Gent-Wevelgem 2023: Laporte crowns Jumbo-Visma show

foto: Cor VosWout van Aert and Christophe Laporte launch a duo-attack with more than 50 kilometres remaining. Laporte takes the win and Van Aert finishes in second before Sep Vanmarcke outsprints Frederik Frison, Mads Pedersen and Mikkel Bjerg for third place. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Gent-Wevelgem 2023

1. Christophe Laporte (fra)
2. Wout van Aert (bel) s.t.
3. Sep Vanmarcke (bel) + 1.56
4. Frederik Frison (bel) s.t.
5. Mads Pedersen (den) s.t.
6. Mikkel Bjerg (den) s.t.
7. Alexis Renard (fra) + 2.04
8. Olav Kooij (nld) s.t.
9. Danny van Poppel (nld) s.t.
10. Daniel McLay (gbr) s.t.

Race report
The riders pass kilometre 0 in horrible conditions – showers, strong winds – for a brutal day out before Lewis Askey, Johan Jacobs, Milan Fretin, Luca Van Boven, Colin Joyce and Gijs Van Hoecke jump off the front in a fast opening. Van Hoecke can’t follow the pace and Greg Van Avermaet, Jelle Wallays and Yevgeniy Fedorov take his place when the gap remains small at first. Mike Teunissen, Jenthe Biermans, Elmar Reinders, Aaron Van Poucke, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Sandy Dujardin rejoin the leaders after one hour of action. They race to a maximum lead of 4 minutes.

In the run-up to the plugstreets a group with Nathan Van Hooydonck, Matej Mohoric, Ben Turner, Florian Vermeersch, Christophe Laporte, Mads Pedersen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Anthony Turgis and Erik Nordsæter Resell go after the attackers.

They join the front of the race and open up a gap of 1 minute, but just before the Monteberg it all comes together. Turgis pushes on alone, but Van Aert and Laporte bring him back in the second ascent of the Kemmelberg. The Jumbo-Visma duo two keeps on going to open up a 2 minutes gap.

Van Aert and his super-domistique cross the line in Wevelgem celebrating, Laporte in first position.

Bjerg attacks from the chase group in the last kilometres. Vanmarcke, Frison and Pedersen track him down. The former World Champion opens the sprint, but he lacks the energy to keep going and Vanmarcke and Frison overhaul him.

Other interesting reads: route and start list Gent-Wevelgem 2023.