Gent-Wevelgem Women 2024

Lorena Wiebes beats Elisa Balsamo in sprint photo finish

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) used a bike throw to win her first Gent-Wevelgem Women. It took a photo finish to decide the outcome, as the Dutchwoman edged Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) at the line in Wevelgem. 

Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) took third place as a large group of 38 riders stormed across the finish after 171.2km of racing.

Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) launched an attack in the final 2km, but was brought back on the final kilometre. 

Full report l As it happened

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Gent-Wevelgem Women history

Gent-Wevelgem Women is a Spring Classic will have its 13th edition on March 24, 2024. The race rolls through Flanders Fields, paying homage to the victims of the First World War each year. Both the women's and men's races were rebranded with the addition of ‘In Flanders Fields’ to the name in 2016 for the centennial celebration of World War I.

Organisers of the men's Gent-Wevelgem added a women's edition in 2012 as a national event. It started on the UCI calendar as a 1.2-ranked event in 2014 when American Lauren Hall secured the victory. The event joined the Women's WorldTour in 2016. To date, Dutch rider Kirsten Wild is the only rider to have won the Spring Classic twice, in 2013 and 2019.

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) won the last edition in 2023. After after avoiding a huge crash in the peloton 44km, she ended up off the front solo and kept going as the chaos disrupted any attempts to chase. Even though she took a wrong turn with 5km to go, she still won by 2:42.

The race is unpredictable, with wind playing as much of a role with attrition as the steep cobbled climbs. The race begins again in Ypres close to the imposing Menin Gate, and out of respect for those who lost their lives in Flanders Fields, the peloton will launch onto the 171.2km course with a wave of flag, not with the shot from a start gun. 

This year’s route comes in 8.7km longer than last year, and the women will  conquer both sides of the Kemmelberg on the closing circuit.

The climbs on the course include the Scherpenberg, Baneberg, Monteberg and Kemmelberg (Belvedère), and then another round of the Scherpenberg and Baneberg to the Kemmelberg (Ossuaire). The final ascent of the steeper side of the Kemmelberg leaves 35.9km to the final run-in to Vanackerestraat, Wevelgem.

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Gent-Wevelgem Women 2024 Start list

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