Classic Brugge-De Panne Women - Live Coverage

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2022 Brugge-De Panne Women.

The women's peloton are in sunny (?) Belgium for the fifth edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne and the fourth round of the Women's WorldTour 

Usually a shoo-in for the sprinters, last year's race was won by a solo Grace Brown (BikeExchange) who slipped off the front and used her time trial prowess to stay away. Will the sprint teams be able to keep it all together today? 

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) is a sure favourite today, the Dutch sprinter came second to Kirsten Wild in the 2019 edition and won the 2020 race. Last year she suffered a crash meaning she was unable to contest the sprint for second behind Brown. The 23-year-old has won her last three races - can she continue her winning streak? 

This year's race is more-or-less the same as the 2021 edition but with an added 4km. At 162km long, De Panne is one of the longest one-day races on the women's calendar. The riders will complete 72km before then moving on to two 45.1 km circuits around De Panne.

T-15 minutes until the neutral start is given

The race organisers are also offering a €40,000 prize purse - in line with the men's event. You can read more about that here.

Other favourites alongside Wiebes are world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) who won the previous round of the WWT, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, on Sunday in a sprint, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) who won the opening WWT round, Strade Bianche, and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar).  

Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ) is also on top sprinting form so far this season

5 minutes to go! 

🏁 they're off 

162.8km to go

The first 5km of the race are neutralsied as the peloton roll out of Bruges city 

The official start has been given!

After 4km of racing the peloton are all together. 

There have been plenty of attacks so far as riders attempt to establish a breakway, but the pace is high 

Nicole Steigenga (Team Coop - Hitec Producs) has 10 seconds on the peloton.

Kirstie van Haaften (Parkhotel Valkenburg) Alice Sharpe (IBCT) and Gaia Masetti (AG Insurance-NXTG) have bridged to Steigenga

The three riders have already been caught and now Steigenga, Hannah Ludwig (Uno-x) Antonia Gröndahl (IBCT), and April Tacey (Le Col-Wahoo) are in front. 

The four riders have a 42 second lead 

142km to go

Kristie van Haaften and Marith Vanhove - both of Parkhotel Valkenburg - are trying to bridge to the front group which now has just under a minute's lead.

Ella Harris (Canyon//SRAM) has abandoned the race after a crash - we hope she is okay

After 35km of racing the situation is

Steigenga, Tacey, Gröndahl & Ludwig 

+ 18" Van Haaften & Vanhove

+ 52" Peloton

The two Parkhotel Valkenburg riders have now joined the others at the front. The group has a 50 second advantage.

The race is heading towards the local laps. In 17 km the riders will cross the finish line for the first time after which they will race two more laps of 45 km each.

The break now has a 1'06" lead over the peloton. 

The gap is at just over one minute after 65km of racing

The live stream of the race will soon start. To find out how and where to watch the race click here. 

The peloton are on the circuit. Two laps of 45km to go!

The gap to the six leaders is now down to around 40 seconds 

Just 30 seconds now for the leading six

The peloton are approaching the De Moeren section of the race for the first time - in the past the race has split on this open, flat section but there is very little wind today 

The gap is now just 5 seconds meaning the six leaders are about to be caught by the peloton 

76km to go

The six riders are caught and immediately another rider from IBCT attacks 

Movistar are keeping the pace high at the front of the peloton which is preventing riders from attacking 

A group of four riders have a small gap 

The four riders are Sara Van de Vel (IBCT), Danique Braam (Bingoal Casino), Fien Delbaere (Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team), and Senne Knaven (AG Insurance - NXTG Team) 

The gap is now 34 seconds 

70km to go

50 seconds now for the leading four as BikeExchange control the peloton 

Crash at the back of the peloton with Lea Curinier (Team DSM), Katia Ragusa (Liv Racing), and Marjolein Van 't Geloof (Le Col Wahoo), going down 

All of the riders involved are up and back on their bikes 

The peloton aren't letting the gap to the four leaders extend by much. They only have around 40 seconds 

Danique Braam (Bingoal Casino - Chevalmeire - Van Eyck Sport) takes the intermediate sprint 

Pre-race favourite Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) drops back to the team car to speak to the DS

Rear wheel change for Lorena Wiebes 

The peloton now have the breakaway in their sights 

16 seconds for the four leaders now

Wiebes is back in the peloton as they go through the feed zone 

Lotte Kopecky is driving the pace for SD Worx 

Given that Kopecky is on the front it looks like SD Worx could be racing for another one of their riders today

Lauretta Hansen is also towards the front for Trek Segafredo who will be riding for world champion Elisa Balsamo 

Parkhotel Valkenburg are first to counter after the quartet were caught 

The pace is high and nobody has been able to break away yet 

BikeExchange have amassed at the front as well as UAE Team ADQ

The pace is very high and the peloton are strung out with small teams like NXTG, Parkhotel Valkenburg and Ceratizit WNT contributing to the pace setting 

Canyon SRAM now come up to the front. They will be riding for former British national champion Alice Barnes 

The peloton cross the finish line for the penultimate time and start the second of the two local laps 

Now it's Valcar Travel and Service at the front as the pace remains high and the peloton is all together 

Rear wheel puncture for Charlotte Kool (Team DSM) 

Kool is on a new bike and on her way back to the peloton 

Still all together 

39km to go

The peloton are on the final time along the long, open De Moeren stretch. Movistar take up the pace-setting at the front of the bunch 

The WorldTour teams have amassed at the front of the peloton. 

