Gent-Wevelgem - In Flanders Fields

The route of Ghent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields conquers the most important climbs of the ‘Ghent-Wevelgem’ race. The parcours has 2 loops. You can ride the 56k loop with 3 notorious Plugstreets and some steep hills, including a double climb of the Kemmelberg. Just follow the red signposts. But to warm up you can add a 28k loop to Ypres and cycle through the Menin Gate before the real climbing starts.

The first part towards Ypres takes us on typical Flemish roads and rolling countryside. We ride straight through farmland and past ploughed fields. A little further, we are immediately confronted with the facts: two large mine craters. A painful reference to the atrocities of 1917. Before arriving at Ypres, we see the war graves left and right, the theme of the day.

In Ypres, our attention is focused on the Menin Gate. The adjacent wreaths with the famous red poppy flowers move us. Every day at 20:00, wind and weather, the last post is blown here. An impressive ceremony, where the words 'we will remember them' are carried extra.

We turn back to Kemmel, because in the end that's what we came for: for the climbs of this route. We turn right towards the Lettenberg. This is a nice warm-up with 2.5 km in total at a moderate gradient. Shortly after the descent of the Lettenberg comes the Scherpenberg. What is striking is that these climbs and their associated hills lie very open in the landscape. They almost seem a bit lost, among the otherwise slightly undulating field.

Via the back of Sulferberg, we continue through small villages such as charming Westouter. Again and again we see the signs: 'commonwealth graves' or 'French War Cemetery'. We will remember them. Then comes the double bill Schomminkelstraat & Banenberg. Together they form a longer and steeper climb, which ends under the cable car next to a beautiful windmill. Here we climb at 14% for some stretches.

The famous 'plugstreets' near Ploegsteert are next on the menu. The name came about because British soldiers couldn't pronounce Ploegsteert. Here we encounter three nice gravel strips, which provide the necessary spectacle in the race. The monument of the Christmas Truce, at the level of the second strip, silences us. In 1914, this is where the guns fell silent during the Christmas period and the toast was fraternised, as history goes. Football was even said to have been played there, but that has never been confirmed. The memorial wears a shirt of Liverpool football club, but many English, Irish and Scottish clubs lost almost their entire first team in The Great War.

Certainly the Kemmelberg from the north-west side is one to start well. Not only the gradient (up to 17%) but also the cobblestones make this a climb to toil on. The circuit is a kind of turn and turn. You go up Kemmel, then off it, then make a corner in the fields and ride up the difficult side Kemmel again. Then tightly right into the descent to finally conquer Monteberg once more.

To finish, we park our bike on the terrace of cafe Boutique. If cycling prevails anywhere, it is here. We order a picon-vin-blanc, because that really goes with the territory. We won't soon forget this route. We will remember (them).