2009 Gent-Wevelgem

Gent, Belgium (04/08/2009)

Brief Description

Gent-Wevelgem is traditionally considered a sprinters’ classic but the two climbs up Mont Kemmel during the second half of the route often splits the peloton and always ensures a thrilling finish to the race. The 200km event is held on the Wednesday between the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. 2009 will be the 71st edition of the race. . In 2007 a breakaway escaped the clutches of the sprinters and their teams, with Germany’s Markus Burghardt attacking in the final kilometre to finish ahead of his team mate Roger Hammond and Spain’s Oscar Freire. Freire made up for his placing by winning in 2008, using the sprint that has won him three world road titles to beat Aurelien Clerc of Switzerland and local hero Wouter Weylandt. The cobbled descent of Mount Kemmel caused crashes in the past and so organisers wisely opted to use the asphalted Klokhofweg descent in 2008. This safeguarded the riders’ safety but did not affect the race, with the two cobbled climbs still providing a spectacle of colour and noise as the riders raced to the top.

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