As it happened - Lorena Wiebes powers to narrow Gent-Wevelgem win over Balsamo

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Gent-Wevelgem Women.

Gent-Wevelgem is the first of a triplet of big cobbled Classics in women’s cycling; with the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix taking place over the next two weekends.

It's usually the easiest of the three, but with the winds howling in Flanders how will the racing pan out today?

Last year's race really typified the dominance of SD Worx over the spring races - and much of the rest of the season - with Swiss TT star Marlen Reusser taking the win by two minutes and forty-two seconds over a chasing pack policed by her team-mates.

Will it be a similar story today?

World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) comes into the race as the heavy favourite. Here's Cyclingnews' analysis of the expectations on the Belgian star over the next couple of weeks.

Weight of the world – Lotte Kopecky the centrepiece of the cobbled Classics

The riders are just rolling out in the neutral zone.

There are several riders looking to upstage Kopecky, a couple of them have managed to do just that already.

First it was Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), winner at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. She won this race back in 2021 and will be looking to repeat.

Elisa Balsamo is another who looks back to her best. The Lidl-Trek rider and 2022 Gent-Wevelgem champion has recently won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Classic Brugge-De Panne.

CyclingNews have analysed all the contenders for the women's and men's races here:

Gent-Wevelgem 2024 - Analysing the contenders

The weather is sure to be a factor today, with winds blowing at around 35km/h at the moment.

That's nothing out of the ordinary for this race!

The official start has been given.

Should the race come down to a sprint today, SD Worx-Protime are expected to rely on Lorena Wiebes. Before the start, she was asked about the windy conditions.

"Normally, I like it," she said. "It's nice when you're in the first echelon...It will be a hard race, with a lot of side-winds. I'm looking forward to being back in this race... It's important to be as a team together and to have as many team-mates as possible in the front group. I think we have a really strong line-up."

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) has had a good start to her road season so far, she's one of the outsiders for today. Here's what she said before the start:

"We expect it to be very windy today so probably a lot of echelons. So the goal is just to be racing in the front a lot with the team and try ot be in the first echelon.

On the question of how do you beat the big teams:

"I think SD Worx and also Trek are the strongest teams here today. It will be difficult to beat them, but for sure not impossible...We'll just have to see how the race goes. It will be hard from the beginning so we have to hope that the group will be reduced a bit."

The riders are about ten kilometres in. No attacks yet.

One contender who didn't make the start today was Visma | Lease a Bike's multi-discipline star Fem van Empel. 

She wasn't "feeling a hundred percent," according to the team.

A move has gone clear with around 30 seconds on the peloton.

The riders in the front group are:
Julie Van De Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal Team)
Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health)
Giorgia Vettorello (Roland)
Lieke Nooijen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
Amandine Fouquenet (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team)

And bridging across are:
Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility)
Alana Castrique (Cofidis)

The front group's lead has grown to over a minute. It looks like this could be our break of the day. 

Ahtosalo (Uno X Mobility and Castrique (Cofidis) are still in between and Ragusa (Human Powered Health) has dropped back to them.

Front group now two minutes ahead with just under 150km to go.

Alana Castrique (Cofidis) hasn't made it to the front group, she's dropping back to the peloton. 

So we have a front group of seven by the looks of it.

There has been some confusion as to who is in the front group. Here is the list which has just been clarified over race radio:

Julie De Wilde (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Giorgia Vettorello (Roland)
Lieke Nooijen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
Amandine Fouquenet (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team)
Anniinna Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility)

They currently have 2:15 over the peloton.

An awful lot of young talent in that breakaway. Roland's Giorgia Vettorello is the oldest at 23.

With 139km to go, the gap has ballooned to 4:25.

There's not far to go now before the riders turn south and go through De Moeren. 

This is a notorious section for windy conditions. The race could blow apart here, even though there's so long to go.

