Classic Brugge-De-Panne Men's 2025 Preview 🇧🇪 🚴♂️
A preview into the 49th edition of the Classic Brugge-De-Panne, a one-day race in West Flanders, Belgium, which is set to feature most of the world's best sprinters.
Bruges - De Panne (195.6 kilometres)
The 49th edition of the Classic Brugge-De-Panne takes place on Wednesday 26 March 2025, beginning in Bruges and concluding 195.6 kilometres later in De Panne.
Originally the race was known as the Three Days of De Panne, after its creation in 1977. As you can probably tell by this name, back then it was a three-day stage race, unlike its current one-day race status. The first day was typically a hilly stage that began in De Panne and finished in the Flemish Ardennes with the second day being a long flat stage along the coast, with a finish in Koksijde. The final day tended to consist of two shorter stages, that began and finished in De Panne, with the final one being an individual time trial.
Eric Vanderaerden holds the record for most victories, with the Belgian star winning the race five times in his career.
Since 2018, the race has been held as a one-day event, with Elia Viviani winning the first edition in the new format. In the following years, there have been wins for Dylan Groenewegen, Yves Lampaert, Sam Bennett, and Tim Merlier.
Current Belgian star, Jasper Philipsen has won the previous two editions of the race, in very different circumstances. The 2023 edition was a windy rain fest edition which saw only four riders come to the finish line together in De Panne. It was a sprint shoot-out between Philipsen and Olav Kooij, with the Belgian coming out on top, whilst Yves Lampaert rounded out the podium and Frederik Frison claimed fourth. Last year saw far more favourable weather conditions, allowing a large peloton to contest the finish, where Philipsen was victorious once more, winning ahead of Tim Merlier and Danny van Poppel.
The Route
Beginning in the city of Bruges, the peloton will pass the likes of Zedelgem, Nieuwpoort, and Veurne before reaching the finish line in De Panne for the first time with around 130 kilometres remaining.
From here, the riders will tackle three laps of a 44-kilometre local circuit in and around De Panne. Each lap will see the riders pass Veurne once more, before passing through De Moeren. This is a renowned section of the race, where the roads are often exposed and the wind can wreak havoc if things fall into place. De Moeren has proven to be a crucial part of the race in previous editions, and the riders will be vigilant on each lap in the lead-up to this section. Current forecasts suggest that the wind is unlikely to be a major factor in the race, but this is always subject to change.
The final kilometres are on city streets, meaning that things can become quite technical and narrow. Positioning will be key in the run-in, as all the top teams will be fighting for the optimal position with their sprint trains. Within the final kilometre, the road rises slightly, but due to the high speeds, this is unlikely to impact the sprinter’s legs. It is set to be a high-speed and stressful finish in De Panne, and the winner will have to be a world-class sprinter, considering the high level of competition that is set to be on the start list.
Contenders
The race is expected to feature a stacked start list featuring the world’s very best sprinters. 2x defending champion, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is set to line up with a super strong Alpecin-Deceuninck team featuring reliable teammates such as Jonas Rickaert and Robbe Ghys. It’s a strong team to have around Philipsen as the team aims to continue their winning streak in this race.
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) has arguably proven himself to be the best sprinter in the world over the last twelve months. The European champion is another former race winner and has started 2025 like he means business. With two wins in each of the following races, the AlUla Tour, UAE Tour, and Paris-Nice, Merlier has illustrated that his speed in a sprint finish is deadly.
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) has also established himself as one of the best sprinting forces on the planet over the last year. He has arguably the best lead out here, with the likes of Edward Theuns, Simone Consonni, Alex Kirsch and Tim Torn Teutenberg to call upon. Unlike Merlier and Philipsen, the Italian has never been competitive in this race, but something tells me that this will change on Wednesday. Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) are also big contenders for a sprint finish, with both riders having wins already in 2025.
Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) is a former winner of this race but has had a difficult start to 2025. The Dutch champion will be hoping he can kickstart his campaign with a strong performance here. Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) are both past their primes, but can still be competitive in a race like this. It would be no major surprise if either reached the podium, with Kristoff already winning a race in 2025 in Spain.
Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious), Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) are all sprinters of great pedigree and should be in the mix also for a podium. Gerben Thijssen will be looking to take Intermarché-Wanty’s first win of the season, as the Belgian side are the only winless WorldTour team in 2025 so far.
Other riders who should be in the top 10 mix include; Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Danny Van Poppel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost), Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), Fabio Jakobsen and Tobias Lund Andresen (Team Picnic PostNL), Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team), Matthew Walls (Groupama-FDJ), Hugo Hofstetter (Israel Premier Tech), Elia Viviani (Lotto), Soren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), Emilien Jeannière (Team TotalEnergies), Pierre Barbier (Wagner Bazin WB), Davide Bomboi (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Max Walscheid (Team Jayco AlUla).
Lukáš Kubiš is a late addition for Unibet Tietema Rockets