Bridging the gap between Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem is almost like a combination of the Italian and Belgian Monuments; the Classic on Sunday March 30, provides an opportunity for a sprinter to triumph, but it can also reward the grit and endeavour of an attacker. Unlike more selective Classics, Gent-Wevelgem is a challenging race to call given the many different scenarios that can play out on the exposed roads and cobbled bergs of West Flanders.
First held in 1934, Gent-Wevelgem — like many Belgian Classics — has been dominated by the home nation; it was not until 1954 that a non-Belgian won the race, and in the first 37 editions, only three were won by foreigners. In the last 25 years, the top spot on the podium has had a much more international feel, with winners from France, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Norway, Denmark and famously in 2022, Eritrea, when Binian Girmay claimed Africa’s first ever cobbled Classic victory.
Last year, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) overpowered Mathieu van der Poel in a two-man sprint but this year, he won’t have to face the Dutchman or Tadej Pogačar, as they are both focusing their efforts on Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. In fact, with Classics triumvirate Van der Poel, Pogačar and Wout van Aert all skipping the race on Sunday, it could be an open affair, favouring the sprinters of the peloton.
The route
Gent-Wevelgem does not actually start in Gent but rather in the town of Ypres, from which the peloton heads north-west towards the coast, where the threat of crosswinds will be on the minds of all riders; the action can kick off on the exposed roads even before a single climb or cobblestone has been tackled.
After about 100km, the route turns back inland towards the southeast and towards the cobbles, the first of which comes after 110km. However, it is not until after 148km that the real challenges come — the Baneberg (1km at 7.6%), the Monteberg (1km at 4.9%) and the cobbled Kemmelberg (400m at 9.5%) all coming in quick succession. The riders have to tackle these climbs all over again in the next 50km before the final Kemmelberg, this time from the other side, which may only be 700m long, but it averages 8.5% and peaks at over 20%. From the summit, the peloton faces a mostly flat final 30km with some undulations on the way to the finish line in Wevelgem.
Gent-Wevelgem 2025 contenders
Mads Padersen
The defending champion, who also won in 2020, is on a hot streak at the race. Apart from a DNF and 33rd place finish in his first two participations at the race, Pedersen has had a number of standout performances at Gent-Wevelgem, including two top 10s in addition to his wins. Pedersen — as proven by his two previous victories — has the perfect attributes to win Gent-Wevelgem, but with no Pogačar, Van der Poel, or Van Aert on the startline, rival teams will be watching him closely. To have the best chance of joining the club of three-time winners at Gent-Wevelgem, he will need to hope he arrives in a group without the purest of sprinters.
Mads Pedersen at the 2024 Gent Wevelgem (Photo: Zac Williams/SWpix)
Jasper Philipsen
Despite a crash last Wednesday in the last kilometre at Nokere Koerse and a subsequent difficult ride at Milan-Sanremo, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen will start as a key contender in Ypres on Sunday, thanks to his Classics and Tour de France pedigree. In the last two years Philipsen has come second to his teammate Van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix, proving he is not only one of the top-end sprinters but also one of the most durable, an attribute he may need to rely on as he takes on the rest of the very best sprinters, like Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan.
Jasper Philipsen at the 2024 Dwars Door Vlaanderen (Photo: Andrew Smith/SWpix)
Tim Merlier
The first of Philipsen’s main rivals is former teammate Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick-Step), who has already won six times this year, most recently at Paris-Nice where he took the opening two stages. Alongside Jonathan Milan, Merlier’s top-end speed and power is considered one of the best in the peloton. With 30km to catch any attackers from the Kemmelberg to the finish, Merlier will fancy his chances of adding Gent-Wevelgem to his palmarès. However, the European champion came down in crash towards the end of Wednesday's Brugge-De Panne so it is not clear what condition he will be in on the start line in Ypres.
Tim Merlier at the 2024 Giro d'Italia (Photo: Zac Williams/SWpix)
Jonathan Milan
Pedersen’s Lidl-Trek teammate, Jonathan Milan, had a disappointing race at Milan-Sanremo, finishing outside the top 80, but like Merlier and Philipsen, he is a lethal sprinter, racking up six victories in 2025 — the same number as Merlier. Like his Belgian counterpart, he will have to survive the potential crosswinds, bergs and attacks in order to unleash a sprint for the win. One aspect which may count against him is that his teammate Pedersen may be in a move up the road, meaning Lidl-Trek will not chase after him. However, if things do come together in the finish on Wevelgem, we can expect a mouthwatering encounter between Milan and other sprinters like Merlier and Philipsen.
Jonathan Milan at the 2024 Giro d'Italia (Photo: Zac Williams/SWpix)
Other contenders
A race with a number of potential outcomes gives a number of different riders a chance at victory. Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) made history as the first Eritrean to win a stage of the Tour in 2024, but it was in 2022 when he really burst into the spotlight by winning Gent-Wevelgem, in doing so becoming the first African winner of a cobbled Classic. He will be looking to return to the top step of the podium on Sunday.
Biniam Girmay at the 2022 Gent-Wevelgem (Photo: Zac Williams/SWpix)
Michael Matthews’ tortured romance at Milan-Sanremo continued on the weekend, with yet another top 10 placing at the race. However, the fourth-place finish for the Team Jayco Alula rider, beating the likes of Pedersen, Kaden Groves and Olav Kooij, shows he is in top form. Likewise, Kooij (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) is in with a shout, proving himself to be a sprinter who can handle hard days on the saddle.
After his canny winning move with 400m to go in Brugge-De Panne, Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates XRG) will be looking to add another Classic to his palmarès in the space of a week.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe pair Laurence Pithie and Jordi Meeus, the latter of whom won the sprint for third place last year, could adopt a dual leadership approach, with Pithie attacking and Meeus waiting for a sprint. Another man who could be up there in a sprint if a group comes to the line is Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) but like Merlier he went down in a crash on Wednesday's Brugge-De Panne and so it is not clear how he will fare. After impressive top 10s at Milan-Sanremo Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) will be looking to back up their results on the Ligurian coast in the Flandrian fields.
Fred Wright at the Tour of Flanders 2024 (Photo: Francesco Rachello / Tornanti.cc)
Prediction
We think Jasper Philipsen will survive the climbs to take Gent-Wevelgem victory from a bunch sprint finish.
