Gent-Wevelgem

Race details
Date	Early-April
Region	Flanders, Belgium
English name	Ghent-Wevelgem
Local name(s)	Gent-Wevelgem (Dutch)
Nickname(s)	Ghent-Bubblegum
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI ProTour
Type	Semi-classic one-day race
Race director	Luc Gheysens
History
First edition	1934
Editions	70 (as of 2008)
Final edition	2008
First winner	Gustave Van Bell (BEL)
Most wins	3 wins:  Robert Van Eenaeme (BEL)  Rik Van Looy (BEL)  Eddy Merckx (BEL)  Mario Cipollini (ITA)
Most recent	Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)

Gent-Wevelgem is a professional cycle road race held in Belgium in early April each year, falling on the Wednesday between the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. The event was first run in 1934, and it is often called the sprinters' classic due to its flat finishing terrain.^[1] Its early-season date means riders are often tested by wind and rain, while the route also takes them twice over the difficult cobbled climb of the Kemmelberg where key splits often emerge. Very few editions of Gent-Wevelgem actually end in a bunch sprint, usually having an elite group (including the top sprinters) fighting for victory. In recent years, the race has been situated on the Wednesday between de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix, and while not officially part of the Vlaamse Wielerweek (Flemish cycling week), it can be seen as an unofficial finale of the series of cycling classics in Flanders. Since 2005 the race has been part of the UCI ProTour,^[1] and since 2009, part of the UCI World Ranking calendar.

Despite its name, the race hasn't started in Ghent for many years, traditionally beginning on the market square of Deinze. The course then sets westward towards the Belgian coastal region, after which it moves southwards near the French border towards the Monteberg and Kemmelberg, before heading towards Wevelgem. The 71st edition was held on 8 April 2009, and covered 203 kilometres.

[edit] Winners

Rider Team 1934 Bell, Gustave VanGustave Van Bell (BEL) 1935 Depreitre, AlbertAlbert Depreitre (BEL) 1936 Eenaeme, Robert VanRobert Van Eenaeme (BEL) 1937 Eenaeme, Robert VanRobert Van Eenaeme (BEL) 1938 Godart, HubertHubert Godart (BEL) 1939 Declerck, AndreAndré Declerck (BEL) 1940- 1944 No race 1945 Eenaeme, Robert VanRobert Van Eenaeme (BEL) 1946 Sterckx, ErnestErnest Sterckx (BEL) Alcyon 1947 Desimpelaere, MauriceMaurice Desimpelaere (BEL) Alcyon 1948 Ollivier, ValereValère Ollivier (BEL) 1949 Kint, MarcelMarcel Kint (BEL) 1950 Schotte, BriekBriek Schotte (BEL) Alcyon 1951 Rosseel, AndreAndré Rosseel (BEL) 1952 Impanis, RaymondRaymond Impanis (BEL) 1953 Impanis, RaymondRaymond Impanis (BEL) 1954 Graf, RolfRolf Graf (SUI) 1955 Schotte, BriekBriek Schotte (BEL) Alcyon 1956 Looy, Rik VanRik Van Looy (BEL) 1957 Looy, Rik VanRik Van Looy (BEL) 1958 Fore, NoelNoel Fore (BEL) 1959 Daele, Léon VanLéon Van Daele (BEL) 1960 Aerenhouts, FransFrans Aerenhouts (BEL) 1961 Aerenhouts, FransFrans Aerenhouts (BEL) 1962 Looy, Rik VanRik Van Looy (BEL) 1963 Beheyt, BenoniBenoni Beheyt (BEL) 1964 Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) 1965 Pauw, Noel DeNoel De Pauw (BEL) 1966 Springel, Herman VanHerman Van Springel (BEL) 1967 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Peugeot 1968 Godefroot, WalterWalter Godefroot (BEL) 1969 Vekemans, WillyWilly Vekemans (BEL) 1970 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Faema 1971 Pintens, GeorgesGeorges Pintens (BEL) 1972 Swerts, RogerRoger Swerts (BEL) 1973 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 1974 Hoban, BarryBarry Hoban (GBR) 1975 Maertens, FreddyFreddy Maertens (BEL) Flandria-Carpenter 1976 Maertens, FreddyFreddy Maertens (BEL) Flandria-Carpenter 1977 Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Gitane-Campagnolo 1978 Haute, Ferdi Van DenFerdi Van Den Haute (BEL) 1979 Moser, FrancescoFrancesco Moser (ITA) Sanson 1980 Lubberding, HenkHenk Lubberding (NED) TI-Raleigh 1981 Raas, JanJan Raas (NED) TI-Raleigh 1982 Hoste, FrankFrank Hoste (BEL) TI-Raleigh 1983 Vliet, Leo vanLeo van Vliet (NED) TI-Raleigh 1984 Bontempi, GuidoGuido Bontempi (ITA) Carrera 1985 Vanderaerden, EricEric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic 1986 Bontempi, GuidoGuido Bontempi (ITA) Carrera 1987 Vliet, Teun vanTeun van Vliet (NED) Panasonic 1988 Kelly, SeanSean Kelly (IRL) Kas 1989 Solleveld, GerritGerrit Solleveld (NED) Superconfex-Yoko 1990 Frison, HermanHerman Frison (BEL) Histor-Sigma 1991 Abdoujaparov, DjamolidineDjamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) Carrera 1992 Cipollini, MarioMario Cipollini (ITA) GB-MG 1993 Cipollini, MarioMario Cipollini (ITA) GB-MG 1994 Peeters, WilfriedWilfried Peeters (BEL) GB-MG 1995 Michaelsen, LarsLars Michaelsen (DEN) Festina–Lotus 1996 Steels, TomTom Steels (BEL) Mapei 1997 Gaumont, PhilippePhilippe Gaumont (FRA) Cofidis 1998 Vandenbroucke, FrankFrank Vandenbroucke (BEL) Mapei 1999 Steels, TomTom Steels (BEL) Mapei 2000 Bondt, Geert VanGeert Van Bondt (BEL) Farm Frites 2001 Hincapie, GeorgeGeorge Hincapie (USA) US Postal 2002 Cipollini, MarioMario Cipollini (ITA) Acqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo 2003 Klier, AndreasAndreas Klier (GER) Team Telekom 2004 Boonen, TomTom Boonen (BEL) Quick Step – Davitamon 2005 Mattan, NicoNico Mattan (BEL) Davitamon–Lotto 2006 Hushovd, ThorThor Hushovd (NOR) Crédit Agricole 2007 Burghardt, MarcusMarcus Burghardt (GER) T-Mobile Team 2008 Freire, OscarÓscar Freire (ESP) Rabobank 2009 Hagen, Edvald BoassonEdvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Team Columbia-High Road

[edit] Victories per country

#	Country	Victories
1.	Belgium	46
2.	Italy	6
3.	Netherlands	5
4.	France	3
5.	Germany	2
5.	Norway	2
6.	Denmark	1
6.	Ireland	1
6.	Spain	1
6.	Switzerland	1
6.	United Kingdom	1
6.	United States	1
6.	Uzbekistan	1

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• UCIProTour website profile