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Gent-Wevelgem Elite Men – Live coverage

By Barry Ryan
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All the action as the cobbled Classics continue

Gent-Wevelgem 2021

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The peloton is gathering in Ypres for the start of Gent-Wevelgem, but without Trek-Segafredo, who were forced out last night after two confirmed cases of COVID-19, and without Bora-Hansgrohe, who have also been denied the start after already missing the E3 Saxo Bank Classic due to a confirmed coronavirus case. Yesterday, Bora-Hansgrohe intimated their intention to compete and they were reportedly travelling to Ypres this morning, but our man in Flanders Brecht Decaluwe reports that they will not now take part in the race. 

While Trek-Segafredo confirmed their withdrawal last night after the confirmed COVID-19 cases, it appears that Bora-Hansgrohe were prevented from starting this morning. Bora-Hansgrohe were unable to start in Harelbeke on Friday under the Belgian Cycling Federation's COVID-19 protocol after Matt Walls tested positive for the coronavirus, and they are now out of Gent-Wevelgem.

In the absence of Trek-Segafredo and Bora-Hansgrohe the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team will by far be the strongest force in the race, writes Brecht Decaluwé. They even have fast men Sam Bennett and Davide Ballerini if the race comes down to a group sprint. Yves Lampaert was asked about the chances of teammate Sam Bennett. “He’s good. They have forecast a lot of wind. I hope there’ll be a lot of wind. He’ll go well but we’ll have to see exactly how far he can get. It’s impossible to predict. We have another fast man with Ballerini. There’s Stybar and me too,” Lampaert said.

The peloton rolls out from Ypres at 10am CET and is scheduled to reach kilometre zero for the official start at 10.15. The 247.5km race features 11 climbs, starting with the Scherpenberg after 150km, while the final ascent of the Kemmelberg comes after 213km. There are also three sections of semi-paved road - the Plugstreets - around the 180km mark, while the firm threat of crosswinds to break the race into echelons.

Flanders Classics CEO Thomas Van Den Spiegel has spoken about Bora-Hansgrohe being denied the start this morning: “There’s the fact that 17 people from Bora have been marked as high-risk contacts. Once they’re quarantined, there’s not much we can do. Yesterday we informed ourselves in detail about their situation. This morning there was no other option for us than to inform them that they were not allowed to take the start.”

The Gent-Wevelgem peloton is waved away from the start by the mayor of Ypres, and the starters - minus Trek-Segafredo and Bora-Hansgrohe - are negotiating the 7.7km neutralised zone.

There is no Mathieu van der Poel at the start in Ypres, writes Brecht Decaluwé. The Alpecin-Fenix team will instead be aiming for a sprint with their fast men Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen. If there’s no sprint, then Gianni Vermeersch might be able to play his role in the attacks as he showed splendid form in previous races. He’s riding near his home. “It’s in my backyard. Two years ago, it was my first WorldTour race. I’m always super motivated. We’ll be aiming for a bunch sprint. With Tim and Jasper, we have the two strongest Belgian sprinters in the team. A group with one of them, or both, featuring is good too. It’s not the goal to get me in a lead group to the finish,” Vermeersch said. Tim Merlier has already won three races this year. He didn’t know how his legs would respond at the end of such a long, hard race. “It’s great to win three times already. I’m very happy about that. I don’t know if this will be a race for the sprinters. There’s a lot of wind so there’ll be echelons. I’ll have to ride in front. The Kemmelberg shouldn’t be a problem but after 250 kilometres the legs will decide. I’ll need a good day. With Jasper we can bank on two horses. We’ll see who his best positioned. If I’m faster than Wout van Aert? Maybe. Hopefully we’ll see about that later today.”

-247.5km

A brisk pace in the peloton in the opening kilometres. There's an early puncture for Frederik Frison (Lotto Soudal), who quickly chases back on.

