2023 Gent-Wevelgem Race Preview
The details of this year's 2023 Gent-Wevelgem are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The roads of Belgium beckon once again as the peloton prepares to tackle one of the most beloved classics on the spring calendar. Gent-Wevelgem has long held a special place in the hearts of cycling fans, offering a race that is part tactical chess match, part raw power contest, with the fearsome Kemmelberg serving as the defining moment where ambitions are either realised or shattered.
This year's edition promises to deliver the same unpredictable drama that has made the race such a fixture in the cobbled classics season. The race rolls out from Ypres, threading through the Flemish countryside and the haunting landscape of the Westhoek before turning toward the finish in Wevelgem. The repeated ascents of the Kemmelberg are where the selective nature of this race truly reveals itself, a short but brutally steep climb that has a habit of fracturing the peloton and sending ambitions spiralling into the ditches that line its narrow approach roads.
Wout van Aert arrives as one of the most obvious favourites. The Belgian powerhouse has an extraordinary ability to perform across multiple disciplines and the rolling terrain of Gent-Wevelgem suits his particular blend of climbing punch and sprinting prowess. He will be desperate to deliver a strong result on home roads in front of a passionate crowd.
Mathieu van der Poel is never far from the conversation in any of these northern classics and his form and ambition will make him a constant threat. Jasper Philipsen represents another strong option for those who believe the race will come down to a reduced sprint, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider having developed into one of the most dangerous finishers in the peloton.
The wind will play its customary role in shaping proceedings. Cross winds across the flat polders can be just as destructive as any climb, splitting the race into echelons and leaving riders stranded in the wrong group if they lose concentration for even a moment. Teams with strength in depth will be looking to use the exposed roads to their advantage long before the Kemmelberg even comes into view.
This is a race that rewards intelligence as much as physical strength. Reading the race correctly, conserving energy through the early crosswind sections and then being perfectly positioned on the Kemmelberg are the ingredients for victory. With a strong field assembled and Belgian spring weather offering its usual cocktail of possibilities, the stage is set for another compelling afternoon of racing.
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