There must have been a lot of frustration for the Dutchwoman after she was unable to show her usual strength at Milan-Sanremo and especially at the Ronde van Brugge. However, she was unbeatable at Flanders Fields, the former Gent-Wevelgem. It was her third victory in a row.
Wiebes had already made the decisive move 35 kilometres before the finish on the Kemmelberg. The group that ultimately rode to victory formed there. "I had good legs on the Kemmel, so I thought to myself: I'll keep going," said the winner in her interview. "We were travelling with a good group and worked well together. It was only in the last few kilometres that UAE made it really difficult for me. When Gasparrini attacked, I couldn't react immediately. I first had to find a good pace so as not to wear myself out. Nobody wanted to take over in the last kilometre, which is logical. That's why I attacked quite early, but it was enough."
Franziska Koch (FDJ United - Suez) crossed the finish line with the peloton, which had managed to close the gap to 17 seconds due to the attempts to stay in the lead group. She finished the race in 13th place.
In Flanders Fields - In Wevelgem 2026 - Results
In Flanders Fields - In Wevelgem: Wevelgem - Wevelgem
In Flanders Fields - In Wevelgem 2026: In Flanders Fields - In Wevelgem, Wevelgem - Wevelgem
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team SD Worx - Protime | 03:31:21 |
| 2 | Lidl - Trek | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | UAE Team ADQ | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | FDJ United - SUEZ | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | UAE Team ADQ | +000:00:03 |
| 6 | FDJ United - SUEZ | +000:00:17 |
How it went in Flanders Fields - In Wevelgem 2026
The race was initially dominated by a breakaway group of four, including Lea Lin Teutenberg (Lotto Intermaché Ladies). She and her group built up a lead of up to five minutes, but were caught before the decisive stage. Many crashes then dominated the race, with SD Worx particularly affected. As a result, Wiebes also went on the offensive surprisingly early, as there were hardly any helpers left to bring back any potential breakaway riders.
Wiebes already took the lead on the first gravel section - Elisa Balsamo (Lidl - Trek), who had been behind the Dutchwoman in the past two years, was always like a shadow on her rear wheel. However, this changed when the race went over the Kemmelberg for the second and final time. Wiebes had taken the lead of the field. Only Moors, Swinkels, Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) and Elise Chabbey (FDJ United - Suez) were able to follow her. Balsamo and Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) were also unable to keep up with the pace.
100 kilometres had been ridden, 35 still to go. But the mountains, cobblestones and gravel sectors were over. And because the big teams were predominantly represented at the front, there was not enough power in the peloton to bring the breakaway back. This left time for tactics in the final kilometres. However, the attacks on Wiebes remained manageable, with only Gasparrini trying to escape the sprint queen. She closed the gap herself and then had the power to decide the race in her favour.
