Just over a week before the Tour of Flanders, “De Ronde”, the classics and sprinters will meet this Sunday in the 85th edition of Ghent-Wevelgemwhich offers a 260.9 km course that includes hills and cobblestones between Ypres and Wevelgem where the Belgian will start as favorite wout van aertrecent winner of E3 Harelbeke.
Van Aertwinner of the 2021 test and recent podium finish in Milan-San Remo, as well as the king for the second time in Harelbeke, will test the Tour of Flanders, one of his great dreams as a cyclist, on the trip to Wevelgem, where he arrived surrounded by a strong team and ready to fight a good number of sprinters.
With the defeats of Pogacar and Van der Poel, the focus is on Van Aert, but the winner of classics such as E3, Omloop, Strade Bianche, Amstel and San Remo will not be easy against a well-known list of aspiring rivals to raise arms at Wevelgem.
He Jumbo will bring heavy artillery with Van Aert, Laporte and Kooij, but U.A.E can’t be left behind Tim Wellens, Ackermann, Trentin and Sebastian Molanonor the Soudal Quick Stepthis time without Alaphilippe, but with many tricks of Merlier, Lampaert, and Kasper Asgreen.
He Trek presented his choices to the former world champion Mads Pedersen, Theuns and Stuyvenand the Bahrain focused illusions in slovenian Mohoric. Among the sprinters, there will be little to lose, because they will take the start of the “cheetah” number Jasper Philipsen, Caleb Ewan, Kristoff, Cavendish, Sam Bennett, Demare, and Groenewegen.
It is not convenient to forget the erythro Biniam Girmaywith the Intermarché jersey rang the bell in the last edition with a brilliant and historic victory.
He Movistar There will be Ivan García Cortinathe Colombian Fernando Gaviria and the german Max Kanter to resist a sprint or a reduced arrival. The team completes it Imanol Erviti, Johan Jacobs, Mathias Norsgaard and Oier Lazkano.
A REAL FUND TEST
This is the twelfth race of the World Tour, a real long-distance test with 260.9 km where there is no shortage of hardness components: heights, “pavé”, gravel sections and lots of demand, just a week from the Tour of Flanders, the monument that every cyclist dreams of.
The Ghent-Wevelgem This year he no longer does cobbled climbs like Mont Cassel, but the essence remains.
On the route, the three passes of the tough Kemmelberg stand out -from two different slopes; two climbs to Belvèdere and another to Ossuaire, important only 34 km from the end.
It also includes two climbs on Monteberg and Baneberg; and also three sections of connecting roads between the trenches of World War I, about seventy kilometers from the end.
BALSAM AND WOMEN’S FAVORITE WIEBES
the italian Elisa Balsamodefending champion, the Belgian Lotte Kopeckythe Dutch Lorraine Wiebes and the winner of the recent Bruges-De Panne George Pfeiffer The women’s version of the 10th edition of the Ghent Wevelgem will be the favourites, which will also take place on Sunday with a route of 162.5 km.
The development of Movistar going on stage with Aude Biannic, Alicia González, Emma Norsgaard, Lourdes Oyarbide, Sheyla Gutiérrez and Gloria Rodríguez.
It is a tough test whose greatest difficulty consists of a double pass on the heights of the Heuvelland, Scherpenberg, Baneberg and, above all, Kemmelberg, with its pavés and hard ramps.
In the first step, Monteberg will be overcome first; in the second, the hard ramps of Ossuaire 34 km from the finish, where the pursuit begins until the finish.
– Last winners:
. 2022. Biniam Girmay (ERI)
. 2021. Wout Van Aert (BEL)
. 2020. Mads Pedersen (DIN)
. 2019. Alexander Kristoff (NOR)
. 2018. Peter Sagan (SVK).
– Final winners:
. 2022. Elisa Balsamo (ITA)
. 2021. Marianne Vos (PSB)
. 2020. Jolien D’Hoore (BEL)
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
