Race analysis, favourites, and predictions for SUPER 8 Classic 2023

SUPER 8 Classic is the new name for the race that was called Primus Classic since 2014, as the brewery company that owns the event, Brouwerij Haacht, wants to promote this new line of beers. The event was born in 1982 when the GP Impanis, a race in honor of the local cyclist Raymond Impanis, was first held. Between 1995 and 2011, the race was not held, and when it returned, it did so under the name of GP Impanis-Van Petegem, also honoring Peter Van Petegem, a highly prominent cyclist in Belgian classics in the late '90s and early 2000s.

Route

The race starts from Brakel, the birthplace of Peter Van Petegem, and finishes at the doors of the brewery company in Haacht. Along the way, the race passes through both Flemish and Walloon territory in a typically Belgian route around Brussels. The parcours covers 203 kilometers and nearly 2000 meters of positive elevation, featuring numerous climbs. However, the final 30 kilometers are flat, favoring a regrouping of the peloton and a sprint finish.

Favorites

The start list includes many of the world's best classic riders. Wout Van Aert (1200), Mads Pedersen (1200), Mathieu Van Der Poel (800), Christophe Laporte (1000), Alexander Kristoff (800), Biniam Girmay (800), Jasper Stuyven (600), Mike Teunissen (600), Tiesj Benoot (400), Yves Lampaert (400), Soren Kragh Andersen (400), and Florian Sénéchal (400) are some of the top favorites.

Photo: © SUPER 8 Classic