Gent-Wevelgem organisers play weather waiting game

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Keen to avoid a repeat of the weather-disrupted Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem organisers will do reconnaissance over the 235km course on Saturday to check its readiness given snow flurries in the region in the 24 hours leading up to the Flanders Classic.

Various contingency plans can be activated should the weather conditions demand and a meeting with the teams is scheduled for 3pm on Saturday afternoon to discuss the race and any changes that have been made to the parcours.

"We will not make the mistake of Milan-San Remo" race director, Frank Hoste told Nieuwsblad. "The health and safety of the riders have priority."

Snow began falling on Saturday morning before conditions cleared a few hours later. More snow was originally forecast for Sunday however revised indications are that will temperatures will continue to hover from -2 to 3 degrees, no snow should fall on race day.

Several options are on the table for Sunday with race organisers refuting suggestions that the WorldTour event will be held on Monday as an alternative in a press release issued late on Saturday night. The two Casselberg ascents loom as the most troublesome, given it's slightly higher than the others and unprotected, could be removed with the race resuming 50 metres up the road. The race could be cancelled altogether should conditions deteriorate to a level deemed necessary with the other option of deleting the French segment of the race impossible due to the notice required for authorities