As it happened: Reduced bunch sprints for victory at end of windy day at Ronde Van Brugge
The new-look mid-week Classic sees the sprinters out in force in Bruges
Ronde Van Brugge 2026 - Contenders
Hello and welcome to the 2026 Ronde Van Brugge!
This race will be more familiar to most as the Classic Brugge-De Panne, but has changed its name and has an altered route, that will both start and finish in Bruges and bypass its former finish on the coast of De Panne.
Rider safety has been cited as one of the reasons for the change of finale. Last year’s finish in De Panne was a chaotic affair, with many of the top favourites going down in multiple late crashes that occurred on the technical roads - the organisers wanted to avoid a repeat of that this year.
Despite the changes, the race retains its identity as a sprinters’ classics and its pan flat parcours. Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier and Sam Bennett are among the past winners, and we can expect those of similar ilk to be in contention today.
The action will kick off in about ten minutes. Right now the rivers are making their way through the neutralised zone towards the official start.
The riders at the start in Bruges.
Though it might be billed as a sprinters’ race, this being Belgium, things are never that straightforward. There are still cobbled sectors to contend with, exposed roads, and the weather - which today is forecasted to be cold and wet.
The calm before the storm - the riders moving through the neutralised section, before the flag drops and the battle to get into the breakaway commences.
Excitingly for us spectators, albeit stressfully for the participants, it’s looking like wind could be a factor today. It’s blowing at about 15mph, which, given the twisty nature of the route and exposed roads, will likely see echelons form.
The start was absent of one contender who was supposed to take part today - Milan Fretin, who pulled out due to illness.
Road furniture is another complicating factor of Brugge De Panne, with lots of small roundabouts like this one for the riders to contend with. Technique and bike handling skills are just as important here as speed and resilience.
That has also already been a crash, with the Soudal-QuickStep riders Dries Van Gestel and Fabio Van den Bossche both involved.
Alex Kirsch of Cofidis has also had a fall.
It's windy out there, but the riders have for now been spared the rain.
The crash the Soudal riders were involved in.
Van Gestel back up and running after his fall.
Lidl-Trek's Jakob Soderqvist had a flat tyre earlier, but is back in the peloton now.
Stage three of the Volta a Catalunya is also taking place today, and we have live coverage of that race too, that you can follow along with here.
A glimpse of Jasper Philipsen at the start, the biggest name sprinter in the race and favourite for the victory.
170KM TO GO
We’re over 30km into the stage now and, despite multiple attempts, still nobody has managed to form a successful breakaway.
It’s been a bad start for Soudal-QuickStep with two of their men falling, but they remain strong candidates for the win with their sprinter Laurenz Rex. The Belgian has been in great form of late, with a runner-up finish at Le Samyn and 6th at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, and could today claim what would be the biggest win of his career.
This is the day the cobbled classic seasons really intensifies, with the races coming thick and fast before the climactic week of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. We had a think about what storylines will be the most intriguing to follow this spring.
Two riders have a gap of about ten seconds - Gonzalo Serrano of Movistar and Floris Van Tricht of NSN.
The riders are about to hit the day’s sole cobbled sector for the first time, the 1.3km Brieversweg. In truth it’s not especially tough, and will only be tackled three times. The wind is more of a problem at this race than the road surfaces.
Serrano and Van Tricht have been brought back, meaning the race is all together again.
The two escapees, before they were brought back.
Our run-down of the favourites for the win today, plus tomorrow's women's race.
The wind is blowing, and it’s all kicking off, with some splits briefly opened up in the peloton.
The riders rushing over the Brieversweg cobbles.
Again echelons form, but again the peloton comes back together after splitting briefly.
Last year’s winner Juan Sebastian Molano at the start. His triumph here last year proved he can navigate the various difficulties this race throws at you, and is therefore one of the top contenders again this time even if his form has tailed off a little since a stage win at February’s Tour of Oman opening stage.