Today is not all about the wind, however. There are also seven climbs on the route:
Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%)
Baneberg (1 km à 6.8%)
Monteberg (0.9 km at 5.4%)
Kemmelberg (Belvedère) (0.4 km at 7.4%)
Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%)
Baneberg (1 km à 6.8%)
Kemmelberg (Ossuaire) (0.7 km at 11%)

The final climb of the Kemmelberg comes with 34 kilometres still to go. It's possible that a move here could go to the end with the right tactical conditions in the chasing group.

The peloton is on cruise mode at the moment, possibly just waiting for De Moeren. The breakaway of six now have a lead of over 6:30.

There's less than 10k to go now until the peloton reach the exposed section after De Moeren.

We now have confirmation that it is Julie Van De Velde of AG Insurance-Soudal in the front group, not Julie de Wilde of Fenix-Deceuninck.

She brings the average age of the break up quite a bit. At 30-years-old, she's at least seven years older than all of her companions. Her experience could be crucial.

The lead group have hit the De Moeren exposed section. Their lead is now 6:00 with 121km to go.

Reports of big splits in the bunch as Lotte Kopecky and her SD Worx-Protime team-mates lead through the exposed section. 

Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) had a mechanical going into the section and is out of the back.

The peloton has split into several groups now.

The breakaway has lost about two minutes during that section. The first peloton is now at 4:25 and a second group about 30 seconds further back.

113km to go

The breakaway are around two kilometres away from the short Beauvoordestraat cobbled section.

That will be followed quickly by the Veurnestraat.

The peloton is all back together now. Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) has also re-joined the main group after her mechanical.

The front group's advantage is growing again. It's back out near to five minutes now.

After the two cobbled sections, there are more areas where the wind could cause trouble. The peloton will have to remain focussed.

102km to go

The riders are through the two cobbled sections now.

Here's what World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) had to say before the start in Ypres:
"There's a lot of wind, so I think we can expect a hard race today and not only on the Kemmelberg but also before. I think the wind is maybe strong enough to go with a small group towards the selective zone."

The gap to the front group is now 3:53.

95km to go

Reports of a crash in the peloton. Georgia Baker (Jayco-AlUla) is involved.

Baker (Jayco-AlUla) has immediately abandoned the race after the crash.

Here's a reminder of our breakaway today:

Julie Van der Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Giorgia Vettorello (Roland)
Lieke Nooijen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
Amandine Fouquenet (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team)
Anniinna Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility)

They have just under three minutes on the peloton.

90km to go

We're 25km away now from the first climb of the day - Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%).

The gap to the front group is tumbling. Down to 1:27.

84km to go

Gap down to 53 seconds. It's Team SD Worx-Protime driving things on the front.

This gap is melting away. Now down to 40 seconds. It appears SD Worx-Protime don't want any traffic for the climbs.

76km to go

The breakaway has been caught.

73km to go

We're 8km away now from the first climb of the day. Here's a reminder of the climbs:

65(km to go) - Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%)
60 - Baneberg (1 km à 6.8%)
54 - Monteberg (0.9 km at 5.4%)
52 - Kemmelberg (Belvedère) (0.4 km at 7.4%)
45 - Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%)
40 - Baneberg (1 km à 6.8%)
34 - Kemmelberg (Ossuaire) (0.7 km at 11%)

There has been a crash in the peloton with Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) involved.

Both Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Brown (FDJ-Suez) are back in the peloton.

65km to go

Crash for Kim le Court and Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal). Le Court is an outsider for today and didn't seem too affected.

Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon//SRAM) was also held up.

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are leading the peloton after the Scherpenberg.

Mechanical issue for Maeve Plouffe (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL).

The peloton are now on the Baneberg (1 km at 6.8%)

61km to go

Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) have made it back into the bunch at the bottom of the Baneberg.

The Baneberg is a narrow climb. The riders are just three abreast. Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and Fenix-Deceuninck are in control of the front, SD Worx-Protime just behind.

