In Flanders Fields Women Preview
ANALYSIS OF THE IN FLANDERS FIELDS 2026 ROUTE
- Schedule: 14:10 - 17:45 (UTC+2 Madrid – CEST)
With the Milano-Sanremo Women we passed the equinox and therefore truly began spring in the northern hemisphere. Spring is synonymous with life, youth, and blossoming. But in cycling, the spring campaign had already started four weeks earlier in Ghent with the Omloop Nieuwsblad. Then came Strade; Alfredo Binda followed; and finally the first women’s monument, Milano-Sanremo, arrived.
We’ve had a bit of everything in these four weeks of the women’s spring, with different scenarios and different outcomes. Four weeks after the start of the cycling spring with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Flanders is once again the epicentre of the sport. With In Flanders Fields in Wevelgem, the Flemish campaign is now in full swing and we hit the halfway point of the spring classics. It is customary that it is in the fields of Flanders, the terrain of the first great conflict, where spring begins in a double sense. On this occasion it does not do so twice over in Ghent. For the first time in a long time this classic does not start in Ghent and loses its traditional designation: Gent- or Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields.
The route of In Flanders Fields in Wevelgem (formerly Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields) 2026 changes along with its start location. Even so, In Flanders Fields maintains its identity as a classic within the Flemish calendar. The race will start and finish in Wevelgem, but introduces some changes compared with 2025. The distance is around 135 km, noticeably shorter than in 2025. The decisive loop through the Heuvelland is retained and some cobbled sections in the Ploegsteert area are brought back.
In Flanders Fields in Wevelgem is a race with history, and one that remembers it. It has been more than one hundred years since the barbarity in the fields of Flanders. In the poppy fields where we now enjoy the spectacle offered by the riders through their effort and suffering, hundreds of thousands of lives were once cut short. The poem In Flanders Fields by the Canadian John McCrae has grown in importance in this classic, first as a suffix and now as the definitive name of the race.
The Ploegsteert or Plugstreet tracks that are part of the surroundings of the village of Ploegsteert witnessed and formed part of bloody battles in World War I. Their return to the race, after a few years’ absence, seems on the one hand a nod to the duty of remembrance, but also a key element in how the race unfolds.
These three pavé sectors (Plugstreet 1, 2 and 3) are strategically placed before entering the loop of climbs. The number of categorised ascents remains five, although with a different sequence: Monteberg, Kemmelberg (Belvedère), Scherpenberg, Baneberg and the decisive Kemmelberg (Ossuaire). The main differences compared with 2025 are the position of the Scherpenberg and the reduced overall distance between climbs.
| # | Sector | Length | Avg | Max | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plugstreet 1 - Hill 63 (Pavé) | 1.8 km | — | — | ★★★ |
| 2 | Plugstreet 2 - Christmas Truce (Pavé) | 1.6 km | — | — | ★★★ |
| 3 | Plugstreet 3 - The Catacombs (Pavé) | 1.3 km | — | — | ★★★ |
| 4 | Monteberg (Climb) | 1.5 km | 4.4% | 8.3% | ★★ |
| 5 | Kemmelberg (Belvedère) (Climb) | 1.5 km | 6.6% | 16% | ★★★★ |
| 6 | Scherpenberg (Climb) | 1.2 km | 3.4% | 6.2% | ★ |
| 7 | Baneberg (Climb) | 2 km | 4.8% | 11.2% | ★★★ |
| 8 | Kemmelberg (Ossuaire) (Climb) | 0.7 km | 10.4% | 21.1% | ★★★★★ |
The Kemmelberg remains the key flashpoint, on both its sides. It will be the most feared – or anticipated – climb of the race: 57 km from the finish with 1,500 metres at 6.6% (Belvedère) and 35 km from the finish with 700 metres at 10.4% (Ossuaire). Positioning before the final passage over the Kemmelberg (Ossuaire side) is usually crucial; simply going over it causes splits and sometimes crashes or riders having to put a foot down. Positioning and the run-in are vital. It is still quite far from the finish to be the outright judge and executioner of the race, although the smartest in the class may know how to capitalise on the damage caused after this iconic wall. The last 4 km to the line are straight and flat. They should not pose major problems for organising the sprint for the fast riders still in contention in the lead group.