Frison’s teammate Philippe Gilbert and Gent-Wevelgem aren’t a great match, as Brecht Decaluwé points out. Back in 2010 he did manage to finish third when Bernhard Eisel won the race in the sprint from a small group, with youngster Sep Vanmarcke finishing as runner-up. Gilbert abandoned quite early in E3 Harelbeke. At the start in Ypres, he explained why he opted to do so. “I wanted to stay calm and recover. I didn’t want to just ride along without ambitions. Worried? It’s not a good sign for the upcoming races. It’s just the way it is. Back in 2010 it was foul weather. Sometimes it’s not the strongest riders who ride away. That’s the way I’ll have to race today. I’m often not great when there’s crosswinds at the start. I prefer to have them at the end of the race. Early on it’s a matter of having the guts rather than having the strength.”

-232km

Stefan Bissegger, Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-Nippo), Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Premier Tech), Christophe Noppe (Arkéa-Samsic) and Laurenz Rex (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) have opened a gap over the peloton. 

Noppe doesn't last very long in the group, however. The Belgian is distanced and has been caught again by the peloton. Four men remain in front: Bissegger, Rutsch, Rex and the impressive Fedorov, who was the last rider to join the move, having bridged across strongly.

The second EF rider in the front group is Jonas Rutsch, not Arroyave as previously stated. Regardless of the identity of the break, the peloton is content to let them go for now. The quartet build an early lead of 2 minutes.

-222km

After all the apprehension over early splits, there will be relief for some in the peloton that the break was able to go clear so smoothly. The early truce sees a number of riders stop for a natural break, while the four escapees push their advantage out to four minutes.

Bora-Hansgrohe manager Ralph Denk is not a happy man, and he has made the COVID-19 doctor for the E3 Saxo Bank Classic the target of his opprobrium for placing “two-thirds of the team” in a seven-day quarantine. Denk has also confirmed that his team will now miss Dwars door Vlaanderen too.

-217km

A look at today's breakaway.

Honoré takes first professional win with all or nothing approach at Coppi e Bartali

The breakaway's advantage is currently up to a sizeable 8:35. 

The latest from Flanders Classics CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegel on the Bora-Hansgrohe situation...

200KM

And the time gap is currently up to 9:30.

How to watch men's and women's Gent-Wevelgem 2021 – live TV and streaming

Benjamin Declercq (Arkéa-Samsic) has abandoned the race. He's the brother of Deceuninck-QuickStep rider Tim, who isn't at the race today but will be in action again at Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday.

The peloton has sped up in recent kilometres with the gap to the break coming down to 7:45. The riders are heading towards the coast at the moment, so nervousness at the chance of winds affecting the peloton looks to be behind the upping of pace.

185KM

Two days ago, Wout van Aert surprisingly ran out of gas on the Tiegemberg in the E3 Harelbeke, writes Brecht Decaluwé. “We don’t have to look very far. I punctured and took a lot of initiative. I spent a lot of energy. Everybody has a limit,” Van Aert said before the start today. He seems to be banking on a sprint in this edition of Gent-Wevelgem, knowing he spent a lot of energy in E3 Harelbeke. “It’s hard to predict. It’ll be hard, even before the hill zone. We’ll have to see how much damage is done. There’s several ways for me to win so I’ll have to think about that this time. The Kemmelberg suits me well. It’s straightforward. There’s not much damage done each time, though.” When asked if he is faster than Tim Merlier, Van Aert smiled. “Maybe if we sprint here at the start then he’ll be the fastest but after 250 kilometres it might be different.”

-176km

21 riders have made the front echelon: Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Soudal), Danny van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious), Jack Bauer (BikeExchange), Luka Mezgec (BikeExchange), Michael Matthews (BikeExchange), Robert Stannard (BikeExchange), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Luis Mas (Movistar), Jasha Sütterlin (Movistar), Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka-Assos), Sven Erik Bystrøm (UAE Team Emirates), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Michal Golas (Ineos), Timothy Dupont (Bingoal), Jeremy Lecroq (B&B Hotels) and Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels)

The reports from out on the route suggests that the wind conditions are wreaking havoc, and this front echelon has a lead of half a minute or so over the rest of the peloton.

-171km

Perhaps unexpectedly, Sam Bennett is the only Deceuninck-QuickStep rider to make this echelon with men like Wout van Aert and Matteo Trentin. One imagines the men in blue will be active in trying to stitch the race back together.