This was a sample of some of the echelon action a little earlier when UAE pressed on and managed to split the peloton temporarily.
And the view from the back of the peloton while it was being split.
There's been a crash, with Daniel Cavia falling.
This race is a rare thing in Belgium - one that hasn't been won by Tom Boonen, even back when it was the Three Days of De Panne. The legendary Belgian will be back in action at the E3 classic on Friday, where he will be operating in the Soudal-QuickStep team car.
The pace remains relatively slow and bunched up together.
Lidl-Trek are the team most prominent at the front of the peloton, despite the absence of their main men Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen.
The race is continually fluctuating as the road constantly changes direction, with the riders aware of how wind could again disrupt the race around the corner.
They’re back on the Brieversweg cobbles for the second time.
Simon Dehairs of Jasper Philipsen's Alpecin team has attacked on the cobbles, and got a small gap.
The peloton finish the cobbles with no attack having gone clear.
Ineos are at the front of the peloton, and stretching it out.
Fabio Jakobsen is one of a few riders who have been dropped as a result of this pace. The Dutch rider has continued to struggle for form this year.
Matthias Schwarzbacher crashed a little earlier, and has abandoned the race.
The pace is really up now, and the peloton looks at breaking point.
Echelons! The peloton has split once more.
And now there's a crash in one of the trailing groups, with three riders down.
The crach actually happened in the front group. Abram Stockman looked the worse off, but looks like he'll continue.
Jasper Philipsen is in the front group.
UAE and Ineos are both contributing to the pace-setting in this front group.
There are 25 seconds between the two groups.
More splits, as they go through a crosswind section!
Small gap are appearing all over this front group.
There are only about 12 riders in the front group, with multiple groups behind chasing.
Dylan Groenewegen is in this front group with some teammates.
A second group has joined the first group, so there are now about 50 riders in the lead.
Molano, Philipsen and Rex all appear to be in the front group.
The small second group, that only contained four riders, have been caught by the large third group.
The gap between the two groups is getting bigger. It's approaching a minute - that might be too much for the race to come back together.
As well as Philipsen, Groenewegen and Molano, sprinters Mozzato and Lamperti are also in the front group.
Other sprinters in the lead group: Søren Wærenskjold, Pavel Bittner, Laurenz Rex, Hugo Hofstetter, Ben Turner, Madis Mihkels, Max Kanter and Cees Bol.
60KM TO GO
The gap between the two groups remains at around one minute, with TotalEnergies leading the chase. Their leader Emilien Jeannière must have missed the split.
Flat tyre for Dylan Groenewegen! He's going to need a quick bike change to stay in the front group.
Groenewegen has two teammates to pace him as he tries to make it back.
Groenewegen and his two Unibet teammates are back in the front group. Panic over.
Flanders - Baloise are helping TotalEnergies in the chase, suggesting that Tom Crabbe is also in this second group.
There are more than 50 riders in the second group, and they're making minor inroads, reducing the gap to 45 seconds.
50KM TO GO
TotalEnergies are committed to this chase, and doing a good job. They’ve reduced the deficit to 30 seconds. Could the race yet come back together?
The pace is off in the front group, which is all bunched together, in stark contrast to the chasers who are all strung out.
Ed Theuns capatalises on the slowdown by attacking out of the front group.
Theuns has been brought back, as they round a corner back into the crosswind.
The second group is bearing down on the first.
The second group can see the first group, but still haven't made the catch as the pace up ahead is back up again.
That's it the catch has been made - the two groups have joined and we have a big peloton at the front of the race again.
Vito Braet has attacked just after the groups came together, and leads the race by a few seconds.
Braet is back in the peloton again, which is moving slowly as they wait for the road direction to change again.
It's all settled down for now, but that'll change soon once the fight for position kicks off and fear sets in to be towards the front of the peloton ahead of the next potential splits.
A reminder that we’re also bringing you live coverage of the Volta a Catalunya today.
