Maldegem Village of the Tour of Flanders in 2027
A true celebration awaits in Maldegem on Sunday, 4 April 2027. The East Flemish municipality will welcome the Tour of Flanders for Men Elite as a Village of the Tour.
In 2027, Flanders' Finest will once again start in Bruges. Before taking on the cobbled sections and climbs of the Flemish Ardennes, the riders will pass through Maldegem. The municipality in East Flanders will have the honour of being named Village of the Tour on Sunday, 4 April. In addition to welcoming the race as it passes through the Markt, residents can look forward to a host of fun activities that will help turn the occasion into a true celebration.
"We are particularly proud that Maldegem will be named Village of the Tour for the very first time in 2027," says the Maldegem municipal council. "We look forward to joining forces with our residents and visitors to turn the passage of Flanders' Finest into a true celebration for everyone."
Nicolas Denys, Head of Road at Flanders Classics: "We are looking forward to joining forces with Maldegem for the first time. New partnerships are always a reason to celebrate, and the day of Flanders' Finest will certainly be no exception. Following the start in Bruges, Maldegem can look forward to welcoming the peloton on 4 April. We have no doubt that the riders will receive a particularly warm welcome there."
Tribute to Maurice De Waele and Gerard Debaets
Maldegem's designation as a Village of the Tour is also a tribute to two cyclists with roots in the municipality: Maurice De Waele and Gerard Debaets. In 1927, Maldegem native Maurice De Waele finished third in the Tour of Flanders. That year's victory went to Gerard Debaets, whose roots lie in Middelburg, a district of Maldegem. Debaets won Flanders' Finest twice during his road career. He later moved to the United States, where he made a name for himself as a successful six-day racer.
De Waele also built an impressive cycling career. Two years after his third place in the Tour of Flanders, he claimed his biggest victory: the Tour de France in 1929. Exactly one hundred years after Debaets' victory and De Waele's third place in the Tour of Flanders, Maldegem will welcome Flanders' Finest for the first time.
