After another dominating performance from the best classics’ team of 2022 so far in the E3 classic, all eyes turn to the iconic Gent Wevelgem, tomorrow. A classic race that’s in between the status of WT race and Monument, the Gent Wevelgem is traditionally a hard race to predict. Sometimes for bunch sprints, sometimes for breakaways, rarely for solo efforts, there’s usually interest up to the end.
It’s 250km make it almost impossible for a team to just take over the whole race so a reedition of the E3 isn’t going to happen. That being said, yesterday was already the second time this season Jumbo dominates a WT race like that. Most WT teams never do such a thing in their history.
As I wrote though, the Gent Wevelgem is rarely won in a solo effort. This is the great equalizer in the everybody vs Jumbo Visma fight. It is likely that there will be a sprint finish deciding the race, which, while not taking favorite status away from Van Aert per se, certainly levels the playing field.
Honorable mentions: Matteo Trentin, Florian Senechal, Matej Mohoric, Kasper Asgreen, Rasmus Tiller.
- Biniam Girmay
The potential of this 21-year-old is endless. Is it too early to include hm as a favorite for a race of the importance of the Gent Wevelgem? Maybe. Am I doing it because of some favoritism? Sure. I love his ability and the way he races. Still, I understand that a rider whose major wins are a couple of Level 1 classics probably isn’t going to arrive in Gent and win one of the most prestigious classics on the calendar.
However, when he eventually does achieve his first big win, it’s going to be a surprise regardless. Why can’t it be tomorrow?
- Stefan Kung
Much like Oliver Naesen in the E3, Stefan Kung has performed quite well in the Gent Wevelgem, in previous seasons. He was 6th last season and 5th the year before. Add to that a 3rd in the E3 classic yesterday, and the Swiss seems not only to be in form, but also targeting a big result on Sunday. As mentioned, this race rarely finishes in a solo effort (the last was Luca Paolini in 2015) but if it does, the man from Groupama FDJ is my pick to come away with the victory.
- Tim Merlier
If the race finishes with a bunch sprint there’s no one I’d rather have than the Alpecin Fenix man. He’s won two Belgian classics (including the WT level Brugge-De Panne) in the last 10 days and placed 3rd on another. Granted, none were as long or as tough as the Gent Wevelgem, but it’s not unheard of for this race to finish with a mass sprint. Recently, it happened in 2018 and 2019, for example. Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff took home the victory on each of those editions. While Merlier probably doesn’t have the endurance or climbing ability of both of those riders, I would still take him over the rest of the field were the race to come down to a bunch sprint.
- Mads Pedersen
One of the few riders (perhaps only?) that can win in a multitude of scenarios, Mads Pedersen is the biggest threat to Van Aert’s aspirations of a Gent Wevelgem success. After a solid performance in the Milano Sanremo (6th), Pedersen was anonymous in the E3 classic (24th), perhaps in preparation for tomorrow. He certainly has the endurance and quickness to deny Van Aert, and I would be very surprised if he isn’t there at the end, fighting for victory. The Dane already won this race in 2020 in a sprint inside of a small group, beating fellow fast men Florian Sénéchal and Matteo Trentin. He might have to do the same this year if he is to claim the 2022 Gent Wevelgem, for the second time of his career.
- Wout Van Aert
Once again. I honestly try to avoid this. I understand it gets boring putting the same guy all the time as the biggest favorite. But here he is the defending champion and is coming yet another Belgian WT classic victory yesterday. A victory in which his team was so dominant they finished 1-2 with more than 2 minutes to the chasers. As I wrote on the E3 classic preview, 200km are way easier to manage than 250km, especially when everybody will be riding against you. Jumbo Visma might be strong enough that it doesn’t matter. But it will take another superb team effort to win the 2022 Gent Wevelgem tomorrow.