Gent–Wevelgem

Amateur event , although he never participated. Created in 1934 and originally run by the newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen, the race's finish town of Wevelgem was selected because it was the home town of the event's first owner, local textile manufacturer Georges Matthijs. The race only had Belgian participants and was won by Gustave Van Belle. In 1936 the race distance was increased to 168 km and Robert Van Eenaeme was the first professional winner. Spring classic The event had its only interruptions during World War II, and was subsequently organized again as a professional event in 1945. Gaston Rebry, by then president of bike club "Het Vliegend Wiel", was the new race director. Robert Van Eenaeme was declared winner of the first post-War edition, surprisingly ten days after the race was over, after officials had closer inspected the photo finish. Sean Kelly, Guido Bontempi, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov and Tom Steels are some of the other sprint specialists on the roll of honour. In 2003, Gent–Wevelgem abandoned its original start location Ghent and moved to suburban Deinze. Tom Boonen claimed his first classic victory in 2004, later proceeding to equal the winning record of three wins. For many decades, the race held a mid-week position between the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. In 2011, the race was included in the UCI World Tour and returned to a Sunday date in the weekend between Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. Since 2015, the event is named Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, after the iconic war poem by John McCrae. Organizers wanted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, as the Westhoek region was at the heart of the war and is home to several Commonwealth war graves. The 2015 edition was won by Luca Paolini, but was particularly memorable as it was run in abysmal weather, with strong winds scourging the peloton. Several riders were blown violently off their bikes, including Geraint Thomas when he was leading the breakaway group, prompting media to describe the race as "mayhem" and "one of the wildest bike races in recent years". Only 39 riders finished the race. The 2016 edition was marred by the death of Belgian rider Antoine Demoitié, suffering fatal injuries from a crash and collision with a motor bike. Peter Sagan won the 2018 event, his third Gent–Wevelgem title and sixth podium finish, which made him the most successful rider in the race's history. At the end of 2025, more than 90 years after its inception, it was decided to rename the Gent–Wevelgem race completely to In Flanders Fields (From Middelkerke to Wevelgem). The coastal town of Middelkerke is set to be in the spotlight as a tourist destination over the next 10 years. ==Route==

: Starting in Deinze and finishing in Wevelgem, the race covers around 250 km Unlike most of the Flemish spring classics, which centre around Oudenaarde and the plentiful hills in the Flemish Ardennes, Gent–Wevelgem travels west into West Flanders and Northern France and has fewer hills, providing it with a different character and making it more suitable for sprinters. Present course Since 2004, the race starts in Deinze, East Flanders, southwest of Ghent. After the unofficial start on the city's Market Square, the route heads west, facing 100 kilometres through the wind-swept flatlands of West Flanders, up to and along the North Sea coast before turning south into the North department of France. The hill zone in the very south of West Flanders has three climbs, the Baneberg, Monteberg and Kemmelberg, covered within twelve kilometres of one another. In 2016 the climb was addressed by its steepest road for the first time in more than 20 years. After the Kemmelberg, the ultimate battle between breakaways formed on the climbs and the chasing peloton unfolds on the 35-kilometre flat roads towards the finish. Despite its reputation as a sprinter's classic, Gent–Wevelgem's breakaways frequently hold off their pursuers because of the unpredictable terrain. the route actually has very few sections of cobbled roads. Only the Kemmelberg and the upper stretches of the Kasselberg are cobbled, totaling a possible maximum of two kilometres of cobbled section, which is significantly less than the other cobbled races of Flanders and Northern France. Moreover, there are no flat sections of pavé and both cobbled climbs are in excellent condition, as they are part of a busy suburban traffic network. ==Course changes==

The first race was in 1934 on an all-flat route from Ghent's St Pieter's Station to Wevelgem. The second edition in 1935 addressed the Flemish Ardennes in East Flanders and included the climbs of Kwaremont, Kluisberg and Tiegemberg. From 1936 to 1939 the race ran from Ghent to Kortrijk, followed by local laps, including the Lauwberg as the main difficulty. , including Kemmelberg and Rodeberg (pictured) are the heart of the finale. After World War II, Gent–Wevelgem restyled with a new route across the Flemish Ardennes and the Heuvelland region. In the context of the Centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the peloton crosses the city centre and leaves it passing under the iconic Menin Gate, arguably the most famous Flanders Fields memorial, before proceeding on the final run-in to the finish in Wevelgem. The 2017 race saw the addition of three so-called Plugstreets in Ploegsteert Wood, semi-paved gravel roads at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, to commemorate the Christmas truce of 1914. The three Plugstreets were integrated between the two Kemmel climbs, with a total distance of . The COVID-19 pandemic led to the change of calendar and that year's edition was postponed for the 11th of October. Following Deinze (from 2003 to 2019) and Ypres (from 2020 to 2025), the starting location for the men’s race changed for the third time in 2026 (Middelkerke), with the initial location Ghent being permanently removed from the race’s name. ==Winners==

Multiple winners Riders in italics are still active Wins per country ==Women's race==

(pictured in 2016) won the first women's Gent–Wevelgem in 2012. Since 2012 a women's race of Gent–Wevelgem is held, on the same day as the men's event but over a shorter course. Unlike the men's race, the start is in Ypres and the course does not cover the hills in Northern France. The inaugural women's edition was won by British rider Lizzie Armitstead after a 40-km solo breakaway. Since 2016 the race is included in the UCI Women's World Tour, cycling's top-tier female elite competition. Wins per country ==Cyclosportive==

Since 2009, a cyclosportive is organized on the day before the professional event. There are four distances, ranging from 60 km to 215 km. All courses start and finish in Wevelgem, at the finishing location of the professional event. Most routes pass through the Menin Gate in Ypres, flirt with the French border, tackle the Kemmelberg before turning back towards Wevelgem. There are 5.000 participants on average; 40% of which are non-Belgians. ==Notes==