Vincenzo Albanese has crashed.
This could be a key moment, as the riders swing on to the Brieversweg cobbles for the third and final time.
An incident towards the front of the peloton, as a touch of wheel ripples across the group. Multiple riders held up, but it doesn’t look like anyone went down hard.
Molano is down! And hasn't got back up again yet.
Molano isn't happy, remonstrating about something with a commissaire on the road. It's a big ask for him to rejoin the peloton having been held up.
The crash caused a split in the peloton, and a second group being led by Decathlon is chasing the front group.
The second group distanced by the crash has joined the front group again.
Multiple teams are sharing the workload at the front of the peloton, with no single team taking control.
20KM TO GO
Things are still tense in the peloton. There’s still a chance the race splits into pieces in the wins sometime during these final 20kms.
There are about 50 riders in the lead group, including what seems to be all of the pre-race favourites - apart from Molano, who never returned after his crash.
Soudal-QuickStep are upping the pace at the front - they look like they're trying to split the peloton again.
Astana's Ballerini has attacked despite the fast pace, but only has about one or two seconds on the peloton.
Ballerini been brought back.
Ballerini is now setting the pace at the front of the peloton. He has Max Kanter, fresh from his win at Paris-Nice.
It must have showered here earlier when the race wasn’t passing through, as the roads are now wet. That will serve to increase the tension yet more.
There’s a split - about ten riders are off the front!
That group has now been brought back.
Mechanical for Hugo Hofstetter. With little more than 10km to go, he won't have much time to get back into contention.
Echelons! It's splitting in the lead group once again.
Philipsen as been caught out.
Philipsen is just about back into the front group, but a smaller group beind has been distenced.
It's splitting again, with only about 20 riders in the front group.
Philipsen missed it again, but has been dragged back into it by an Alpecin teammate.
There are about 30 riders left in the front group, Philipsen, Groenewegen, Kanter among them.
Attack by Ballerini! He's inexhaustible today.
Ballerini has a gap, and leads by a few seconds with 7km left to ride.
Ineos are taking responsibility to chase.
A group of five have slipped clear of the chase behind Ballerini.
Those five riders have caught Ballerini.
Florian Vermeersch, Walscheid and Jacobs are three of the riders in this lead group with Ballerini.
Lidl take control at the front of the peloton.
Astana take control again, with four riders.
Attack by Walscheid, 3km from the finish.
Walscheid has a gap of a few seconds.
The line of four Astana riders lead the chase.
Walscheid is caught, 1.8km from the finish.
It looks like we're going to have a sprint.
Philipsen and Groenewegen are both well placed towards the front.
Astana take over at the front again 500m from the finish.
Philipsen is third in line, with a man to lead him out.
Philipsen goes early...
There was a crash during the sprint, with Amaury Capiot hitting the deck.
Philipsen claimed second, but began to tire after starting his sprint early, and was passed by Groenewegen before the line.
Max Kanter sprinted for third-place.
That victory continues what has been an exceptional start to the season for Dylan Groenewegen, for whom it is a third consecutive win, and fourth of the season. The Dutchman is looking back to his best, following a difficult 2025 season.
The result is also a huge one for the Unibet Rockets team. It’s the biggest win they’ve registered since their inception in 2023, and their first at World Tour level.
Philipsen will surely be frustrated at missing out on the win, but second-place is his second best result of the season, after his win at Nokere Koerse. He’s coming into some form ahead of the major cobbled classics coming up in the next few weeks.
It’s been a cold day in Flanders, as demonstrated by the way Dylan Groenwegen is rubbing himself to try to keep warm before rising to the podium.
Thanks for joining us today! We’ll be back in Belgium for more cobblestone action on Friday for the E3 Saxo Classic, where big hitters such as Mathieu van der Poel and Mads Pedersen will be back in action, as well as continuing to bring you each stage of the Volta a Catalunya. Be sure to tune in for all of the action.
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