Women Elite race info

Course

As in previous editions, the peloton gets under way in Ypres, on 26 March. Under the imposing Menin Gate, out of respect for those who lost their lives in Flanders Fields, the race will be started not with a shot but with a flag. Last year, the women made their way through De Moeren for the first time. What’s more, the steepest side of the Kemmelberg was also on the menu for the first time. This will not be different during the 2023 edition, nor will the fact that the WW1 monuments take the racing story to an exceptional height. Last year, Elisa Balsamo let her rainbow jersey shine on the Vanackerestraat in Wevelgem. Who will succeed the world champion?

Start: Menin Gate in Ypres – 13:50
Finish: Vanackerestraat in Wevelgem - around 18:04
Distance: 162,5 km

Fan guide

Looking for all the practical information about Gent-Wevelgem? Then download our free fan guide below. In this guide, you can consult the timetable and road map, and you can also read all about mobility and the not-to-be-missed team presentations. Read on quickly and be prepared for the start! 

Participants

Who will follow in the footsteps of Elisa Balsamo on Sunday 26 March? Discover below the provisional start list of the Women Elite for Gent-Wevelgem.

1. Italy Elisa BALSAMO 2. Netherlands Lucinda BRAND 3. Germany Lisa KLEIN 4. Australia Brodie CHAPMAN 5. Italy Ilaria SANGUINETI 6. Netherlands Shirin VAN ANROOIJ
11. Belgium Lotte KOPECKY 12. Netherlands Lorena WIEBES 13. Switzerland Marlen REUSSER 14. Italy Elena CECCHINI 15. Luxembourg Christine MAJERUS 16. Netherlands Lonneke UNEKEN
21. Italy Marta BASTIANELLI 22. Italy Eleonora Camilla GASPARRINI 23. Slovenia Eugenia BUJAK 24. Italy Chiara CONSONNI 25. Belarus Alena AMIALIUSIK 26. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Elizabeth HOLDEN
31. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Jane Zoe BACKSTEDT 32. Italy Letizia BORGHESI 33. United States of America Clara HONSINGER 34. Canada Alison JACKSON 35. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Abi SMITH 36. United States of America Lauren STEPHENS
41. Denmark Rebecca KOERNER 42. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Elinor BARKER 43. Italy Maria Giulia CONFALONIERI 44. Denmark Amalie DIDERIKSEN 45. Finland Anniina AHTOSALO 46. Denmark Norman Julie LETH
51. Netherlands Teuntje BEEKHUIS 52. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Anna HENDERSON 53. Germany Linda RIEDMANN 54. United States of America Coryn RIVERA 55. Switzerland Noemi RÜEGG 56. Netherlands Karlijn SWINKELS
61. Australia Jessica ALLEN 62. Italy Letizia PATERNOSTER 63. Australia Georgina HOWE 64. Netherlands Nina KESSLER 65. Australia Alexandra MANLY 66. Australia Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON
71. Italy Alice Maria ARZUFFI 72. Germany Franziska BRAUßE 73. Netherlands Mylene DE ZOETE 74. Italy Arianna FIDANZA 75. Poland Marta LACH 76. Germany Lea Lin TEUTENBERG
81. Italy Martina ALZINI 82. France Victoire BERTEAU 83. Belgium Alana CASTRIQUE 84. France Valentine FORTIN 85. Canada Gabrielle PILOTE-FORTIN 86. Australia Josie TALBOT
91. France Margaux VIGIE 92. New Zealand Ella HARRIS 93. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Kate RICHARDSON 94. Poland Kaja RYSZ 95. New Zealand Ella WYLLIE 96. France Typhaine LAURANCE
101. Australia Nicole FRAIN 102. Netherlands Femke GERRITSE 103. Netherlands Quinty SCHOENS 104. Netherlands Kirstie VAN HAAFTEN 105. Belgium Marith VANHOVE 106. Belgium Margot VANPACHTENBEKE
