€175,000. That is the annual amount Middelkerke will pay from 2026 through 2035 to serve as the starting location for the classic race formerly known as Gent-Wevelgem. In Flanders Fields. From Middelkerke to Wevelgem, as the race will be called for the next ten years, aims to put Middelkerke on the map as a tourist destination.
The municipality of Middelkerke "had been looking for a race for some time," says mayor Jean-Marie Dedecker to VRT. "But it had to be one with a big name." That name was Gent-Wevelgem and, driven by Dedecker, it is now In Flanders Fields. From Middelkerke to Wevelgem.
"It’s not just about the start; it’s about a whole weekend. It’s branding, you see. We bring people to the coast," Dedecker explains why the municipality is investing such an amount. "This drives sales. We have no other economic sector besides tourism. And what is more Flemish than a cycling race?" On Radio 1’s program De Wereld Vandaag he adds: "In principle, this costs nothing if you look at what you get in return."
The agreement between organizer Flanders Classics and Middelkerke runs for ten years. "The name needs to become established, and that takes 10 years," says Dedecker.