The peloton will tackle the Baneberg once more with 40km to go.

Lotte Kopecky attacks! 

Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) is straight onto the wheel as they hit the descent.

Kopecky eases off the gas and a group of eight or so have come across to her, including team-mates Reusser and Majerus. 

The peloton behind is split up.

Pieterse, Wiebes, Georgi and Norsgaard are also in this front group.

They only have a few seconds over a group of about forty.

Longo Borghini is bridging across.

Things are calming down now as the groups come back together. We have three kilometres until the next climb, the Monteberg.

55km to go

About thirty riders are still off the back of the peloton.

The peloton hit the Monteberg (0.9 km at 5.4%)

A controlled pace up the Monteberg, controlled by Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and Fenix Deceuninck.

This one will bounce straight into the first ascent of the Kemmelberg.

The group are over the Monteberg. There are still around 80 riders in there.

53km to go

Time for the Kemmelberg (Belvedère) (0.4 km at 7.4%)

Pfeiffer Georgi is right up at the front with Kopecky. 

Kopecky ups the pace on the Kemmelberg. Pieterse, Georgi and Wiebes in the wheel. 

Three Italians - Longo Borghini, Balsamo and Persico - are just behind.

A group of five is clear over the Kemmelberg:

Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Persico (UAE Team ADQ)
Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck)

The Lidl-Trek pair of Longo Borghini and Balsamo have bridged across, making a group of seven in front.

The riders are all over the place!

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) is coming across to the front seven.

47km to go

We have a front group of seven approaching the second ascent of the Scherpenberg:

Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Persico (UAE Team ADQ)
Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck)
Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) has been swallowed up by a chasing group of 25-or-so who are 20 seconds behind.

The chasing group is being led by FDJ-Suez and Liv-AlUla-Jayco.

The second group is 24 seconds down and a third group is a further 20 seconds behind.

Onto the Scherpenberg (2.1 km at 2.2%) again.

Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) is the rider on the front of the chasing peloton. The gap is coming down. 

43km to go

Groups 2 and 3 have now come together, meaning more reinforcements for the chasers. 

The gap is 18 seconds. 

Ceratizit-WNT and FDJ-Suez are at the front of the chase now, but team-mates of the leaders are starting to get in the way now.

The gap is down to 9 seconds as the riders start the Baneberg (1 km à 6.8%) for the second time.

It seems as though the commitment has leaked out of the leading group.

It's back together now as the peloton hits the Baneberg.

More attacks are sure to come on the Kemmelberg in a few kilometres.

The peloton, now about 50 in number, are cresting the Baneberg. SD Worx-Protime raise the pace again with Kopecky in second place.

Kopecky just lifts it slightly over the top, but then slows.

Attack over the top from French champion Victoire Berteau (Cofidis), but it is snuffed out.

38km to go

Another move, this time from Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Cannondale). She gets a little gap on her own.

Borghesi has an 8 second lead with 2km to go to the bottom of the Kemmelberg.

The group behind is jostling for position before the final climb of the day.

It's Kemmelberg time! 0.7 km at 11% this time.

Borghesi is caught as Reusser sets the pace. When will Kopecky attack?

Kopecky goes as they hit the cobbles. It's Wiebes on the wheel, Georgi and Longo Borghini just behind. 

Kopecky, Wiebes and Georgi are away together over the top. The climbing is done now. 34km to Wevelgem.

Kopecky driving it over the top. The gap is going out quickly. 

Longo Borghini, Van Anrooij, Pieterse, Reusser and Swinkles are chasing about 10 seconds down.

30km to go

The chasing group have caught the front three. Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) attacks straight away but is brought back. 

We now have a front group of 8.

Here's the leading group of 8:
Kopecky, Reusser, Wiebes (all SD Worx-Protime)
Longo Borghini, Van Anrooij (both Lidl-Trek)
Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ)
Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck)
Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)

The are 13 seconds ahead of a group of 30, led by Team dsm-firmenich PostNL who are riding for Charlotte Kool.