111. Netherlands Ilse GRIT 112. Denmark Trine HOLMSGAARD 113. Germany Judith KRAHL 114. Netherlands Deborah VEERMAN 115. Netherlands Nienke WASMUS 116. Netherlands Céline VAN HOUTUM
121. Norway Stine BORGLI 122. Australia Grace BROWN 123. Italy Marta CAVALLI 124. France Clara COPPONI 125. France Eugénie DUVAL 126. Sweden Emilia FAHLIN
131. Finland Wilma AINTILA 132. Belgium Katrijn DE CLERCQ 133. Belgium Mieke DOCX 134. Germany Marla SIGMUND 135. Netherlands Quinty VAN DE GUCHTE 136. Czechia Kristýna BURLOVÁ
141. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Millie COUZENS 142. Netherlands Yara KASTELIJN 143. Belgium Julie DE WILDE 144. Netherlands Evy KUIJPERS 145. Austria Christina SCHWEINBERGER 146. Belgium Marthe TRUYEN
151. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Alice BARNES 152. Poland Daria PIKULIK 153. Netherlands Marit RAAIJMAKERS 154. United States of America Kaia SCHMID 155. Belgium Jesse VANDENBULCKE 156. United States of America Lily WILLIAMS
161. Ireland Mia GRIFFIN 162. Sweden Nathalie EKLUND 163. Belgium Fien DELBAERE 164. Germany Hannah BUCH 165. Italy Elena PIRRONE 166. Viet Nam Thi That NGUYEN
171. Italy Rachele BARBIERI 172. Netherlands Eva BUURMAN 173. Italy Katia RAGUSA 174. Belgium Valerie DEMEY 175. Netherlands Silke SMULDERS 176. Netherlands Quinty TON
181. France Aude BIANNIC 182. Spain Alicia GONZALEZ BLANCO 183. Cuba Arlenis SIERRA CANADILLA 184. Spain Lourdes OYARBIDE JIMENEZ 185. Spain Sheyla GUTIERREZ RUIZ 186. Spain Gloria RODRIGUEZ SANCHEZ
191. Belgium Shari BOSSUYT 192. Australia Tiffany CROMWELL 193. Switzerland Elise CHABBEY 194. Poland Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA 195. Poland Agnieszka SKALNIAK-SOJKA 196. Netherlands Maike VAN DER DUIN
201. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Pfeiffer GEORGI 202. Netherlands Daniek HENGEVELD 203. United States of America Megan JASTRAB 204. Germany Franziska KOCH 205. Netherlands Charlotte KOOL 206. Australia Maeve PLOUFFE
211. Netherlands Maaike BOOGAARD 212. Sweden Julia BORGSTRÖM 213. Finland Lotta HENTTALA 214. Germany Romy KASPER 215. Netherlands Maud RIJNBEEK 216. New Zealand Ally WOLLASTON
221. Canada Maggie COLES-LYSTER 222. France Audrey CORDON RAGOT 223. Australia Danielle DE FRANCESCO 224. New Zealand Michaela DRUMMOND 225. France Lucie JOUNIER 226. Netherlands Mareille MEIJERING
231. Belgium Nathalie BEX 232. Norway Malin ERIKSEN 233. Netherlands Danique BRAAM 234. Finland Antonia GRÖNDAHL 235. Mexico Elizabeth Andrea MARTINEZ LOPEZ 236. Belgium Kelly VAN DEN STEEN
1. Italy Elisa Balsamo 2. Netherlands Marianne Vos 3. Italy Maria Giulia Confalonieri 4. Belgium Lotte Kopecky 5. Denmark Cecile Emma Bjerg 6. Italy Marta Bastianelli 7. Norway Susanne Andersen 8. Russian Federation Tamara Dronova 9. Italy Silvia Persico 10. France Clara Copponi

Results 2022

The 11th edition of Gent-Wevelgem for women had something new in store for the peloton. For the first time, the women rode from Ypres to the Moeren and the steep side of the Kemmelberg was also on the programme. At about 60 km from the finish line, a leading group appeared to form including Belgian champion and number one favourite Kopecky, but their story ended on the second climb of the Scherpenberg. The last and steepest passage on the Kemmelberg did not cause any separation and so the peloton moved on as a group to the finish in Wevelgem. There it was world champion Balsamo who had the sprint in hand and she let the rainbow jersey shine on the Vanackerestraat.

