Gent-Wevelgem 2018 Preview

Gent-Wevelgem 2018 Preview
21:01, 24 Mar 2018

The Race - One of the major classics of the spring, in its 81st year and ending a big week which included E3 and the now one day of De Panne.

Last Year - Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) became the first rider since Jan Raas in 1981 to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem in the same season, beating Orica-Scott's Jens Keukeleire with Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) finishing in third and leading the bunch home. Van Avermaet had been the class of the race, launching several attacks before breaking away from what would become a large group.

The Route - Doesn’t get started until the first 100 kilometres of flat is over, although this adds to the attrition – the race is 250 kilometres in total. Exposed to the wind, we circle around West Flanders, all the time very near the North Sea, so echelons are a very common occurrence.

Last year, the race went through three 'Plugstreets' in commemoration of the Christmas ceasefire of 1914 – this race has a very close link to the first World War. The Plugstreets are semi-paved gravel roads.

With 127 kilometres gone, the riders will start climbing for the first time as they cross over into France. Their time out of Belgium will be seriously testing; They take the Mont des Chats, Mont Kokereel, Vert Mont, Mont Noir, Mont Noir (again, this time from another side) and Le Ravensberg.

It’s then back into Belgium when the riders take the Baneberg, 300 metres with a maximum incline of 20% - averaging 4.6% on the way up – before the Kemmelberg, a longer test of endurance at 1.4 kilometres.

This is followed by the Monteberg, averaging 7.1% and hitting a max of 13% over the 1.3 kilometres it takes to cover.

The last two climbs are the second ascents of the Banelberg and Kemmelberg – but the last is even harder as the toughest sector is 23% over the cobbles this time.

There is then a 30 kilometre stretch to the finish which is on flat and open roads – giving the chasers a target on their backs although the tactics will dictate that happens by this point. The finish is completely flat and if fast men can make it then they are at a major advantage.

Gent Wevelgem_Picture_2

There are 11 uphill sections, many of them cobbled, in this year’s edition, as listed below:

1: Catsberg/Mont des Cats

2: Kokereelberg/ Mont Kokereel

3: Mont Vert

4: Mont Noir: Côte du Ravel Put

5: Mont Noir: Côte de la Blanchisserie

6: Le Ravensberg

7: Baneberg (1)

8: Kemmelberg (Belvedère)

9: Monteberg

10: Baneberg (2)

11: Kemmelberg (Ossuaire)

The Contenders - Whilst the route is different the best recent form is E3, which was won in brilliant fashion by Quick-Step’s Niki Terpstra. Whilst the Dutchman was the strongest rider on the day, the superb strength in depth of Quick-Step played an integral part in his win with Terpstra jumping clear with Yves Lampaert on the Taaienberg whilst Philippe Gilbert was sat in-behind as the groups fractured, giving the Belgians the perfect hand as small and powerful groups went clear and were eventually reeled back by the remnants of the leading group.

Terpstra is obviously a big contender here and Gilbert, who sprinted for second, looked to be hitting peak form for monuments like these and it would not be a surprise if eh was chosen to be the leader. He beat Greg Van Avamaet - the winner last year of E3 and this race – and the Belgian looked much happier on his favoured terrain, riding an aggressive race and being well supported by BMC team-mates Jurgen Roelandts and Stefan Küng, who managed to last right through to the finale. He should find yet more improvement once again here and has to be a big favourite although he will want to be up front and centre earlier this time around.

Peter Sagan was lacklustre by his high standards at E3, finishing only 26th after struggling from 50 kilometres out, but he can be expected to bounce back soon and still looks a worthy favourite with the closing run in likely to suit him and his Bora team.

EF’s Sep Vanmarcke went down at the bottom of the huge crash 110 kilometres out which took down six or seven of his team-mates and consider that latest bit of bad luck he did well to be in the last group. A major race is surely coming although it might be the Tour of Flanders that suits him best.

It’s been a long time since a pure sprinter took this – the great Mario Cipollini in 2002 – but there are plenty of men in the fast game who are strong and light enough to make it through such terrain and the modern sprinter has never been better at endurance or climbing.

A hand injury to Fernando Gaviria has made Elia Viviani the Quick-Step sprinter of choice and the Italian is ready to step into the fold with six wins so far including De Panne earlier this week when he linked up perfectly with Maximiliano Richeze to take the win. He was disappointed with this inability to launch a sprint at the end of San-Remo, which leaves a worry about the distance.

Michael Matthews (Sunweb) has had his start to the season interrupted at just the wrong time so considering that he was a fine seventh in Milano San-Remo and his 13th at E3 was more than respectable. The form at Paris-Nice of FDJ’s Arnaud Demare and Dylan Groenewegen of Lotto-Jumbo ought to put plenty on notice, although Demare was 14 minutes behind at E3 on Friday. Caught behind a crash at the wrong time in Omloop and 10th in San-Remo, Jasper Stuyven is quicker than most but can also follow the big moves and Trek’s man should be eyeing up a better result than the 46th here last year when he was just behind the front group.

Mateo Trentin was very much present in the leading group that chased Terpstra home at E3 for Mitchelton-Scott and it’s interesting to note that the Italian has been hitting form a lot earlier this season, perhaps as a result of being the leader in a team for the first time in a new outfit. His sprint is as a good as any in the field here and he has to be considered a leading player here who is able to follow all the moves as well as sit and wait for a bunch kick as well.

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