Sprinters vs attackers on the Kemmelberg – Analysing the contenders for In Flanders Fields

Cobbled Classics season is now in full swing, with one of the most prestigious races on the spring calendar, In Flanders Fields (a.k.k Gent-Wevelgem), holding its 88th edition (13th for the women's race) on Sunday.

The race, a circuitous adventure in West Flanders close to the French border, has a new identity this year. Gent hasn't actually hosted the race start since 2002, but now, following spells in Deinze and Ypres, the race start shifts to the North Sea town of Middelkerke.

Thus, the race is rebranded to the somewhat cumbersome In Flanders Fields - From Middelkerke to Wevelgem.

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The route hasn't been altered much, however, with the same flat run in the opening half of the race giving way to a flurry of hills and cobbled bergs – including the Scherpenberg, Baneberg, and the famous Kemmelberg – before the largely flat 35km run to the line.

As such, the race should once again play host to the familiar battle between the cobbled specialists hoping to break clear on the Kemmelberg and the sprinters hoping to hang on to the finish, as well as those riders who can do a bit of both.

So, without further ado, here's a look at our list of top contenders for glory at the men's and women's In Flanders Fields.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)

This race is the only major cobbled Classic missing from Mathieu van der Poel's palmarès, and he lines up as the top favourite this Sunday. The Dutchman is in top form, having won the E3 Saxo Classic for the third year in a row on Friday, attacking 60km from the finish, going solo for 42km, and just about holding off a disorganised four-man chase group in the final metres.

Van der Poel's triumph at E3 marked his 11th at a major cobbled Classic, and he now stands as the pre-eminent cobbled racer of his generation, also lying among the greatest of all time.

Previous outings at Gent-Wevelgem have seen him finish fourth, ninth, and second, with Mads Pedersen getting the better of him in a two-up sprint. Bigger goals lie ahead, of course, but this is a race Van der Poel will surely want to add to his collection.

Watch out, too, for Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian fastman was fourth here two years ago and is in top form, with recent results including a win at Nokere Koerse and a second at the Ronde van Brugge.

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ)

Going by Lara Gillespie's past spring campaigns – which included an Antwerp Port Epic win in 2024 and several podium places last year – it was only a matter of time before the Irish racer established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the cobbles.

She's been in the form of her life this spring, winning Le Samyn, taking second at the Omloop van het Hageland, third at Nokere Koerse, and sixth at the Ronde van Brugge.

A Women's WorldTour-level victory surely awaits. Will it come this weekend in Wevelgem?

Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)

Belgian racer Jordi Meeus has never been talked about with the biggest spring Classics stars of his home nation, but maybe it's time to start. Over the years, the 27-year-old has grown stronger and stronger and is now surely in the conversation for a result at the spring's biggest cobbled Classics.

He took third place here two years ago and ninth last year, while so far this season he's logged his strongest start to a campaign yet.

Meeus won the Ename Samyn Classic, finished second at Nokere Koerse, and was in the top 10 for both races at Opening Weekend. He'll certainly be in the frame if the race heads for a sprint finish, while teammate Tim van Dijke, second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and strong at E3, is another to watch.

Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-Suez)

Like Gillespie, Elise Chabbey was among our tips to break through with a big win this spring. Much like the rest of the strong support squad behind Demi Vollering, it was clear the Swiss racer just needed a chance to lead the team to compete.

She did just that when Vollering fell victim to bad luck at Strade Bianche, going on to score the biggest win of her career to date.

Chabbey, who finished top 10 at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix last spring, heads up FDJ United-Suez at this race and so has another chance to battle for victory as a team leader.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Belgium's great hope for a big result this spring, Wout van Aert, is back on form. The 31-year-old's recent showing at Milan-San Remo, where he shot out of the peloton late on to capture third place, showed he's ready to compete for the big prizes in the coming weeks.

He skipped the E3 Saxo Classic, a race he's won twice before, on Friday, meaning appointments at In Flanders Fields and Dwars door Vlaanderen are all that stand between him and another bid for those elusive titles at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Van Aert is a past winner here, of course, and finished second at his most recent appearance three years ago. He'd certainly be happy with a similar result on Sunday. Teammate Christophe Laporte is also on hand as part of a formidable Visma double threat.

Cat Ferguson (Movistar)

19-year-old Cat Ferguson is one of the brightest young stars of the peloton, already with seven pro wins to her name.

This year, she can count triumphs at the Challenge Mallorca and Volta Valenciana to her name, while fourth place at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is another highlight.

Ferguson may lack the experience on the cobbles of some of her rivals, with just one spring Classics campaign under her belt to date, but she still has the strength to compete. Her teammate, fellow young Briton Carys Lloyd, will be flying high after her recent Ronde van Brugge victory.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)

Lorena Wiebes heads into Sunday's race as the main favourite to win, because of course she does. The Dutchwoman is the undisputed quickest woman in the world, and she's won the race in each of the past two years.

Last spring, her triumph was one of many, with wins at Le Samyn, Milan-San Remo and De Panne also on her palmarès.

This time around, three stage wins in four days at the UAE Tour stand out as her biggest achievement to date. Recent results, including third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, sixth at Milan-San Remo, and ninth at the Ronde van Brugge, suggest she is far from unbeatable, however.

Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep)

Paul Magnier heads up a revamped Soudal-QuickStep Classics squad this spring, with new additions Jasper Stuyven (also racing here) and Dylan van Baarle joining Yves Lampaert as part of the four-headed cobbled lineup.

Last spring, Magnier burst onto the scene with second places at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Ename Samyn Classic. This year, the 21-year-old has been quieter, with an 11th place at Omloop his best result at Opening Weekend.

He has Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders on his menu after Gent-Wevelgem, meaning this race is the most sprinter-friendly on his remaining spring calendar. Watch out for Magnier if he gets over the Kemmelberg.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)

Elisa Balsamo is a rider who almost always performs well at Gent-Wevelgem. The Italian finished second in the race as a junior and has since racked up a win (in 2022), two second places and a fourth at the elite level.

She's one of the strongest sprinters in the peloton and can deal with the cobbled hills well, but she's been bested by Wiebes in the two most recent editions of the race.

Balsamo is in fine form heading into Sunday's race, even if she hasn't yet won in 2026. Recent results include eighth place at Milan-San Remo and second in the chaotic, crash-marred sprint at a grim and wet Ronde van Brugge on Thursday.

Best of the rest

Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) has proven his talent on the cobbles, but unless he breaks clear on the Kemmelberg and solos home, this race may be hard for him to win.

Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) was third here last year and will be in the frame if the race finishes with a sprint once again.

2022 winner Biniam Girmay (NSN) has enjoyed a strong start to the season, though he wasn't in the mix at Milan-San Remo.

US racer Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost) is in fine form, having scored a Paris-Nice stage win to go with top 10s at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, and Ronde van Brugge this spring.

Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) is clearly sharp, having sprinted to fourth place at Milan-San Remo last week, while Zoe Bäckstedt is another to watch.

Wins at the Tour Down Under, the Great Ocean Road Race, and Tirreno-Adriatico showed that Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) has stepped up a level in 2026.

Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) is among the strongest sprinters around, even if she hasn't yet scored a big result this season.

Flandrian favourite Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) isn't in flying form, but he can never be counted out on the cobbles.

Florian Vermeersch's (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) third places at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Classic showed he's in strong form this spring, while Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), fifth at E3, has a very fast finish.

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