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Legendary Marianne Vos is boss of Gent-Wevelgem

Jumbo-Visma wins both races on Sunday

March 28, 2021
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Marianne Vos has 232 wins, but until Sunday, she had never taken Gent-Wevelgem. Vos gave Jumbo-Visma victories in both the men’s and women’s WorldTour races, as Wout Van Aert was the fastest earlier in the day. It was the new Jumbo-Visma squad’s first win. The race really didn’t wake up until the final 36 km and then became an engrossing contest.

Before Sunday the Women’s WorldTour had seen wins from three different teams: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak of SX Worx took Strade Bianche at the beginning of the month, Elisa Longo Borghini prevailed in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda to assume the WorldTour lead, and Bike Exchange’s Grace Brown earned Thursday’s Oxyclean Classic Brugge-De Panne.

The Course

The 141 km course began at Ypres’ Menin Gate—changed from Grote Markt last season—with climbs such as the Scherpenberg (61 km mark), Vidaigneberg (65 km), Beneberg (67 km), Monteberg (72 km), Kemmelberg (74 km) a circuit with the Monteberg (104 km) and Kemmelberg (106 km) again before a flat 30 km run-in to the finish in Wevelgem. Three sections of plugsteets was situated between the first passage of the Kemmelberg and the circuit with Monteberg II and Kemmelberg II. Riders had to be wary of the wind on Sunday.

Marieke De Groot (The Netherlands/Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport) kept trying to get away in the early stages but her efforts could find no purchase. A move of 15 riders toiled to stay clear but could not. It was all together before the Scherpenberg.

The Monteberg/Kemmelberg one-two punch would likely elicit some attacks. Sure enough, after Longo Borghini put the hammer down, there was a selection of 17 women, but reigning champ Jolien D’hoore (Belgium/SD Worx) missed it. However, once more the peloton came back together before the plugstreets, albeit slightly streamlined.

An unusual truce descended on the race; there were no attacks on the plugsteets.

With 41 km remaining, a touch of wheels put Canada’s Alison Jackson in the ditch. She grabbed a new bike and chased back on, finishing as the top Canadian in Wevelgem at 47th.

Alison Jackson in the ditch before the final action.

On the final ascent of the Kemmelberg, Longo Borghini started the skirmishing, shattering the peloton. Initially, only Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland/Canyon-SRAM) was able to go with her. Vos bridged on the other side of the hill and soon there was an elite septet leading the race with 34 km still remaining.

Longo Borghini lit the fireworks on the final passage of the Kemmelberg.

The group ballooned to around 20. Vos’s British teammate Anna Henderson dashed up the road with 29 km to ride as the Vos/Longo Borghini/Lizzie Deignan group grew even further. Dithering in the chase bunch allowed Henderson to roll along 25 seconds in the lead.

Anna Henderson on the loose.

With 22 km to race, Trek-Segafredo massed at the front and pushed, briefly dropping Vos and quickly catching Henderson. Longo Borghini then bounced with Liv’s Soraya Paladin. The Italian duo beat on, holding a 21-second gap with 8-km remaining. But they submitted to the will of the chase with 400-metres until the line. Vos almost immediately started her sprint down the right hand side and no one had the answer.

The next round of the WorldTour is April 4 with the Tour of Flanders. Van den Broek-Blaak is the reigning champion.

2021 Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
1) Marianne Vos (The Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma) 3:45:08
2) Lisa Brennauer (Germany/Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling) s.t.
3) Lotte Kopecky (Belgium/Liv Racing) s.t.
47) Alison Jackson (Canada/Liv Racing) +4:09
92) Leah Kirchmann (Canada/DSM) +8:05