THE WEATHER
There is a chance of rain, although it is not very likely, during the women’s In Flanders Fields 2026 (formerly women’s Gent-Wevelgem), so we will need to pay attention to last-minute forecasts. The wind is expected to blow at moderate strength (18 km/h on average, with gusts above 40 km/h) throughout the race. It is likely that after the final passage over the Kemmelberg the wind will be a tailwind and at times slightly cross during the last 30 km of the women’s In Flanders Fields 2026.
FAVOURITES FOR IN FLANDERS FIELDS 2026
Preamble: a sprint is the most likely scenario.
Despite that crucial 25-kilometre sequence of climbs or walls, this is one of the major top-tier Women’s WorldTour spring classics, highlighted in red on the calendar for the leading sprinters.
There is always room, however, for a surprise or a breakaway – especially given the level of some escape specialists in the peloton and the aggressive tactics some teams have shown in trying to break the race apart in recent weeks.
Top sprinters: Wiebes looks to break the tie...
A volata or bunch sprint with a sizeable group is the most likely scenario. As you would expect, the top favourite is the Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime). She knows what it is to win here and will look to become the rider with the most victories in Wevelgem. She will probably arrive a little bit stung mentally after being boxed in at the finish in Brugge. It is also likely that SD Worx have insisted on keeping at least one teammate close to Lorena to position her in the final metres.
That defeat in Bruges will probably serve as motivation for other riders and make them feel it is slightly more feasible to dethrone her. Along these lines, we are looking closely at the Italian Chiara Consonni (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto). In the same vein we can also mention her compatriot Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), one of the great sprinters who in previous seasons has been able to beat Wiebes and to take victory in some of the biggest classics.
The major contenders
When it comes to outright speed, several riders have already spent a few years trying to challenge Wiebes’ supremacy, both in pure bunch sprints and in some of the best spring classics. The New Zealander Ally Wollaston (FDJ United - Suez) is one of them. In Europe she has not yet fully found the right formula, but we saw what she is capable of in Australia. The Dutch rider Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) is another major contender. Her 2025 was much worse than expected, but in 2026 she has already found her way back to winning. Hopefully she has recovered after Bruges and can show her best version.
We must also highlight several sprinters who are taking a big step up this season. The Irish rider Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) is one of them. She also knows what it is to win in 2026, although perhaps the classics are still too big a leap without prior support and experience. The Belgian Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) is another candidate to consider. In 2026 she is producing good performances and results. She may still need more time to regain full race rhythm after her suspension, but she is a rider to follow closely.
Finally, we should underline two even younger talents who have already generated plenty of headlines and column inches with their performances: the Briton Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and the Dutch rider Nienke Venhoven (Visma | Lease a Bike). We should not see them only as future winners of races like this; their moment may be just around the corner.
Other riders with a finishing kick
And of course, if we are considering a volata or large group finish, we should also take into account other fast riders such as the Italians Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Eleonora Gasparini (UAE Team ADQ), the Australian Georgia Barker (Liv AlUla Jayco), the Briton Carys Lloyd (Movistar), the Italian Sara Fiorin (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi), the Canadian Alison Jackson (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93), the Dutch rider Amber van der Hulst (VolkerWessels), the Norwegian Susanne Andersen and the Swiss Linda Zanetti (Uno-X Mobility), as well as the Canadian Alexandra Volstad (EF Education-Oatly).
Other contenders
Even if we strongly suspect that it will ultimately be a sprinter who raises her arms in Wevelgem, we must also consider other rider profiles: puncheurs, pure classics specialists and rouleurs. The Dutch riders Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health) and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ), and the Briton Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek), could all be riders to keep in mind.