Has anyone here attended this race before? It is March 24th this year and I am hoping to go since it isn’t too far from where I am this semester. Does anyone have any advice for where to watch? Additionally any recommendations for where to stay/things to see in the area would be nice. I may just come up morning of the race, but am also considering making a weekend out of it. I am arriving by train so I won’t have transportation once I get there so this may limit where I can watch. I have looked at the course map and have a few ideas, but am looking to get some perspective from someone that has attended in the past.
Ghent is the most beautiful town of Belgium! Enjoy it and watch the race in a local bar with some local beers on tv. After a few Belgian beers the race will be way less boring 
Sam
samgyde.com
A few Belgian beers will undoubtedly be consumed.
Bring your bike as transport I assume?
Unfortunately no bike as of right now. I was injured when I left the states and my schedule here isn’t very conducive to long rides, so this semester has been swim/run heavy. I have been looking for one to pick up cheap used, but that is easier said than done.
When I used to row we raced at the Ghent International on the same weekend as Ghent-Wevelgem and stayed in the same hotel as Quickstep. Didn’t meet any of the riders but the carpark was packed with groupies outside the team bus in the morning. Agree with the poster above that Ghent is a beautiful city, enjoy.
OK, the wheelie was pretty neat, but did Sagan do the ride without gloves?
Man, my fingers would have been frozen off.
Man, my fingers would have been frozen off.
Like many things, there is a tolerance range when it comes to cold. I’ve noticed this, with these cold weather races, so far in Europe. Some of the guys are really bundled up, others much less so.
FWIW, I am just back in from a 2+ hr ride in similar conditions as Gent-Wevelgem, today - about +3C, and I had on some pretty thick gloves and, my hands were OK most of the way, and then started to get a little chilled towards the end. However, there is no way that I could have gone bare handed, like Sagan.
Good video interview with Greg Henderson here - http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-greg-henderson-talks-cold-weather-racing-at-gent-wevelgem
He makes some good points, key one being about not wearing too, much or getting really sweaty. . . then you’ll really start to get chilled. It’s a fine balance as to what to wear when riding in these conditions. Living wear I live, and having to ride in the weather that I frequently have to, I’ve got it down to a science, for me. Again for someone else it may be different.
he was wearing gloves lol
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but looks like he took them off before the finish…
Sagan chucked his gloves in the little town they passed through a few minutes before he attacked.