Ghent – Wevelgem
10:51 Zonnebeke – 16:26 Wevelgem
Game, set and Mads! Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) won Ghent-Wevelgem after a titanic duel with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The Danish former world champion animated the race with the reigning world champion and was the fastest in the sprint. Van der Poel had already used up a lot of energy due to Lidl-Trek’s tactical game. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) came third.
The 86th Ghent-Wevelgem in a nutshell:
- Winner of the day: Ride the perfect race in block, then the strongest on the last time Kemmelberg and in the sprint in Wevelgem. Mads Pedersen and his teammates from Lidl-Trek have cracked the code to wear Van der Poel down and beat him.
- Loser of the day: Raced and lost, but animated. Mathieu van der Poel broke open the race at the first Kemmelberg and thus created the elite group from which he and Pedersen were the only ones to survive. In the final, with the on paper faster Dane, the Dutchman also continued to drive.
- Statistics: After his victory in 2020, this is the 2nd Ghent-Wevelgem on the record of former world champion Pedersen. He is only the 4th non-Belgian to win this classic more than once. Peter Sagan, Mario Cipollini (both 3 times) and Guido Bontempi (2 times): not bad predecessors to be among.
Fan intermezzo does not ensure final selection
Lots of wind, rain and even hail? The weather forecasts promised a heroic edition of Ghent-Wevelgem. Although only that first element would play a role today.
The riders did not have to deal with a drop of rain, which meant that it remained quiet all the way to De Moeren. There the fan war broke out, which caused casualties but did not result in a final settlement.
Outsiders Jan Tratnik and Jonathan Narvaez saw their chances go up in smoke due to nervous falls. An elite range was formed, with an active one already at that stage Mathieu van der Poel.
That all turned out to be a prelude, because when we entered the hilly area the weather gathered again. It just wouldn’t last long.
Lidl-Trek defeats Van der Poel in a block, Pedersen finishes it
Van der Poel unleashed his devils once again on the first time at Kemmelberg. An ideal situation did not immediately arise there, because Lidl – Trek was strongly represented in the new elite group.
The trio Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven and Jonathan Milan were ready to challenge the world champion. The latter opened the exhausting battle with a long attack.
Van der Poel closed the hole, but that meant the first scratch on the bodywork. The trio from Lidl-Trek became a duo due to a flat tire for Stuyven on the plug streets.
On the last 2 Kemmelbergs, Pedersen already showed that he was fine, especially by letting Van der Poel rake his wheel on that very last one. Milan and Pithie were overboard: they entered the final with 2.
The chasing peloton with the sprint guns came closer, but it never really became a pushover.
That was the sprint between Pedersen and Van der Poel. The Dane made a power sprint from the front. The Dutchman came halfway alongside and then had to sit down.
Pedersen was the strongest in the final and in the sprint and was thus able to add a 2nd Gent-Wevelgem to his list of achievements. Van der Poel finished on the podium for the first time and Jordi Meeus also did so with an impressive 3rd place from the peloton.
Related:
Phase by phase
Pedersen beats Van der Poel in an exciting sprint and wins Gent-Wevelgem
Van der Poel briefly came half wide of Pedersen, but the world champion never made it all the way again after the Dane’s power sprint. 3rd place goes to Jordi Meeus in the peloton.
Pedersen makes it!
At 50 meters Van der Poel settles down, Pedersen takes the win in Gent-Wevelgem after a pressing sprint! He was the best on the last Kemmelberg and that was also the case in the sprint.
Pedersen attacks from very far away.
Pedersen has no interest in slowing down, Van der Poel must come from his wheel with an explosion. Another 500 meters.
Last km.
Just before the red rag, Pedersen takes over from Van der Poel. This is how we enter the final kilometer.
Things continue to go well for Pedersen and Van der Poel. The world champion would like to make it an explosive sprint, the ex-world champion perhaps a power sprint.
Another 3 kilometers
Who will start playing poker first at the front? Now it is still a bit early for that, but there is some room to play in the final kilometer.
There is a lot of drumming in the technical passage by Menen. In the peloton anyway, where the trains group themselves for the sprint for 3rd place.
There is a gap in the pack with 2 worker ants getting loose. Of course, the calf completely drowned.
Still 5 km to go and now there is no silence in the peloton. They get closer and closer to Van der Poel and Pedersen, but the difference remains 47 seconds.
Try something before the sprint? That is almost impossible with the two of us in the flat final. It is interesting to know that Pedersen and Van der Poel have never sprinted against each other for a victory from a small group before. So it’s hard to predict who will make it.
Another 10 kilometers
The rainbow jersey or the rainbow armbands: who will add Gent-Wevelgem 2024 to their list of achievements? Van der Poel and Pedersen start the last 10 km with a minute bonus.
They don’t stand a chance in the peloton against these 2 with that tailwind.
Renaat Schotte on the motorcycle
The opposing attackers are swallowed up by the peloton, who can still take a shot at place 3?
Counter-attackers caught
There is finally the merger behind the 2 leaders. Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-Quick Step have joined forces.
The writing is on the wall for the platoon. They see them driving, but can’t catch Turner, Page, Pithie and Turgis. 1’15” is still the gap of the large group to Pedersen and Van der Poel, 5″ remains behind the 4 in between.
Fast men who are certainly still in the peloton: Merlier, Kooij, Philipsen, Girmay, Meeus and Matthews.