Despite having riders in the front group, Lidl-Trek and Team dsm-firmenich PostNL are chasing for sprinters Balsamo and Kool.

It's almost back together.

The gap is neutralised.

It looks like we're going to get a sprint in Wevelgem.

24km to go

For the first time in a long time, the race settles down a little. Reigning champion

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) is on the front. Expect them to ride for Wiebes now.

Attack by Floortje Mackaij (Movistar) as the peloton head through Ypres where the race started. A few others join in, but it's not going anywhere. 

22km to go

Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) now goes clear. She has a small gap.

This is a nice attack from Norsgaard. She has ten seconds and a tailwind. It's a long-shot, but probably her best chance to win today. Movistar also have Cuban Arlenis Sierra behind for the sprint.

It's Lidl-Trek using their numbers at the front of the chasing group, with SD Worx-Protime sitting just behind.

18km to go

Norsgaard has been caught. 

So with a sprint now expected, who are the big favourites still in there?

We have Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), although she has been on the attack multiple times.

There's also Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ).

Some outsiders who could cause a surprise: Maggie Coles-Lyster (Roland), Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM), Thalita De Jong (Lotto Dstny).

12km to go

Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) is sitting on the front now, guiding the peloton into the finale.

11km to go

Floortje Mackaij (Movistar) attacking for maybe the fourth time now. Simone Boilard (Uno X Mobility) goes with her, but Brand (Lidl-Trek) has it under control.

SD Worx-Protime, as we've saw multiple times during the classics last season, are sitting back and letting others do the work.

Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) comes to the front now. Christine Majerus is also there for the Dutch squad to do the work in the final kilometres before Kopecky leads out Wiebes. 

7km to go

The pace is easing off now, the riders are spread across the road. That's the cue for Mackaij's fifth attack. 

Once again, it's quickly chased down. But this is the only way that Movistar can win today, they don't have the firepower to out-sprint the quickest.

Mackaij is caught, and then goes again.

6km to go

Jade Wiel (FDJ-Suez) with a speculative move, chased down again. 

All these little moves will be taking the energy out of the legs of Majerus, Reusser and Brand who are chasing them down.

It all points to a messy final sprint.

5km to go

Majerus (SD Worx-Protime) on the front under the 5km banner. The attackers have cooled-off for now.

3km to go

Another attack by Movistar's Norsgaard.

Van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) chasing her down. 

2km to go

Van Anrooij brings Norsgaard back, but that was a struggle. Not much left in the legs of the domestiques now. 

Attack number six for Mackaij, but quickly brought back. 

Then a big move from Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez), she has a few seconds.

1km to go

Excellent move by Brown. The chasers are spent. She's one of the best time-trialists in the world and has saved her energy. 

She's still away under the flamme rouge.

Brown brought back with 500 to go. Kopecky leading out Wiebes

Wiebes leads out the sprint.

Photo-finish between Wiebes and Balsamo!

Wiebes started her sprint with 200 to go, but Balsamo looked like she was coming back at the SD Worx-Protime rider. Did she get there?

It looks like the win has been awarded to Lorena Wiebes!

Your Gent-Wevelgem 2024 Women's top-three:

1. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)

2. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)

3. Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ)

It's an impressive win for Wiebes. She managed to go with the best on the climbs, right on Kopecky's wheel every time, and still had enough to beat Balsamo in the sprint.

Wiebes after the finish:
"I'm really happy to finally win it, it took a few years. The team did an amazing job and made the race hard. In the end it was a bunch sprint and I was happy with the legs and really happy with the lead-out from Lotte."

Here's our full report from the race:

Gent-Wevelgem Women: Lorena Wiebes beats Elisa Balsamo in sprint photo finish

That's all from us here at Gent-Wevelgem. Be sure to check back later for more news and reaction from the day's racing.