Photograph end narrowly received by Lorena Wiebes (centre) edging out Elisa Balsamo(Picture credit score: Tim de Waele/Getty Pictures)
Lorena Wiebes edges out Elisa Balsamo to win Gent-Wevelgem Ladies 2024(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek (left) congratulates race winner Lorena Wiebes of Group SD Worx-Protime after the photograph end(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
The peloton costs to the end in Wevelgem(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Grace Brown of FDJ-Suez surged to the entrance with 2km to go(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Shirin Van Anrooij of Lidl-Trek exhibits main effort on one of many many cobbled climbs(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Chloe Dygert (CanyonSRAM Racing) made the climb of the Kemmelberg in a entrance group within the US nationwide champion’s jersey(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Noemi Ruegg of EF Schooling-Cannondale battles on a cobble climb alongside Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Puck Pieterse of Fenix-Deceuninck rides within the Ladies’s WorldTour younger blue jersey on the entrance of the primary group(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Emma Norsgaard of Movistar Group assaults (Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
The breakaway was ultimately caught with 78km to go(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Lieke Nooijen of Visma-Lease A Bike, Amandine Fouquenet of Arkea-BB Inns, Katia Ragusa of Human Powered Well being, Julie Van De Velde of AG Insurance coverage-Soudal Group and Giorgia Vettorello of Group Roland compete within the breakaway(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
World Champion Lotte Kopecky rides with teammate Lorena Wiebes (Group SD Worx-Protime) on first half of race(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-SRAM Racing Group) competes throughout 171.2km one-day race(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
The peloton through the 171.2km one-day race to Wevelgem(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
The view of wind creating havoc with peloton (Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) competes on early kilometres(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Coryn Labecki (EF Schooling-Cannondale) works her method by way of staff automobiles(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Lotte Kopecky of Group SD Worx-Protime competes within the peloton(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
Echelons forming within the peloton throughout windy situations(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
A common view of the peloton passing by way of flat roads on first half of race(Picture credit score: Luc Claessen/Getty Pictures)
2024 Gent-Wevelgem Ladies race podium (L to R): Second-placed Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, winner Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-Protime and third-placed Chiara Consonni of UAE Group ADQ(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures / ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) received Gent-Wevelgem Ladies in a photograph end, outsprinting Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) with a perfectly-timed bike throw after the ultimate attacker, Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez), was introduced again on the ultimate kilometre. Chiara Consonni (UAE Group ADQ) took third place.
When world champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) attacked on the ultimate ascent of the Kemmelberg, solely Wiebes and Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) might keep along with her, however the three riders didn’t push their benefit, and the chasing peloton got here again with s26km to go.
Not one of the assaults that adopted on the run-in to Wevelgem lasted lengthy, Lidl-Trek closing down most of them, and in the long run, Kopecky led out Wiebes for a dash victory.
“I’m actually blissful to lastly win it, it took just a few years. The staff did a tremendous job, we tried to make it a tough race, and we succeeded, nevertheless it wasn’t exhausting sufficient. I made some errors within the dash, however fortunately it was simply sufficient,” mentioned Wiebes after taking her first Gent-Wevelgem victory in her sixth participation.
“I had a bit little bit of a premonition, however I couldn’t be 100% certain. Higher to not rejoice than to rejoice too early,” Wiebes appeared again on the dash the place neither she nor Balsamo knew who had received till they noticed the photo-finish.
“It was an incredible lead-out. I had 100% confidence in Lotte. We’ve got finished nice issues already this season, and subsequent week it is going to be for Lotte once more,” Wiebes promised to repay the favour to her teammate within the Tour of Flanders.
