2012 Gent–Wevelgem
The 74 - wheel semi- classic Gent- Wevelgem was held on 25 March 2012. The one-day race was part of the UCI World Tour 2012 and within this the seventh race. The race distance was 235.4 km.
The participants
One of the big favorites for the victory was the Belgian Tom Boonen, who had been a week earlier won the E3 price. In addition to the defending champion Francesco Chicchi and also Gerald Ciolek calculated from the Omega Pharma- Quick Step have a good chance. With three aces Team Sky Procycling went to the starting line: World champion Mark Cavendish, the 2009 winner, Edvald Boasson Hagen, as well as the winner of 2010, Bernhard Eisel had three winning candidates in their ranks. Three former winners started for the team BMC: George Hincapie (2001), Thor Hushovd (2006 ) and Marcus Burghardt (2007) wanted to win again this year. In addition, BMC had with Greg Van Avermaet a strong sprinter in his ranks. Another candidate for victory was the Belgian one-day specialist Philippe Gilbert, who, however, had to give up a week earlier at E3 Prize Flanders because of a toothache. The RadioShack - Nissan team sent the two top riders Fabian Cancellara and Daniele Bennati in the race. Other favorites were: André Greipel ( Lotto Belisol ), Matthew Goss ( GreenEdge ), Oscar Freire ( Katusha ), Tyler Farrar (Garmin- Barracuda ), Matti Breschel (Rabobank ) and Filippo Pozzato ( Farnese Vini ) ..
The route
The start was not around in Ghent, but in Deinze, a town, 24 km south-west of Ghent. The route led first to a flat course in a westerly direction to the coast and then south. 113.5 kilometers before the finish the French border was happening. 45 km long led the race through France. There were also the first four hill with cobblestone surface, the so-called slipways. After the 5th Helling 62.7 kilometers from the finish, the first in Belgium, it was on a loop. There were the Baneberg and Kemmel. The last Helling, Monteberg, the field reached 32.8 kilometers from the finish. After that, the course was mostly flat, as well as the finish line in Wevelgem.