Wout van Aert was strongest in a seven-man sprint to win an attritional Gent-Wevelgem.
Van Aert won from a stellar selection that had ridden clear in the front echelon when the race split in crosswinds in the opening hours of the day.
After working well together through the race, the group of seven went into the final kilometer all together, with van Aert benefiting from having teammate Nathan van Hooydonk with him.
Van Hooydonk led out the final kick for the line, with Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) the first to respond, only for van Aert to hit the front a few seconds later with a huge muscling sprint. Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka Ass0s) moved onto the charging Belgian’s wheel but couldn’t make it past the Jumbo-Visma ace after nearly 250-kilometers of racing. Nizzolo claimed second, while Matteo Trentin (UAE Emirates) took third.
🏆 @WoutvanAert crowned himself the 50th Belgian winner of Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields! Congrats 👏🏼 @Giacomonizzolo and @MATTEOTRENTIN complete the podium. #GWE21 #GWEmen pic.twitter.com/QPaUnPseqU
— GentWevelgem (@GentWevelgem) March 28, 2021
“This victory means a lot to me,” van Aert said. “I have already won many great races, but in the Flemish races I have often just missed it. I was waiting for this.”
“It was only a group of about 20 guys [since the race split in 180km remaining]. It’s a big group but you still have to do a lot of turns. The whole day in the crosswinds, it never stopped. This was a massive effort but definitely worth it.”
Crosswind carnage
The race split at 170km to go as the course moved toward the exposed plains near the North Sea. Strong winds ripped across the race and a front group of around 25 riders went clear in a front echelon. The lead selection included the final riders that went on to contest the closing stretch into Wevelgem, including van Aert and teammate van Hooydonk, Michael Matthews (BikeExchange), Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), Nizzolo, Trentin and Küng.
A chase group formed behind, which included Ag2r-Citroën pair Oliver Naesen and Greg van Avermaet. However, Deceuninck-Quick-Step duo Zdenek Stybar and Yves Lampaert were also in the pursuit and disrupted the chase where possible for teammate Bennett, who was in the front bunch.
Kemmelberg the kingmaker, Bennett blows
The second ascent of the extra-steep Kemmelberg saw the race shattering all over the road, with the lead group splitting in half as the main chase group began losing riders.
#GWEmen A recap:
The front group split into two on the Kemmelberg. The second half of this group follows at 29″. A chasing group with 5 riders follows around the one minute mark. The rest of the bunch is situated at 1’37” #GWE21 pic.twitter.com/H5zYpwGGjH
— GentWevelgem (@GentWevelgem) March 28, 2021
The lead group stayed together on the final ascent of the notorious berg to leave a nine-man showdown on the 35km stretch home to Wevelgem while the group of chasers remained stuck around one minute back.
Bennett was the first to be dropped out of the move as Jumbo-Visma sent van Hooydonk on a brief attack neutralized by Küng. The Irish sprinter had looked to be struggling since the final ascent of the Kemmelberg and the acceleration in the group was enough to see him crack.
Non-starters
The entire Bora-Hansgrohe and Trek-Segafredo teams did not start the race Sunday morning. The German squad unable to take part due to a COVID positive in the bubble earlier this week, while Trek-Segafredo – team of defending champ Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven – had to withdraw due to COVID positives found in the squad Friday night.
More information: COVID sees Bora-Hansgrohe and Trek-Segafredo withdraw from Gent Wevelgem
Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields ME Results
| Stage | Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAN AERT Wout | Team Jumbo-Visma | 5:45:11 |
| 2 | NIZZOLO Giacomo | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 0:00 |
| 3 | TRENTIN Matteo | UAE-Team Emirates | 0:00 |
| 4 | COLBRELLI Sonny | Bahrain – Victorious | 0:00 |
| 5 | MATTHEWS Michael | Team BikeExchange | 0:00 |
| 6 | KÜNG Stefan | Groupama – FDJ | 0:00 |
| 7 | VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan | Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:03 |
| 8 | VAN BAARLE Dylan | INEOS Grenadiers | 0:52 |
| 9 | TURGIS Anthony | Team Total Direct Energie | 0:54 |
| 10 | VERMEERSCH Gianni | Alpecin-Fenix | 1:25 |
| 11 | LECROQ Jérémy | B&B Hotels p/b KTM | 1:25 |
| 12 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | AG2R Citroën Team | 1:25 |
| 13 | BYSTRØM Sven Erik | UAE-Team Emirates | 1:25 |
| 14 | LAMPAERT Yves | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 1:25 |
