Race Report: Dreadful climate, crashes and a dominant Jumbo-Visma crew dominated Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem. With 50 kilometres to go, Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte rode away from what was left of the decimated peloton. With a lead of two minutes with 10 kilometres to go, the win was theirs to share. Laporte took the win, arm in arm with Van Aert.
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Christophe Laporte received the 2023 Gent-Wevelgem. The Frenchman of Jumbo-Visma rode away on the penultimate climb of the Kemmelberg with Wout van Aert, who gave away the victory to his teammate regardless of a show of energy up the Kemmelberg for the ultimate time. Sep Vanmarcke completed third behind the unchtchable duo.
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2023 Gent-Wevelgem map
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2023 Gent-Wevelgem profile
Rain and wind. The climate was unhealthy when the peloton left Ypres for greater than 260 kilometres. Colin Joyce, Gijs van Hoecke (Human Powered Well being), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Milan Fretin (Workforce Flanders-Baloise), Luca van Boven (Bingoal WB) and Johan Jacobs (Movistar) made up the primary ‘break of the day’. Not a lot later former winner Greg van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën), Jevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Qazaqstan) and Jelle Wallays (Cofidis) crossed to them.
Final yr’s winner, Biniam Girmay had his fan membership firstly
The Menin Gate
Mike Teunissen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa-Samsic), Elmar Reinders (Jayco AlUla), Aaron van Poucke (Workforce Flanders-Baloise), Guillaume van Keirsbulck (Bingoal WB) and Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) additionally joined for fourteen males within the lead.
The primary assault
A day for the echelons
There was nonetheless an extended technique to go to the ultimate, which might begin with the Scherpenberg at lower than 100 kilometres from the end. There was some echelons for some time, however primarily it was crashes that precipitated the most important issues. Defending champion Biniam Girmay, Jonathan Milan (twice), Filippo Ganna and Michal Kwiatkowski, and others, all hit the highway. The 2 INEOS Grenadiers riders each needed to abandon the race. Alberto Bettiol and Sam Bennett didn’t crash, but additionally had to surrender early. Jasper Philipsen had mechanical issues.
The climate was sometimes Flemish
Jonathan Milan and avenue furnishings
Jos van Emden (Jumbo-Visma), Bert Van Lerberghe (Soudal Fast-Step) and Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) set the tempo within the peloton, holding the early breakaway inside vary. On the foot of the Kemmelberg, the distinction had dropped to lower than 1:30. There was no change on the climb itself, however simply after the highest a gaggle managed to interrupt free.
‘In Flanders Fields’
Filippo Ganna crashed out
The group of counter-attackers consisted of 9 riders, Mads Pedersen was the final to make the group. Fabio Jakobsen additionally tried, however was too late to affix Pedersen, Søren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Nathan van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Dstny), Erik Nordsæter Resell (Uno-X) and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies).
Cut up after cut up…
Not a superb day for INEOS – Michał Kwiatkowski additionally crashed out
This group shortly caught the early breakaway. It regarded just like the winner would come from this group, however at 55 kilometres from the end it got here collectively once more. On the second time up the Kemmelberg Wout van Aert accelerated with teammate Christophe Laporte on his wheel.
Hassle for Girmay
The assault!
The 2 Jumbo-Visma riders quickly had a niche, though a gaggle together with Caleb Ewan, Jasper Philipsen and Matej Mohorič had been initially shut. They fell again to the peloton, which was now taking a look at a niche of 30 seconds. The Jumbo-Visma tandem continued to speed up and shortly had over 1 minute. Within the peloton, INEOS Grenadiers took the initiative, however their work didn’t shut the hole.
The chase wanted to get organised
Might they pull the Jumbo tandem again?
On the final climb of the Kemmelberg, Van Aert pulled laborious and Laporte misplaced a couple of metres. On the high, the Belgian held again. He let the Frenchman return in order that the 2 might trip to Wevelgem collectively. The lead grew to greater than 2 minutes. At this level it was a query of who would take, be given, the victory.
50 kilometres to go – Was the race over?
Not only a sprinter – Caleb Ewan was nonetheless there
10K to go and a pair of minutes in hand
The win went to the Frenchman
A cheerful end to a tough day
# Keep PEZ for all of the information in EUROTRASH and the ‘Race Wrap’ on Monday. #
Gent-Wevelgem End result:
1. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma in 5:49:39
2. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
3. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:56
4. Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Dstny
5. Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
6. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Workforce Emirates
7. Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis at 2:04
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
10. Daniel McLay (GB) Arkéa Samsic.
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