Team BikeExchange are well represented in this echelon. Michael Matthews has Luka Mezgec, Jack Bauer and Robert Stannard for company, and they're working to try keep this group clear of the peloton, which is regrouping behind. As well as Deceuninck-QuickStep - who have just one rider in front - AG2R-Citroen and Alpecin-Fenix both missed the split, and those three teams will surely collaborate behind. 

-165km

All the while, a fire has reportedly broken out in Menen, not far from the finish in Wevelgem, but Flanders Classics CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegal has told Sporza that it should not impact on the finish. "For the time being it looks like the fire here in Menen will not cause any problems for the race," he said. 

-160km

Only three riders remain out in front, meanwhile, as Laurenz Rex (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) sits up.

-159km

-155km

Situation

Sporza's Renaat Schotte captured this footage from behind the Van Aert group.

-150km

A reminder that Trek-Segafredo and Bora-Hansgrohe are both absent today due to confirmed COVID-19 cases. You can read more about Bora's absence here. 

-144km

The peloton looked to be grimly clawing back some seconds on the men out in front, but it's a slow process, and the gap seems to have stalled at around 1:30 or so.

Groupama-FDJ, Alpecin-Fenix and AG2R-Citroën are setting the pace in the peloton, having missed the crucial split. Deceuninck-QuickStep are recused from chasing duties by the presence of Sam Bennett out in front, though they would probably like to have some riders around their fast man come the finale…

Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation) has abandoned Gent-Wevelgem.

-125km

Situation

-117km

The race is proving attritional at the front, too. Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Premier Tech), who was part of the early break, has lost contact with the front group.

-113km

The leaders are just 15km or so from the first of the day's climbs. The 11 hellingen on the agenda are as follows:

Deceuninck-QuickStep make a contribution to the pursuit, and the peloton's deficit comes down to 1:22.

-94km

Situation

-90km

Flanders Classics have announced that the finale of the men's and women's races at Gent-Wevelgem will be rerouted due to a fire in Menen. The route was due to pass through the centre of Menen with 5km to go, but will instead take a deviation. The finish in Wevelgem remains on the route. 

-84km

Soren Kragh Andersen (DSM), Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange) and two Alpecin-Fenix riders are also in the small chasing group with Stybar and Lampaert. They are now 26 seconds down on the leaders, who are still swapping turns out in front.

-81km

The second group on the road with Stybar, Lampaert, Durbridge, Soren Kragh Andersen and Oliver Naesen (AG2R) is 35 seconds down. A larger, Lotto Soudal-led group is third on the road at 44 seconds. 

The man in the chasing group at 24 seconds are: Yves Lampaert, Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Oliver Naesen (AG2R), Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange), Soren Kragh Andersen (DSM), Oscar Riesebeek and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix). A larger group is not behind them at 38 seconds.

-76km

-73km

Situation

-70km

Deceuninck-QuickStep are no longer contributing to the chase. While Stybar and Lampaert would undoubtedly like to get across to accompany Sam Bennett, they don't want to bring me like Naesen, Van Avermaet and Demare with them.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) punctures in the second group ahead of the second unpaved sector, and that might also have an impact on the chase effort behind. AG2R take up the reins instead of them but the gap stays at one minute. 

The chasing group expands in size once again as more riders get back on. They are still a minute down on the leaders as they hit the third and final portion of the Plugstreets.

BikeExchange have lost Luka Mezgec from the front group. The Slovenian appeared to have a mechanical issue and he has been caught by the chasers. Stannard and Bauer continue to set the pace for Matthews.

-65km

That looks like a puncture for Kristoff, who will hope he can get a quick wheel change and rejoin this chasing group before the next climb, the Monteberg. Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) is also forced to a halt with mechanical issue.

-63km

Michael Schär is doing the bulk of the work in the chasing group for his AG2R leaders Van Avermaet and Naesen. His efforts have cut the break's lead to 44 seconds, but BikeExchange are not the only team working. The EF duo of Bissegger and Rutsch are contributing, as is Van Aert's teammate Van Hooydonck.

Sam Bennett was had to take some turns in the crosswinds earlier on, but since Stybar and Lampaert's abortive attempt to forge across, the Irishman is content to follow the wheels in this break and see how the race develops from here. 

Alexander Kristoff has made it back to the chasing group after his puncture. Zdenek Stybar drops back to the team car for a bidon and a quick discussion of the lie of the tactical landscape.

