Marlen Reusser soloed to victory in the 2023 Gent-Wevelgem Women's WorldTour race (Image credit: Tim de WaeleGetty Images)
Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) inadvertently escaped from the peloton after a mass crash with 44km to go and, because of the confusion after the fall no team could assemble a chase in time to reel in the Swiss time trial specialist.
Reusser's gap ballooned in the final lap, and even though she took a wrong turn with 5km to go, she still won by two minutes and 42 seconds.
Gent-Wevelgem Women is a Spring Classic with its 12th overall edition on March 26, 2023. Like the men’s event, which has a history going back to the 1940s, the route rolls through Flanders Fields, paying homage to the victims of the First World War each year.
Often harsh weather conditions, especially wind and rain, create havoc with the peloton before the finish, which now culminates just beyond the demanding, final climb of the cobbled Kemmelberg, which was added for the women's race in 2022.
After an introductory two years, Gent-Wevelgem moved onto the women's international calendar in 2014 when American Lauren Hall secured the victory. The event joined the Women's WorldTour two years later. To date, Dutch track star Kirsten Wild is the only rider to have won the Spring Classic twice, in 2013 and 2019).
Last year, Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) secured a victory from a bunch sprint ahead of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit-WNT). Clad in the rainbow stripes as the world champion, she called it “a dream come true” to win her favourite race on the calendar.
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The 2023 Gent-Wevelgem women's route is only slightly longer than in 2022, with the same features - the crosswinds of De Moeren and the harder side of the Kemmelberg.
Join Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2023 Gent-Wevelgem Women with race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.
Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) lines up as the defending champion after a golden week last year saw her win Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem. This year she finished second at both Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Brugge-De Panne, but watch for her to rise to the occasion at Gent-Wevelgem. The team brings Trofeo Alfredo Binda winner Shirin van Anrooij, along with Lucinda Brand, for a well-rounded roster.
SD Worx line up with two of the event's favourites, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, both having a fantastic start to their seasons. With Kopecky as a wildcard and Wiebes as the main sprinter, they also have the support of Marlen Reusseur, Elena Cecchini, Christine Majerus and Lonneke Uneken for a tough-to-beat team.
Marta Bastianelli gives UAE Team ADQ a great shot at victory, with the Italian taking third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, second at Omloop van het Hageland, and first at Le Samyn des Dames. A third at Nokere Koerse looked like it would lead to a bigger WorldTour win last week, but a crash in the crosswinds ad Brugge-De Panne left her out of contention.
Movistar Team has a strong contender in Arlenis Sierra, the Cuban champion already off to a great start to her season with fifth at Nokere Koerse and fourth at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. She has shown her climbing strengths this year and a turn of speed that could produce one of the biggest wins of her career in Wevelgem.
A fast finisher and a breakaway specialist, Grace Brown has the potential to finish on the podium for FDJ-SUEZ. Winning the time trial at the Australian National Championships and the overall title at the Women's Tour Down Under, Brown has the versatility needed to finish in the front group of a tough race and the tactical skill to catch her rivals off guard with a surprise move in the final.
After her monster performance that led to a solo victory at Brugge-De Panne, Pfeiffer Georgi is one of the most dangerous contenders to watch from Team DSM. She proved to be in great form after riding into the sprinter-heavy breakaway and then attacking for the win in De Panne. The team also has a winning sprinter in Charlotte Kool and up-and-coming talent in Megan Jastrab.
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