Jumbo-Visma Flexes Its Muscle Once More at a Rainy Gent-Wevelgem

It was another banner day for Jumbo-Visma at Gent-Wevelgem. Just two days after an epic win at E3 Saxo, Wout van Aert returned to the Belgian roads on Sunday and turned in another brilliant display alongside his teammate Christophe Laporte. The pair rode a long way together and the rest of the peloton had no answer for the powerful pair.

At the line, it was Laporte that took the win at a very rainy and—let’s face it—miserable day at Gent-Wevelgem.

How it played out

The big move came with just over 50K to go at the start of Gent-Wevelgem’s key climb, the Kemmelberg. Jumbo-Visma made their intentions rather explicitly known in the lead up to the start of the climb with Laporte and van Aert going to the head of the race.

Van Aert attacked practically from the start of the Kemmelberg with Laporte right on his heels with the cobbled roads narrowing. Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), and Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) tried to follow, but van Aert’s pace was too much.

The lead only extended from there despite being far out from the finish. It didn’t matter to Jumbo-Visma’s strong duo. Not long after that move, the only real question was whether van Aert would capture his second win in three days or if Laporte would become the first Frenchman since Philippe Gaumont in 1997 to win Gent-Wevelgem.

In the final stretch of the race, van Aert and Laporte had a discussion before linking arms in celebration. As they closed in on the finish line, van Aert backed off slightly to give Laporte the clear victory on the day.

Yet another big win for Jumbo-Visma.

Next week is another race van Aert and Jumbo-Visma has circled on its calendar: the Tour of Flanders. The Belgian roads have already seen a good amount of Jumbo-Visma domination already this season, and Sunday’s result in Wevelgem shows there’s little reason to bet against them next Sunday.

Gent-Wevelgem - Men’s Top 10

1. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)

2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

3. Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech)

4. Frederik Frison (Lotto-Dstny)

5. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segefredo)

6. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates)

7. Alexis Renard (Cofidis)

8. Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)

9. Danny van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe)

10. Daniel McLay (Arkéa–Samsic)

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