollini were amongst the most notable winners of the race in the 20th century. Due to the race's nature, many top sprinters also managed to win this race alongside the renowned classics specialists, creating an incredible and also versatile palmarès.

Tom Boonen, Thor Hushovd, Óscar Freire, Peter Sagan, John Degenkolb, Greg van Avermaert, Alexander Kristoff were also notable winners in this century; whilst since 2020 the race was almost exclusively won by sprinters - although not always in a sprint. Mads Pedersen, Wout Van Aert, Biniam Girmay and Christophe Laporte were the winners. Pedersen won in 2020 from a bunch sprint; in 2024 from a two-rider sprint and in 2025 he won with a long-distance attack which took the race by storm.

Download the startlist in A4. Tadej Pogacar is not going to be present as he puts his full focus on the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders, but the rest of the high-level field will be present.

Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert are both set to start the race, bringing back an iconic rivalry that has lasted for years. The two will have defending champion Mads Pedersen and Filippo Ganna as big rivals for the hilly terrain whilst top sprinters such as Tobias Lund Andresen, Jasper Philipsen, Paul Magnier and Matthew Brennan are also lined up to start.