The speed is nearing 50km/h nobody will be able to ride off the front at this pace

The high pace through De Moeren has caused splits in the peloton 

Attack from Alice Sharpe (IBCT) 

28km to go

The two groups have come back together 

Sharpe has a 20 second lead 

The peloton have slowed up slightly but they are not giving Sharpe much of a lead 

All of the riders who were dropped are now back 

The peloton have Sharpe in their sights now 

22km to go

Sharpe still has 13 seconds but the peloton are upping the pace now 

BikeExchange, Movistar, and DSM are all leading the chase 

Mieke Kroeger of Human Powered Health clips off the front and passes Alice Sharpe who is then caught by the peloton 

Huge crash in the peloton 

Many of the riders are back on their bikes but a few look injured

15km to go

Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon//SRAM) is leading the chase behind Kroger 

Kroger is caught 

Human Powered Health are very active but multiple moves fro the team have been neutralised 

Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky, and Alice Barnes are in the peloton but it looks like Elisa Balsamo may have been caught up in the crash 

Correction: Balsamo is there 

Due to the crash the bunch is greatly reduced, although all of the pre-race favourites are present. 

Move from a Lotto Soudal rider with a Valcar Travel and Service rider 

The smaller teams appear to be taking advantage of the WorldTeam's reduced numbers 

A Human Powered Health rider has bridged to the two leaders but they have a very small gap with Team DSM chasing them down 

Having said that, Team DSM, Movistar and Trek-Segafredo have a good few riders left 

Reports that there is a slight headwind at the finish  

BikeExchange and Team SD Worx appear to have been the worst affected WorldTeams after the crash. The gap between the two groups is 20 seconds. 

Team DSM are controlling the front of the peloton now and upping the pace to make it harder for the second group to regain contact 

The second group have now passed most of the race convoy and look likely to join the front group 

8.5km to go

Movistar, DSM, Plantur Pura and UAE are on the front 

UAE and Movistar are really taking control as DSM also fight for position 

5km to go

The pace is extremely high as the teams fight for position into every corner 

Teams are lining up on the road to set things up for their sprinters as a bunch kick looks inevitable now 

Crash for UAE

Marjolein Van 't Geloof is on the front leading Portugese champion Maria Martins 

1.2km to go

All of the favourites are well positioned at the front 

Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) wins! 

Lorena Wiebes in second and Marta Bastianelli in third 

Top-10

1. Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafedo)

2. Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM)

3. Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ)

4. Lonneke Uneken (Team SD Worx) 

5. Maria Martins (Le Col - Wahoo)

6. Emma Norsgaard (Team Movistar)

7. Chiara Consonni (Valcar Travel & Service) 

8. Alice Barnes (Canyon//SRAM)

9. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) 

10. Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) 

Wiebes:

"In the crash in the last corner I lost Charlotte so that was really sad because normally she is my leadout...This time Elisa was better. She is not for nothing the World Champion." 

Balsamo:

"It's totally a surprise" says the world champion. "because I was working for Chloe Hosking but in the last km she told me there was a crash and that I am to sprint so it was a big surprise but I am very, very, happy."

"There were a lot of crashed in the last km and so the team were with not a lot of riders and I had to find the best position and so I did a good sprint and I am very happy." 

"My parents are here and they really love cycling and I am very happy that they are here and today was a good win also to see for them." 

"Winning with this jersey is amazing and I have big emotion and I want to enjoy this Jersey from the first day to the last day." 

Bastianelli:

"I feel good. I am a little bit sorry because there was a crash from my teammate in the corner and there was a little bit of a gap and I closed the gap back and I did a sprint. I did the maximum I think in another situation it could have been possible to try to win but I don't know.

"I am happy for my conditioning, this race the whole time it's very strange because De Panne is very hard but I am happy for this."

"It's very difficult because it's dangerous for the women because there are too many corners and big and smaller roads and to have a teammate in the final 

"My team worked very well in the last 5km and I am happy for this and for my result."

Thanks for following our live text coverage of the Classic Brugge-De Panne Women. Join us on Sunday for the fifth round of the Women's WorldTour, Gent-Wevelgem.