Race analysis, favourites, and predictions for Classic Brugge - De Panne 2023

The Classic Brugge-De Panne is one of the flattest races of the year, and both the men's race on Wednesday and the women's race on Thursday feature start lists filled with sprinters. However, a question lingers in our minds: will we actually see two bunch sprints in De Panne? Logic tells us yes, but experience has shown us that the De Moeren area can provide the ideal terrain to turn the race into a crosswind battle.

Routes

Both races start in Bruges and head to the Atlantic coast and the resort town of De Panne. Here, a first pass through the finish line is made and the final circuit of 47.9 km is entered. The men's race on Wednesday includes three laps of the circuit to reach a total of 211 km, while on Thursday, the women will do two local laps and will cover a total of 163 km. Both the men's and women's races are completely flat, but the circuit includes the dreaded De Moeren, an area where the winds of the Atlantic can blow strongly and cause splits in the peloton.

Men's Race Favorites

The list of top-level sprinters for the men's race is endless: Jasper Philipsen (1200), Mark Cavendish (1000), Fabio Jakobsen (800), Arnaud Démare (1000), Dylan Groenewegen (600), Olav Kooij (800), Phil Bauhaus (800), Jordi Meeus (400), Gerben Thijssen (400), Edward Theuns (400), Caleb Ewan (800), Sam Bennett (800), Pascal Ackermann (800), Fernando Gaviria (800), Sam Welsford (200) and Cees Bol (600) lead the pack.

Women's Race Favorites

The list of participants in the women's race is also impressive: Lorena Wiebes (1200), Charlotte Kool (400), Elisa Balsamo (1000), Marta Bastianelli (800), Clara Copponi (800), Chiara Consonni (600), Soraya Paladin (600), Lonneke Uneken (400) and Sarah Roy (400) are the top favorites.

PHOTO: Belga Photo Dirk Waem / Classic Brugge–De Panne

Favourites

Best riders in one day races

1	PHILIPSEN Jasper PHILIPSEN Jasper ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK 01-03-1998 (27 years), Ham GC 102 CL 228 F 1012 I 117 M 0 ITT 15 ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK	1200
2	BENNETT Sam BENNETT Sam BORA - HANSGROHE 16-10-1990 (34 years), Wervik GC 70 CL 195 F 680 I 15 M 0 ITT 0 BORA - HANSGROHE	800
3	DEMARE Arnaud DEMARE Arnaud GROUPAMA - FDJ 25-08-1991 (33 years), Beauvais GC 45 CL 167 F 701 I 35 M 6 ITT 6 GROUPAMA - FDJ	1000
4	VAN POPPEL Danny VAN POPPEL Danny BORA - HANSGROHE 26-07-1993 (31 years), Moergestel GC 22 CL 144 F 517 I 109 M 0 ITT 0 BORA - HANSGROHE	600
5	WALSCHEID Maximilian Richard WALSCHEID Maximilian Richard COFIDIS 12-06-1993 (31 years), Neuwied GC 26 CL 139 F 253 I 11 M 0 ITT 98 COFIDIS	400
6	JAKOBSEN Fabio JAKOBSEN Fabio SOUDAL - QUICK STEP 30-08-1996 (28 years), Gorinchem GC 26 CL 133 F 619 I 31 M 0 ITT 0 SOUDAL - QUICK STEP	800
7	ACKERMANN Pascal ACKERMANN Pascal UAE TEAM EMIRATES 16-01-1994 (31 years), Kandel GC 47 CL 126 F 402 I 66 M 0 ITT 1 UAE TEAM EMIRATES	600
8	LAMPAERT Yves LAMPAERT Yves SOUDAL - QUICK STEP 10-04-1991 (33 years), Izegem GC 98 CL 116 F 152 I 27 M 0 ITT 103 SOUDAL - QUICK STEP	400
9	MEEUS Jordi MEEUS Jordi BORA - HANSGROHE 30-06-1998 (26 years), Lommel GC 17 CL 109 F 298 I 37 M 0 ITT 6 BORA - HANSGROHE	400
10	EWAN Caleb EWAN Caleb LOTTO - DSTNY 10-07-1994 (30 years), Sydney GC 36 CL 103 F 593 I 101 M 0 ITT 0 LOTTO - DSTNY	800