| 15 | BAUER Jack | Team BikeExchange | 1:25 |
| 16 | NAESEN Oliver | AG2R Citroën Team | 1:27 |
| 17 | DOULL Owain | INEOS Grenadiers | 1:52 |
| 18 | GARCÍA CORTINA Iván | Movistar Team | 1:56 |
| 19 | VAN GESTEL Dries | Team Total Direct Energie | 1:57 |
| 20 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 1:57 |
| 21 | GOŁAŚ Michał | INEOS Grenadiers | 2:00 |
| 22 | LEMOINE Cyril | B&B Hotels p/b KTM | 2:00 |
| 23 | VAN POPPEL Danny | Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux | 2:00 |
| 24 | ERVITI Imanol | Movistar Team | 2:00 |
| 25 | ŠTYBAR Zdeněk | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 2:04 |
| 26 | WALSCHEID Max | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 2:22 |
| 27 | DEGENKOLB John | Lotto Soudal | 2:22 |
| 28 | KRISTOFF Alexander | UAE-Team Emirates | 2:22 |
| 29 | HAUSSLER Heinrich | Bahrain – Victorious | 2:22 |
| 30 | DE GENDT Aimé | Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux | 2:22 |
| 31 | VAN ASBROECK Tom | Israel Start-Up Nation | 2:22 |
| 32 | STANNARD Robert | Team BikeExchange | 2:22 |
| 33 | CLAEYS Dimitri | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 2:22 |
| 34 | MERLIER Tim | Alpecin-Fenix | 2:22 |
| 35 | KRAGH ANDERSEN Søren | Team DSM | 3:19 |
| 36 | FRISON Frederik | Lotto Soudal | 4:18 |
| 37 | LE GAC Olivier | Groupama – FDJ | 4:18 |
| 38 | PHILIPSEN Jasper | Alpecin-Fenix | 4:18 |
| 39 | GIBBONS Ryan | UAE-Team Emirates | 4:18 |
| 40 | RIESEBEEK Oscar | Alpecin-Fenix | 4:18 |
| 41 | DURBRIDGE Luke | Team BikeExchange | 4:18 |
| 42 | DUPONT Timothy | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 4:18 |
| 43 | RICKAERT Jonas | Alpecin-Fenix | 4:18 |
| 44 | DÉMARE Arnaud | Groupama – FDJ | 4:18 |
| 45 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Israel Start-Up Nation | 4:18 |
| 46 | WYNANTS Maarten | Team Jumbo-Visma | 4:18 |
| 47 | ROOSEN Timo | Team Jumbo-Visma | 4:18 |
| 48 | MAS Lluís | Movistar Team | 4:18 |
| 49 | VAN MOER Brent | Lotto Soudal | 4:18 |
| 50 | BISSEGGER Stefan | EF Education – Nippo | 4:18 |
| 51 | MØRKØV Michael | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 4:18 |
| 52 | BALLERINI Davide | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 4:18 |
| 53 | COQUARD Bryan | B&B Hotels p/b KTM | 4:18 |
| 54 | MCLAY Daniel | Team Arkéa Samsic | 4:34 |
| 55 | BENNETT Sam | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 4:40 |
| 56 | RUTSCH Jonas | EF Education – Nippo | 8:36 |
| 57 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens | B&B Hotels p/b KTM | 8:36 |
| 58 | PETIT Adrien | Team Total Direct Energie | 11:24 |
| 59 | TERPSTRA Niki | Team Total Direct Energie | 11:24 |
| 60 | MENTEN Milan | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 11:24 |
| 61 | ZAKHAROV Artyom | Astana – Premier Tech | 11:24 |
| 62 | CONSONNI Simone | Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | 11:24 |
| 63 | WILLEMS Thimo | Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | 11:24 |
| 64 | HOLLMANN Juri | Movistar Team | 11:24 |
| 65 | VAN POPPEL Boy | Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux | 11:24 |
| 66 | STOKBRO Andreas | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 11:24 |
| 67 | ZABEL Rick | Israel Start-Up Nation | 11:24 |
| 68 | SIEBERG Marcel | Bahrain – Victorious | 11:24 |
| 69 | JACOBS Johan | Movistar Team | 11:24 |
| 70 | BEULLENS Cédric | Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | 11:24 |
| 71 | VINJEBO Emil | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 11:24 |
| 72 | GRUZDEV Dmitriy | Astana – Premier Tech | 11:24 |
| 73 | LIENHARD Fabian | Groupama – FDJ | 11:24 |
| 74 | BASSO Leonardo | INEOS Grenadiers | 11:24 |
| 75 | DILLIER Silvan | Alpecin-Fenix | 11:24 |
| 76 | MOLLY Kenny | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 11:24 |
| 77 | DE BACKER Bert | B&B Hotels p/b KTM | 11:24 |
| 78 | LAPORTE Christophe | Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | 11:24 |
| 79 | VAN EMDEN Jos | Team Jumbo-Visma | 11:24 |
| 80 | EENKHOORN Pascal | Team Jumbo-Visma | 11:24 |
| 81 | EEKHOFF Nils | Team DSM | 11:24 |
| 82 | SWIFT Connor | Team Arkéa Samsic | 11:24 |
| 83 | STEELS Stijn | Deceuninck – Quick Step | 11:24 |
| 84 | WARLOP Jordi | Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | 11:24 |
| 85 | CASTRIQUE Jonas | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 11:24 |
| 86 | DRUCKER Jempy | Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | 11:24 |
| 87 | PERRY Benjamin | Astana – Premier Tech | 11:24 |
| 88 | SCHÄR Michael | AG2R Citroën Team | 11:24 |
| 89 | AMADOR Andrey | INEOS Grenadiers | 11:24 |
| 90 | GHYS Robbe | Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | 11:30 |
Results provided by ProCyclingStats.
