Gent-Wevelgem Women 2021 – The contenders

DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 25 Arrival Alice Barnes of United Kingdom and Team Canyon SRAM Racing Jolien Dhoore of Belgium and Team SD Worx Kirsten Wild of Netherlands and Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling Team Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Team Liv Racing Emma Norsgaard Jorgensen of Denmark and Movistar Team Elisa Balsamo of Italy and Team Valcar Travel Service during the 4th Oxyclean Brugge De Panne 2021 Women Classic a 1588km race from Brugge to De Panne OxycleanClassic UCIWWT on March 25 2021 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Riders finish at last week's Classic Brugge-De Panne (Image credit: Getty Images)

Gent-Wevelgem will offer the best sprinters in the world a second chance at a bunch sprint this week after Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) secured a surprise and gutsy solo victory at the Classic Brugge-De Panne three days ago.

Organisers Flanders Classics have not announced the specific route details to avoid attracting spectators to the cobbled sectors or climbs due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the women's race could be similar to last year's route of 141 kilometres. The event will start from Ypres' Menin Gate with several main climbs including double ascents of the Monteberg and Kemmelberg, before a flat 30km run-in to the finish in Wevelgem.

Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.