One of the best and most important kermesses of the season runs its 82nd edition this Tuesday.
A fast and flat 10.4km circuit that the riders will cover 17 times is the main attraction of Gullegem Koerse, which should witness once again some spectacular full gas racing and countless attacks coming from those hoping to avoid a bunch sprint.
Our team has won the race a total of ten times, a record for this century. Most recent of these victories came in 2024, when Martin Svrcek attacked in the closing kilometers to arrive alone at the finish and become the first non-Belgian in more than a decade to win Gullegem Koerse.
Soudal Quick-Step will now be at the start with a solid mix of World Tour and Devo Team riders: Gil Gelders, two-time winner of the event Yves Lampaert, Matthijs De Clercq, Cériel Desal, Matijs Van Strijthem, Stan Van Tricht - who took the victory here in 2021 - and Lars Vanden Heede, the young Belgian returning from a knee injury.
Over the years, Gullegem has grown into one of the most famous kermesse races of the season, with a lot of good riders at the start and a lot of fans on the course.
“This week, the weather will play an extra role, with rain expected on Tuesday, but we have strong riders on the team, capable of doing something on that route, and this gives us confidence we can be competitive and fight for a good result”, said sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images