Elisa Balsamo wins Gent-Wevelgem Women in bunch sprint
Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) secured a bunch-sprint victory at Gent-Wevelgem in Belgium. The world champion blasted to the finish line taking the win ahead of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit-WNT) in what she said was her favourite race on the calendar.
“Today, I won my favorite race. It’s a dream come true. I am very, very happy," Balsamo said.
After a last breakaway attempt by Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) was reeled in just before the last kilometre, Balsamo was the fastest in the sprint, coming off the wheel of Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx), and sprinting across the line first.
Her victory at Gent-Wevelgem marked her fourth of the season after winning the opening stage at Setmana Valenciana. She also won back-to-back Women's WorldTour races at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Brugge-De Panne.
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women | 3:19:15 |
| 2 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women | |
| 3 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | |
| 4 | Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx | |
| 5 | Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Den) Movistar Team Women | |
| 6 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ | |
| 7 | Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
| 8 | Tamara Dronova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | |
| 9 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
| 10 | Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope |
Date: March 27, 2022
Start: Ypres - 1:50pm CET
Finish: Wevelgem - 6:15pm CET
Live coverage on Cyclingnews: Start to Finish
Gent-Wevelgem Women marks the fifth round of the 2022 Women's WorldTour held on March 27 in Belgium. The women will race 159km from Ypres to Wevelgem with new route features that include the windswept De Moeren and the Ossuaire side of the Kemmelberg raising the difficulty of the prized one-day race.
The event has been part of the women's international calendar since 2014 when American Lauren Hall secured the victory and Floortje Mackaij won the race in 2015. The event joined the Women's WorldTour in 2016, the inception of the top-tier series, when Chantal van den Broek-Blaak took a solo victory. Former champions of the one-day race also include Lotta Henttala (2017), Marta Bastianelli (2018), Kirsten Wild (2019), Jolien D'hoore (2020) and defending champion Marianne Vos (2021).
Join Cyclingnews for live coverage of 2022 Spring Classics, including Gent-Wevelgem Women, and check in after each race for our full report, results, gallery, news and features.
2022 Gent-Wevelgem news and features
- Balsamo keeps rainbow run going at Gent-Wevelgem
- SD Worx not rewarded for aggressive racing at Gent-Wevelgem
- Marianne Vos on song for cobbled Classics despite lack of racing
- De Moeren, Ossuaire Kemmelberg add new dimension to Gent-Wevelgem Women – Preview
- Kopecky keen to rip up Gent-Wevelgem to make it third time lucky
- 2022 Women's WorldTour: The definitive guide
- Cyclingnews announces live coverage of the women's Spring Classics
- Inside Flanders Classics' bold plan for women's equality: Closing the Gap
- Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders routes announced for Women's WorldTour
2022 Gent-Wevelgem Women route
It’s one of the flatter one-day races and typically sees a clash of the sprinters. The start of the race was moved from Ypres' Grote Markt to the Menin Gate.
The women will race 159km that begins by travelling northward to De Moeren and will encounter a traditionally windy stretch en route to the coast of the North Sea.
The race will then travel southbound toward the decisive collection of seven climbs beginning with the Scherpenberg, Beneberg, Monteberg, Kemmelberg (Belvedere), and again the Scherpenberg, Beneberg, and lastly the new addition to the route, the Kemmelberg (Ossuaire), before the 34km to the finish in Wevelgem.
2022 Gent-Wevelgem Women climbs
- Scherpenberg
- Beneberg
- Monteberg
- Kemmelberg (Belvedere)
- Scherpenberg
- Beneberg
- Kemmelberg (Ossuaire)
2022 Gent-Wevelgem Women contenders
- Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma)
- Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)
- Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM)
- Emma Norsgaard (Movistar)
- Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
2022 Gent-Wevelgem Women teams
- Team Jumbo-Visma
- Team SD Worx
- Trek - Segafredo
- Canyon-SRAM Racing
- EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
- FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
- Human Powered Health
- Liv Racing Xstra
- Movistar Team
- Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
- Team BikeExchange - Jayco
- Team DSM
- UAE Team ADQ
- Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
- Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling
- Parkhotel Valkenburg
- Valcar - Travel & Service
- Bingoal Casino - Chevalmeire - Van Eyck Sport
- Cofidis Women Team
- Lotto Soudal Ladies
- Le Col - Wahoo
- Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
- AG Insurance - NXTG Team
- Plantur-Pura