The chasers are increasingly desperate to close this very stubborn gap before the next set of climbs. After Schar sits up, Groupama-FDJ's Olivier Le Gac takes up the reins for Arnaud Demare.

-59km

-58km

-56km

Arnaud Demare hits the front again on the Monteberg and puts in a long, long effort in a bid to drag this chasing group across to the leaders. Fast men like Laporte, Coquard and Philipsen, who had just chased back on, now look like being distanced definitively.

Coquard stops for a bike change, but he looked to be struggling in any case. The front group, meanwhile, is now onto the Kemmelberg for the second time...

-54km

Van Aert takes over as the gradient bites and not everyone can go with him. Matteo Trentin, Sonny Colbrelli, Stefan Kung, Sam Bennett, Danny van Poppel, Giacomo Nizzolo and Michael Matthews can all follow, but there are gaps behind.

-54km

Back among the chasers, Yves Lampaert forges clear over the Kemmelberg and his effort has splintered the peloton still further. 

-52km

The Van Aert group has half a minute on the men dropped from the front on the Kemmelberg. Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix) are chasing at 1:30, with the remnants of the peloton scattered behind them. 

-50km

Yves Lampaert and Gianni Vermeersch haven't given up the ghost, 1:20 or so behind the leaders. They're picking up dropped riders from the front group, but they won't help much with the chase. Meanwhile, most of the nine strongmen out in front seem content to swap turns for the moment.

The race is scattered into groups of varying degrees of strength and cohesion. Unfortunately for all the chasers, the front group appears to the strongest and the most cohesive at this juncture. 

-45km

That said, there are still three climbs to come and they could - should - shake things up out in front all over again. Van Aert is very, very quick, but he still won't want to bring Bennett, Matthews and Nizzolo to Wevelgem.

In the third group on the road, Lampaert and Vermeersch are doing all of the work. Stannard has Matthews out in front, and neither Rutsch nor Dupont have the strength to contribute much after their earlier efforts. 

Indeed, Lampaert and Vermeersch opt to sit up and wait for the peloton - 25 or so riders, with perhaps more chasing back on - rather than continue with their effort. 

-42km

Stefan Kung is still in front on the Baneberg, where the nine leaders extend their advantage to 54 seconds over the chasers and 1:30 over the peloton.

-40km

-37km

Nathan Van Hooydonck leads the break on the approach to the final haul up the Kemmelberg. Sam Bennett is tucked onto Van Aert's wheel. He knows that's where he needs to stay if he is to win this race...

Matteo Trentin leads on the lower slopes of the Kemmel, with Van Aert on his wheel.

Trentin's forcing stretches out the group. Van Hooydonck is dropped. Van Poppel and Bennett are struggling...

Van Aert takes over near the top, but he can't shake off the dangermen. Bennett and Van Poppel are still in touch over the summit... Van Hooydonck was the only man shaken loose on the climb.

The peloton crests the top of the Kemmelberg 1:06 down on the break. The tailwin in the finale should favour the break's prospects of staying clear, but it depends on how they collaborate - and on whether any of the sprinters' teams can marshal a cohesive chase.

-35km

-34km

Sam Bennett looks in difficulty at the back of the break. He loses a few lengths but he manages to fight his way back up to the wheels.

The men dropped from the break were caught over the Kemmelberg, and over the the other side, a sizeable counter-attack with Lampaert, Stybar, Naesen, Van Avermaet and Dylan van Baarle has taken shape. They are chasing 50 seconds down on the nine leaders...

-30km

Ineos and AG2R are doing the work in the chase group, while Stybar and Lampaert are content to police them for now. The gap is still 56 seconds to the nine leaders. 

-28km

-26km

-25km

-24km

For now, the pace is even - and high - in the front group. If and when they start to watch once another, we can surely expect an attack from Kung. The Swiss rider was obviously trying to shake the sprinters loose on the Baneberg and he won't want to go to the finish line in Wevelgem with Van Aert, Bennett, Matthews et al.

-21km

-19km

The Italian trio of Nizzolo, Trentin and Colbrelli have been prominent at the head of the break in recent kilometres, as has Van Hooydonck on behalf of Van Aert. Matthews, too, comes through with a contribution. Their pace is constant, and they still have 44 seconds on the chasers.

