Intense Competition Awaits Lorena Wiebes and Mads Pedersen at Gent-Wevelgem as they strive for historical victories - key information at a glance
Gent-Wevelgem Cycling Race: Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff Make Their WorldTour Debut
The Gent-Wevelgem cycling race, a key classic in the spring cycling calendar, is set to take place on Sunday, with both men's and women's races starting from the Menin Gate war memorial in Ypres.
In the women's race, debutants Cat Ferguson (GBr) Movistar and Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike) from the UK are set to make their mark. Ferguson has already shown great potential this season, with a third place finish in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and a close call in the Classic Brugge-De Panne.
Meanwhile, in the men's race, Josh Tarling, a 21-year-old Brit, is looking strong this season for the Ineos Grenadiers team. Notable riders such as Mads Pedersen and Jasper Philipsen are also expected to compete.
The women's race, with a distance of 169.1km, will start at 12:20 BST, while the men's race, spanning 250.3km, will begin at 09:40 BST. The long way between the final climb and the finish line in both races provides ample opportunity for punchy sprinters to contest the win.
The course for both races traverses some of the most bloody battlefields of the First World War, and the men's race was named Gent-Wevelgem - In Flanders Fields in 2015, after the poem by John McCrae. The Kemmelberg, one of the region's toughest climbs in the Gent-Wevelgem parcours, is a notable feature.
Gent-Wevelgem is one of the biggest Northern Classics that is not a bona fide Monument. Over the years, it has been won by several legendary riders, including Robert Van Eenaeme, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Tom Boonen, Mario Cipollini, and Peter Sagan. Sagan stands out with a record six podium finishes in addition to his three victories.
If Lorena Wiebes wins the women's Gent-Wevelgem, she will make history by becoming the first rider to win twice in the 11 editions of the women's race. If Mads Pedersen wins the men's Gent-Wevelgem, he will become the second successive men's winner in more than 30 years, and the seventh member of the Club Trois.
The races head for the West Flemish hills on the French border, before heading east to finish in Wevelgem. Lorena Wiebes is among the favourites to take the honours in both races.
It's an exciting time for British cycling, with Ferguson and Wolff making their WorldTour debuts. Keep an eye out for their performances in the women's race. The men's race promises to be just as thrilling, with several top riders vying for the win.
**References**
- Gent–Wevelgem (Wikipedia)
- This weekend's Gent-Wevelgem cycling race marks the debut of Cat Ferguson in the Champions League of women's cycling.
- Imogen Wolff, another British cyclist, is also set to make her mark in the women's race of the European leagues.
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