Photo gallery: Early crosswinds shape the men’s Gent-Wevelgem
It wasn’t a normal edition of Gent-Wevelgem. The race split in the crosswinds with 175 km still to go, and the group that ended up off the front was the group that would ultimately contest the win. That lead group would be considerably smaller by the finish of course – just seven riders – but with Wout van Aert and teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck there, Jumbo-Visma was going to be hard to deny.
Sure enough, Van Aert won the sprint comfortably, confirming his form is in the right place ahead of the Tour of Flanders this coming Sunday.
The photos you see below come from the ever-terrific Kristof Ramon and tell the story of the 83rd men’s Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the photos from the women’s Gent-Wevelgem.
Michael Matthews is back at the GreenEdge setup in 2021. He’s yet to take a win this year but he’s been close on a bunch of occasions. It’s a matter of time, surely. 
Riders head out from the start at the Menin Gate War Memorial in Ypres to begin the 83rd Gent-Wevelgem. 
The bunch passes one of many World War I cemeteries along the race route. 
Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana – Premier Tech) and Laurenz Rex (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) were part of an early breakaway. 
The race was shaped in the crosswinds with more than 175 km to go. 
The front group went all the way to the finish … 
… albeit without quite as many riders as were first in attendance. 
The second bunch on the road fought hard to catch back on but never got back to the front. 
Three surviving members of the early breakaway about to be caught by the group that would go on to contest the win. 
The greens … 
… and browns of Flanders in spring. 
Riders passing hop fields. 
Michael Matthews was in the lead group and well placed throughout. 
So too Matteo Trentin (right, UAE-Team Emirates). 
European (and Italian) champion Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka-Assos) also fought his way into the front group. 
The leading bunch hits the Kemmelberg. 
BikeExchange sets the pace in the front group on some gravel roads. 
Van Aert applied pressure on the Kemmelberg … 
… putting others in difficulty. 
Once the dust had settled it was a small group that made its way towards Wevelgem. Van Hooydonck was there working in the service of Van Aert. 
Note the rider in the background trying to keep up. 
It came to a sprint from the lead group where Van Aert won convincingly. 
Next stop, the Tour of Flanders.
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