Belgium Sporza, RTBF Czechia Czech TV Denmark TV2 France L'Equipe Netherlands NOS Slovakia JOJ Switzerland SRG SSR Rest of the world ESPN South America Canada Flosports United States of America Flosports Australia Flosports, SBS New Zealand SKY Rest of the world Supersport Sub-Saharan Africa Rest of the world ESPN Caribbean Mexico ESPN Europe Eurosport / GCN

Programme

On Sunday 26 March, the Westhoek will be completely under the spell of Gent-Wevelgem. With seven races in Flanders Fields, there is plenty going on in both Ypres and Wevelgem. Discover the programme for a well-filled day of racing below.

The Grote Markt in Ypres will once again be the place to be on Sunday 26 March. After we have introduced all the professional teams one by one on the starting podium, we will fire the starting shot under the Menin Gate for a new edition of Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields. Ypres will be under the spell of cycling all day as, in addition to the professional races, five youth categories will also give their best in and around the City of Peace.  

8:40: Start of the GP Andre Noyelle Men U19 at Menin Gate
9:00: Men Elite team presentation on the Grote Markt with Linde Merckpoel, Max Vryens and DJ ProudMich 
10:00: Start of Kattekoers Ieper Men U23 at Menin Gate
10:00: Start of the Women U17 - local circuit in Boezinge (sub-municipality of Ypres)
10:50: Start of the Men Elite
11:45: Start of the Women U19 - local circuit in Boezinge (sub-municipality of Ypres)
12:10: Women Elite team presentation on the Grote Markt with Linde Merckpoel, Max Vryens and DJ ProudMich 
13:50: Start of the Women Elite 
14:30: Start of the Men U17 - local circuit in Boezinge (sub-municipality of Ypres)
16:14: Men Elite passage on the Grote Markt & race on big screens
17:26: Women Elite passage on the Grote Markt & race on big screens 

On Friday 24 March you can attend the Gent-Wevelgem Opening night in the centre of Wevelgem:

  • 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Registration of participants for the relay race
  • 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: Relay race for associations on an illuminated and decorated circuit
  • 8:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Free ride for those who are not members of an association
  • 9:15 p.m.: Podium award ceremony
  • 9:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Drinks with music at Guldenbergplein

You can register for the relay race here.

On Saturday 25 March, it’s time for a ride steeped in history through Flanders’ fields. Do you fancy warming up the Kemmelberg and Plugstreets one day before the pros during the Gent-Wevelgem Cyclo? Hurry up and sign up here!

Experience Gent-Wevelgem from the fan zone on the Guldenbergplein in Wevelgem on Sunday 26 March:

10:00: Opening of the fan zone Guldenbergplein
11:28: Passage through Moorsele Men Elite
11:38: Passage through Gullegem Men Elite
13:00: Balance bike competition
16:48: Earliest anticipated finish Men Elite
18:04: Earliest anticipated finish Women Elite
20:00: End of the Guldenbergplein programme

On Sunday 26 March, a day before Gent-Wevelgem, we are organising an Early riders balance bike competition in Wevelgem for the very youngest cycling talents. Would you like to give your son or daughter a unique experience in the professional setting of Gent-Wevelgem? We have four age categories:

  1. Boys born in 2018 or 2019
  2. Boys born in 2020 or 2021
  3. Girls born in 2018 or 2019
  4. Girls born in 2020 or 2021

The first balance bike race will start at 13:00. Those who are registered can sign in between 12:00 and 12:45 in the arrival zone on the Vanackerestraat in Wevelgem. Please note that wearing a helmet is mandatory for all participants. After the race, we will reward all the cyclists with a goodie bag, which they receive on the official Gent-Wevelgem podium.

Experience Gent-Wevelgem as a VIP

Discover what we have in store to combine enjoyment and networking during Gent-Wevelgem 2023. Read on and discover our VIP formulas. Ready for an unforgettable experience in the middle of the race?

Experience Gent-Wevelgem as a VIP
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Sporting challenge in the middle of world history

On Saturday 25 March, you can explore the circuit of the spring classic between Ypres and Wevelgem for yourself. Gent-Wevelgem Sportive is the ride where world history and sporting challenge go hand in hand. Register now and test your legs on the Kemmelberg, one day before the pros.

Sporting challenge in the middle of world history
#GW23