-17km

Anthony Turgis (Total Direct Energie) sets out in lone pursuit from the chasing group, but he can't make any inroads into the deficit.

-16km

Stefan Kung was the first man across to Van Hooydonck after Van Aert had deliberately allowed the gap to open. Matthews, Van Aert, Colbrelli, Nizzolo and Trentin managed to make it across, but Van Poppel and Bennett simply had nothing left after a brutal afternoon of racing at the front.

-13km

An exhausted Bennett is in obvious discomfort and he can no longer hold Van Poppel's wheel. Despite his travails, Bennett's finishing speed meant that he was perhaps the man Van Aert most wanted to shed before Wevelgem. Now the question is whether Jumbo-Visma will look to repeat that move to take out more fast men...

-11km

-10km

An exhausted Bennett is caught and passed by Anthony Turgis. He tries to tuck in behind the Lampaert-Van Avermaet group when they come past.

-8km

Van Aert has the advantage of having Van Hooydonck for company, but the precise deployment of his Jumbo-Visma teammate might depend on how Stefan Kung approaches this finale.

-6km

Turgis has caught Van Poppel, and they are 8th and 9th on the road, 1:08 behind the leaders. Their aspiration this point, of course, is to fend off the chasers rather claw back the leaders. 

-5.5km

-5km

Dylan van Baarle has caught Turgis, while Van Poppel has been dropped, but they are fighting for the minor placings at this point.

-4.5km

-4km

-3km

-2km

Kung's attack finally comes, but it's telegraphed. Nizzolo was on his wheel as he tried to duck around a traffic island, and the Swiss rider does little more than draw level with Van Hooydonck before relenting.

-1km

Stefan Kung opens the sprint from a long, long way out but Van Aert responds...

Van Aert hits the front. Nizzolo tries to respond...

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) wins Gent-Wevelgem.

Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka-Assos) was second ahead of Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates).

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) was 4th ahead of Michael Matthews (BikeExchange) and Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), while Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) - who played such a valuable role for Van Aert - rolled home with his arms aloft in 7th place.

Dylvan van Baarle (Ineos) took 8th ahead of Anthony Turgis (Total Direct Energie, while Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix) won the sprint for 10th.

Wout van Aert speaks: "It was a sprint at high speed, we had a tailwind all the way back from the Kemmelberg and we were able to launch early enough. Everything went perfect and nobody came past.

Result

WEVELGEM BELGIUM MARCH 28 Arrival Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Jumbo Visma Celebration Giacomo Nizzolo of Italy and Team Qhubeka Assos Matteo Trentin of Italy and UAE Team Emirates Sonny Colbrelli of Italy and Team Bahrain Victorious Michael Matthews of Australia and Team Team BikeExchange during the 83rd GentWevelgem in Flanders Fields 2021 Mens Elite a 254km race from Ypres to Wevelgem GWE21 GWEmen FlandersClassic on March 28 2021 in Wevelgem Belgium Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Michael Matthews (BikeExchange), who placed 5th:" I think there was 20 of us off the front, it was a very long day, very hectic. My team did a great job today, they split it up and made sure we were all in the front. Form there we tried to control the race for a sprint. I started to get double cramp in both my legs [in the finale]. That’s unfortunate, but it was a really hard day and I guess you have these problems but hopefully the next time I don’t."

Matthews added that he wasn't fully aware of the travails of Sam Bennett after the Kemmelberg: "He started missing some turns but I thought it was because he had some teammates coming across. He did look pretty tired but it was good that he was there in the first place. 

WEVELGEM BELGIUM MARCH 28 Arrival Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Jumbo Visma Celebration during the 83rd GentWevelgem in Flanders Fields 2021 Mens Elite a 254km race from Ypres to Wevelgem GWE21 GWEmen FlandersClassic on March 28 2021 in Wevelgem Belgium Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Matteo Trentin on his third place finish: "The race was very good but tough. Together with the other guys in front we worked well pushing hard and making sure to not allow the pursuers to close the gap. The third place in the sprint always leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth, I would have liked to win, but getting on the podium together with the strongest is still a good result."

A full report, results and pictures from Gent-Wevelgem are available here.

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