Best riders in flat races

1	PHILIPSEN Jasper PHILIPSEN Jasper ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK 01-03-1998 (27 years), Ham GC 102 CL 228 F 1012 I 117 M 0 ITT 15 ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK	1200
2	DEMARE Arnaud DEMARE Arnaud GROUPAMA - FDJ 25-08-1991 (33 years), Beauvais GC 45 CL 167 F 701 I 35 M 6 ITT 6 GROUPAMA - FDJ	1000
3	CAVENDISH Mark CAVENDISH Mark ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 21-05-1985 (39 years), Douglas GC 68 CL 75 F 692 I 40 M 0 ITT 6 ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM	1000
4	BENNETT Sam BENNETT Sam BORA - HANSGROHE 16-10-1990 (34 years), Wervik GC 70 CL 195 F 680 I 15 M 0 ITT 0 BORA - HANSGROHE	800
5	BAUHAUS Phil BAUHAUS Phil BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 08-07-1994 (30 years), Bocholt GC 65 CL 51 F 672 I 15 M 0 ITT 0 BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	800
6	JAKOBSEN Fabio JAKOBSEN Fabio SOUDAL - QUICK STEP 30-08-1996 (28 years), Gorinchem GC 26 CL 133 F 619 I 31 M 0 ITT 0 SOUDAL - QUICK STEP	800
7	GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando MOVISTAR TEAM 19-08-1994 (30 years), La Ceja GC 40 CL 72 F 606 I 37 M 0 ITT 0 MOVISTAR TEAM	800
8	EWAN Caleb EWAN Caleb LOTTO - DSTNY 10-07-1994 (30 years), Sydney GC 36 CL 103 F 593 I 101 M 0 ITT 0 LOTTO - DSTNY	800
9	VAN POPPEL Danny VAN POPPEL Danny BORA - HANSGROHE 26-07-1993 (31 years), Moergestel GC 22 CL 144 F 517 I 109 M 0 ITT 0 BORA - HANSGROHE	600
10	GROENEWEGEN Dylan GROENEWEGEN Dylan TEAM JAYCO ALULA 20-06-1993 (31 years), Amsterdam GC 34 CL 62 F 507 I 36 M 0 ITT 0 TEAM JAYCO ALULA	600

Race analysis

Previous editions

Won how?

**Average won how type since the first race in Cycling Fantasy

Bunch Sprint

Solo

Reduced Sprint

Predictions

22/03/2023

Brugge > De Panne

212.97km

+256m

⭐️⭐️⭐️

MOLANO BENAVIDES Juan Sebastian, THEUNS Edward, THIJSSEN Gerben,

⭐️⭐️

GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando, DEMARE Arnaud, JAKOBSEN Fabio,

⭐️

EWAN Caleb, BENNETT Sam, MEEUS Jordi, EINHORN Itamar,

Most picked riders

1	PHILIPSEN Jasper PHILIPSEN Jasper ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK 01-03-1998 (27 years), Ham GC 102 CL 228 F 1012 I 117 M 0 ITT 15 ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK	86.5
2	JAKOBSEN Fabio JAKOBSEN Fabio SOUDAL - QUICK STEP 30-08-1996 (28 years), Gorinchem GC 26 CL 133 F 619 I 31 M 0 ITT 0 SOUDAL - QUICK STEP	85.5
3	KOOIJ Olav KOOIJ Olav JUMBO-VISMA 16-10-2001 (23 years), Numansdorp GC 100 CL 73 F 495 I 17 M 0 ITT 0 JUMBO-VISMA	75.1
4	GROENEWEGEN Dylan GROENEWEGEN Dylan TEAM JAYCO ALULA 20-06-1993 (31 years), Amsterdam GC 34 CL 62 F 507 I 36 M 0 ITT 0 TEAM JAYCO ALULA	71.2
5	WELSFORD Sam WELSFORD Sam TEAM DSM 18-01-1996 (29 years), Subiaco GC 3 CL 28 F 135 I 0 M 0 ITT 1 TEAM DSM	64.6
6	VAN DEN BERG Marijn VAN DEN BERG Marijn EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST 18-07-1999 (25 years), De Meern GC 3 CL 31 F 151 I 9 M 0 ITT 6 EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	48.9
7	THIJSSEN Gerben THIJSSEN Gerben INTERMARCHÉ - CIRCUS - WANTY 20-06-1998 (26 years), Genk GC 22 CL 26 F 214 I 0 M 0 ITT 0 INTERMARCHÉ - CIRCUS - WANTY	35.3
8	THEUNS Edward THEUNS Edward TREK - SEGAFREDO 30-04-1991 (33 years), Gent GC 4 CL 56 F 202 I 24 M 0 ITT 1 TREK - SEGAFREDO	29.3
9	BENNETT Sam BENNETT Sam BORA - HANSGROHE 16-10-1990 (34 years), Wervik GC 70 CL 195 F 680 I 15 M 0 ITT 0 BORA - HANSGROHE	26.6
10	GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando MOVISTAR TEAM 19-08-1994 (30 years), La Ceja GC 40 CL 72 F 606 I 37 M 0 ITT 0 MOVISTAR TEAM	25.1