Miserable weather, crash, a wrong turn but no stopping Reusser at Gent-Wevelgem

Marlen Reusser wins Gent-Wevelgem
Marlen Reusser wins Gent-Wevelgem (Image credit: Getty Images)

"It was the coldest race of my life. At some points, I was thinking that we were going to die." Marlen Reusser spoke through waves of shivers as she waited for the podium ceremony sitting alongside runner-up Megan Jastrab and third-placed Maike van der Duin behind the staging area after winning her first big Spring Classic at Gent-Wevelgem.

The odds seemed to be stacked against Reusser almost from the beginning. At a race like Gent-Wevelgem, which is well-suited to the sprinters. SD Worx had one of the strongest teams and many cards to play, but even Reusser had expected a sprint this year.

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.