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Wout Van Aert adds Gent-Wevelgem prize to his trophy case

Van Aert is 50th Belgian winner in 83 editions

March 28, 2021
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Wout Van Aert, who perhaps worked a little too hard in Friday’s E3 Saxo Bank Classic and couldn’t crack the top-10, earned a huge win on Sunday, adding Gent-Wevelgem to his already impressive palmares from a small group sprint. It was the 50th time a Belgian took the glory in 83 editions. Ben Perry was top Canadian in 87th.

Van Aert adds Gent-Wevelgem to career wins in Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche.

Late Saturday, Trek-Segafredo announced that it had withdrawn from the race because of positive tests in the outfit for coronavirus. Defending champion Mads Pederson and Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven were out.

On Sunday morning, Bora-Hansgrohe, who didn’t race E3 on Friday because of a coronavirus positive, was denied entrance to the race by the organizers. The team will also miss Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen.

The Course

As far as main obstacles, there was but a single section of cobbles in the first 153 km of the 247 km course. Then came five hills, the latter of which was the Kemmelberg, climbed from the easier side; three plugstreets; the Monteberg followed by the Kemmelberg in quick succession; and then three hills, including the last of the race, the Kemmelberg from the harder west side. From the peak of the Kemmelberg is was 34 km to the finish in Wevelgem. Winds would play a big role in the race.

A route change mid-race was due to a fire near the finish. The day was even longer!

A quintet of breakaways skipped clear soon after the start at Ypres’ Menin Gate and rolled up a 8:30 gap by the time it reached the first hill.

Hugo Houle and his compatriot teammate Ben Perry were the two Canadians in Sunday’s field.

The peloton formed echelons early in the gusts and split. Frantic action caught the breakaway.

This group kept being whittled down by the hills and the plugstreets until it was down to a nontet including Van Aert, Stefan Küng (Switzerland/Groupama-FDJ), Michael Matthews (Australia/Bike Exchange), sprinter extraordinaire Sam Bennett (Ireland/Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Matteo Trentin (Italy/UAE-Emirates), who was third last season.

The final passage of the Kemmelberg didn’t cause a further selection, but Van Aert’s teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck had to work hard to keep contact. This would prove crucial. Van Aert was first over. Behind by almost a minute, the chase containing 2017 champion Greg Van Avermaet and teammate Oliver Naesen laboured to bring back Van Aert and company. With 33 km to go Sam Bennett vomited but carried on in the tailwind.

Van Hooydonck increased the pace with 16 km to race and popped Bennett and one other rider. There were still dangerous sprinters in the form of Matthews, Italians Sonny Colbrelli and Giacomo Nizzolo. Surely a late attack would be coming from Küng.

The winner was in this septet.

Küng tried to break the pack with 2 km to go but Van Hooydonck grabbed him. Küng led it out, but there was only one fellow destined to win the race. European champion Nizzolo, who got a little boxed-in, was runner-up and Trentin was third once again.

Van Aert and key teammate Van Hooydonck celebrate after the finish.

Wednesday is the next race in Flanders Week, Dwars door Vlaanderen.

2021 Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
1) Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma) 5:45:11
2) Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy/Team Qhubeka-Assos) s.t.
3) Matteo Trentin (Italy/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
87) Ben Perry (Canada/Astana-Premier Tech) +11:24