Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Pedersen cracks van der Poel in the two-man sprint

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) has won Ghent-Wevelgem for the second time in his career after 2020. However, the 253-kilometre 86th edition in 2024 is likely to be worth even more than his premiere. This time, the 28-year-old beat the top favourite Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a sprint. Despite the better position on the Dane's rear wheel, the Dutchman was unable to overtake the winner in the final metres.

On the initiative of the man in the rainbow jersey, Pedersen and van der Poel had already broken away with five other riders, including two other Lidl-Trek pros, on the first crossing of the Kemmelberg, when there were still well over 100 kilometres to the finish. Shortly before the second crossing of the climb that characterises the race, the peloton had almost re-established contact with the leaders, but together with Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ), Pedersen and van der Poel held on to the lead. The New Zealander was also unable to follow Kemmelberg for the third time, and the duo then rode the last 34 kilometres alone until the sprint, in which Pedersen was the stronger rider. 16 seconds behind him, Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to third place ahead of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the peloton.

Pedersen: "It was my only chance"

"I didn't really have the confidence to win the sprint against Mathieu, because it would be difficult with the form he had," explained Pedersen in the winner's interview. "But I had to believe in it, because it was my only chance." Due to the tactical situation, the Dane also had to put himself in the less favourable position in front of his opponent. "I had to keep the pace high, because Alpecin would have been happy if Philipsen had come back for the sprint." Pedersen had already taken the lead on the third crossing of the Kemmelberg. "It was better for me to control the pace than to let him push me over the limit."

For Pedersen, the victory is confirmation of his strong form. "I can go into the next races satisfied." However, he didn't want to be the favourite for the Tour of Flanders next Sunday. "Ghent-Wevelgem suits me better, there are others at the Ronde." But he also finished third last year and second in 2018.

Van der Poel: "Pedersen was the strongest today"

First, however, Pedersen will be racing across Flanders on Wednesday. Van der Poel will skip the race. "I really suffered today and need a few days off," said the 29-year-old, who "can live with his second place. I would have liked to win, but Mads was the strongest today. And if someone was better, then it's not so bad to finish second."

Meeus can also live with his result, as he was the best of the peloton in the sprint alongside Philipsen and outsprinted other big names such as Tim Merlier (Soudal - Quick Step) and Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike). "The result today is very important for me. We wanted to see how far I could get in the classics. And then to finish third behind these two 'motorbikes' is really good." After Bora failed to make it into the leading group, the team worked hard with Nico Denz and Marco Haller in the chase, which ultimately paid off thanks to Meeus.

The top 10 of Gent-Wevelgem 2024

1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 5:35:36
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:00
3. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:16
4. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:16
5. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) +0:16
6. Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:16
7. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) +0:16
8. Tim Merlier (Soudal - Quick Step) +0:16
9. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:16
10. Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) +0:16

>> Ghent-Wevelgem 2024: start list and favourites

>> The route of Gent-Wevelgem 2024

How Ghent-Wevelgem 2024 went

There were numerous attacks immediately after the start in Ypres, but it took a few kilometres in dry weather before the day's group was consolidated. In the end, eight riders around Michael Morkov (Astana Qazaqstan Team) made it into the breakaway group, which dominated the flat first part of the race with a maximum lead of five and a half minutes.

Meanwhile, Visma | Lease a Bike continued to suffer from bad luck: Jan Tratnik crashed and had to abandon. That was just before the first windy sections opened up 148 kilometres from the finish - just before the first cobbled sections. The peloton was split into two parts, 30 riders with all the favourites, except Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates), took half a minute.

With 120 kilometres to go, the breakaway was caught by the first peloton and the race entered the first Hellingen. While Max Walscheid (Team Jayco-AlUla) attacked after the Scherpenberg and found support from Johan Jacobs (Movistar), who was already in the group of the day, the two large fields reunited. After the Baneberg, however, Jacobs was caught again.

Van der Poel gets serious on the first Kemmelberg

Lidl-Trek spread out on the Monteberg, but even this could not prevent van der Poel's attack on the Kemmelberg shortly afterwards. The world champion went full throttle - only Pedersen and Jonathan Milan were able to follow at first. Jasper Stuyven, another Lidl rider, caught up, and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), Tim van Dijke (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) also made their way to the front. Behind them, a gap opened up that grew to one minute.

While Milan pulled away from the leading group and managed to gain half a minute in the meantime, van Dijke and Tiller were left behind in the three gravel sectors due to an increase in speed by van der Poel, while Stuyven dropped back due to a defect. 63 kilometres before the finish, the chasing trio caught up with Milan again.

So it was onto the second ascent of the Monteberg and immediately afterwards up the Kemmelberg via the Belvedere ascent for the second time - 50 kilometres before the finish. The peloton, led by Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe), had almost closed the gap to the escapees. But Pedersen stepped on the gas again on the cobblestones. Van der Poel and Pithie were able to follow, behind them the gap grew to half a minute again.

Pedersen can't get rid of van der Poel

Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) tried to bridge the gap as a soloist, but was unsuccessful. Ineos Grenadiers then did a lot of work in the peloton, but the gap remained constant at 30 seconds even 40 kilometres before the finish, when the race went into the Baneberg again. Hugo Page (Intermarche-Wanty) and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) broke away from the peloton there, later Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) also tried.

But the small gaps remained until the Kemmelberg, which was ridden on the final ascent from the more difficult Ossuaire ascent. Pedersen rode the climb from the front. He was able to shake off Pithie, van der Poel stayed on his wheel. And so the current and former world champion rode the last 34 kilometres to the finish as a duo.

On the way back to the start in Ypres, Pithie's gap to the leaders was 20 seconds, with Turner, Page and Turgis, who had caught up, one minute behind the leaders. The peloton was a further 30 seconds behind. From Ypres onwards, there was a tailwind for the rest of the day. Pithie was caught by his chasers and the new quartet was 1:10 minutes behind the leaders with 25 kilometres to go.

Pedersen has the better legs in the final

While Pedersen and van der Poel went round in circles and worked well together, the chasers were caught again by the peloton 15 kilometres before the finish. Soudal - Quick Step and Bora-Hansgrohe desperately pushed the pace again in the peloton, but they were no longer able to catch the two strongest riders of the day, despite chipping away second by second from the gap.

Until the last kilometre, the two took turns regularly. While the peloton could already be seen in the background on the long straight, van der Poel stayed on the Dane's rear wheel the whole time. Pedersen left the saddle at 300 metres. Van der Poel missed, but 50 metres before the line his legs burst, allowing Pedersen to triumph. The sprint of the peloton was won by Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe).