Hello and welcome to ou💜r live coverage of the 2023 Classic Brugge-De Panne!

We're around 20 minutes from the beginning of today's race and the neutral roll-out to sta🧸rt the da🌱y.

Today's 211km course is pan-flat from start to fin꧃ish but the weather, in particular the wind, coul🐈d have an effect.

It's currently raining up by the North Sea coast, where the race is held. The proximity to the sea also brings with it a high chaꦓnce of wind, especially in the final.

Since th📖e Classic Brugge-De Panne switched to its current one-day for꧃mat in 2018, it has usually been one for the sprinters and should be again today.

In 2018, the route included a few climbs – including the Kemmelberg – but it still ended with a bunch sprint and a victory by 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Elia Viviani.

In 2019 it was the same story, with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Dylan Groenewegen prevailing from a group of 27.

2020's pandemic-delayed race was the first edition of the race to feature no climbs or cobbled sectors. Instead, the wind played a major role, with only 49 finishers and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Yves Lampaert scoring a solo victory.

Two years ago it was back to a sprint finish as Michael Mørkøv and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sam Bennett c🥀ombined to deliver QuickStep's third win in four years.

Last time out saw the closest finish yet as 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tim Merlier beat Dyla𒁏n Groenewegen in a photo finish in the mass sprint.

Back to today's race and the peloton have star🍸ted the neutral roll-out.

It's raining and windy at the start in Bruges.

Soudal-QuickStep are down to six today after 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tim Declercq pulled out due to stomach problems.

It's the same story at Israel-Premier Tech, who have lost 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sep Vanmarcke to illness before this morning's start.

The riders who are racing ar🌺e still rolling through the💫 neutral zone.

211km to go

Here we go! The race is underway.

Attacks from the start, including Louis Bendixen (Uno-X) and Thomas Bonnet (TotalEne🀅rgies), but the moves have been b💫rought back.

205km to go

Johan Meens (Bingoal WB) and ൲Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-E🌱asyPost) among the attackers now.

Bendixen also on the move along with Mathis Le Berre💯 (Arkéa-Samsic) and Jens Reynders (Israel-Premier Tech).

200km to go

The current situation:

Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-Samsic), Louis Bendixen (Uno-X), Jens Reynders (Israel-Premier Tech), 𝔉Milan Fretin ꦯ(Flanders-Baloise)

20 seconds dow✃n – Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost), Johan Meens, Louis Blouwe (Bingoal WB)

A minute down – peloton

The second groꦰup looﷺks set to catch the leaders to make it seven out front, however.

The groups have now co🔴me together and we have a seven-man breakaway.

The time gap back to pelot🃏on is going down, though. Under half💯 a minute now...

195km to go

The seven of the break are holding on. Nꦅo catch yet.

Splits in the peloton!

185km to go

The peloton has split in t🎀ꦿwo. 40 seconds to the breakaway.

Still 40 seconds for the breakaway.

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170km to go

The breakaway are stil𓃲l holding on to their small gap at the moment.

Now the peloton appears to be taki꧟ng it easier as the time ga🐟p goes up.

160km to go

2:20 for the seven men in the breakaway now.

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Sam Bennett ♉(Bora-Hansgrohe) has crashed and i🐻s out of the race. One of the big favourites gone already!

150km to go

The breakaway re⛎aches the finish🌺ing circuit in De Panne. Three big laps to come.

Another split in the peloton according to race radio. The pace iওs high and the break's advantage is down to just overꦗ a minute.

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140km to go

Reynders, Meens, and Blou🔥we ha🤪ve been dropped from the breakaway.

Four left up front now.

And now Reynders has made it bacღk to the front. The Bingoal WB pair are back in the peloton, though.

1:20 for the break.

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B👍louwe has abandoned the race after his time in the break ended.

130km to go

Sam Welsford (Team DSM) stops for a wheel💝 ch🍒ange. The Australian is their hope for a bunch sprint today.

Meanwhil𒐪e, the ꦇbreak's advantage drops below a minute again.

A 42.5kph average speed so far today.

We may♕ have🔯 lost Sam Bennett already today but there are plenty of contenders for victory left in the peloton...

2019 winner Dylan Groenewegen leads Jayc⛄o-AlUla, while 2020 winner Yves Lampaert is part of Fabio Jakobsen's sq✃uad at Soudal-QuickStep.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) are al�ಞ�so among the top contenders.

Elsewhere, look out for Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates), Mark♌ Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan), Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious).

115km to go

Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) and Mark Cavendish (Astไana Qazaqstan) have been caught up in a crash.

Bennett left the race du🌳e to illness, his team has reported.

Bike change for Jumbo sprinter Olav Kooij.

110km to go

Around 1:20 for the breakaway currently.

A look at today's breakaway riders.

105km to go

More splits in the peloton as the wind hits!

It looks like the break won't last much longer now. The pace is high at the mome🐻nt.

100km to go

Yep, it's over for the breakway.

The wind has hit in the region near the French border named De Moeren, made upꦡ of marshy flatlands near the coast. 💧;The wind often strikes the peloton there.

Around 30-4🗹0 men in the front echelon at the moment.

40 seconds between the first two groups onꦦ the road!

96km to go

Two laps of💛 the 48km finishing circ🎃uit left to run.

In the front group Fabio Jakobsen and Yves Lampaert are among five Soudal-QuickStep riders. Caleb Ewan is among four Lotto-Dstny riders.

Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma), Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-Samsic), Casper van Uden (Team DSM), Dan🐎n📖y van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe), Simone Consonni and Max Walscheid (Cofidis) are other notable sprinty names up there.

Philip🗹sen, Groenewegen, Cavendish, Gaviria, Ackermann, Kooij, Dém💛are, Bauhaus, Dainese are all missing.

QuickStep꧋ also have Davide Ballerini, Jannik Steim💃le, and Bert Van Lerberghe in the front group.

A look at the lead echelon.

85km to go

Now a minute between the leaders and the chasers.

Horrible weather on this finishing circuit. It'ꦦs raining and the winds have blown things apart.

Uno-X are currently leading the group.

Correction: Philipsen is among the front group. It has been hard to identify everyone in their full rain gea🌄r.

79km to go

Ballerini has a mechanical problem and drop from the lead group. Jakobsen isn't in 🌜there either.

So the sprinters in the front group are: Ewan, Philipsen, Theuns, Van Poppel, Va🍰n Dijke, Van Uden, Walscheid, Consonni, Mozzato.

Under 40 seconds to the chase group now.

73km to go

UAE Team Emira♋tes and Jayco-AlUla are leading the chase at 🎀just over 30 seconds behind.

Van Poppel drops f🥀rom the lead group with a p♋uncture.

20 seconds now and the gap is going down.

68km to go

And now the front two groups are together.

Alpecin, QuickStep and Lotto up f🃏ront🍷 in the regrouped peloton.

We don't have a list of names yet. The group is around 50-60 r൩iders.

And now things are kicking off again as the pace ups and the wind hits. Some splits a♋t the front!

It'♕s still raining her♔e, the wind is blowing and the roads are narrow and winding.

62km to go

Around 15 riders have split off the front here.

Alpecin-Deceuninck, Lotto-Dstny, Soudal-QuickStep, UAE Team Emirates all have ൩riders driving the move. Jakobsen is up there.

Caleb༒ Ewan is out the back of the chase group behind that front split🎃.

Philipsen, Jakobsen, Molano in the front group.

Small groups lined out in ech🦩elons all o🥂ver the road here.

57km to go

20 seconds between the lead groups.

We're getting very little information about the composition of this lead groꦇup.

QuickStep, Alpecin, UAE, Uno-X, Jumbo🐈, Groupa🐽ma, EF are all represented there.

Jakobsen, Philipsen, Mola꧃no and Ackermann are definitel🐲y in there.

Ewan is not.

Now almost 40 seconds between the groups.

Around 18-20 in the lead group.

Jakobsen has Lampaert, Ballerini and Van Lerberghe for company. Philipsen has Jonas Rickaꦚert with him. 

Molano, Ackermann, Groenewegen, Démare, Mozzato, Theuns, Kooij, Consonni also in the group. Lotto have Frison and Be꧟ullens but no sprinter.

DSM leading the group behind as teams such as UAE and Alpecin interfere with the  cജhase.

50km to go

35 seconds between the groups.

The bel🐓l rings as the riders head through the finish line foꦕr the penultimate time. One lap to go.

Still a long way to go here and the gap isn't huge... Can the lead group stay𒁃 away to the end?

Jakobsen has three teammates, Philipsen has one. D&eacut🍰e;mare has Bram Welten with him while Ackermann has Molano.

Kooij, Theuns, Consonni, Groenewegen ar🗹e alone༺, however.

A cr✅ash in the lead group! Luca Mozzato goes down.

Mozzato looked to have hit a bump in the road just as he was adj🦄usting his sunglasses with one hand. Lucky for Consonni behind him to avoid piling into to his countryman. 

44km to go

And now there's a split in the lead group!

Welten stops with a puncture, so 18 l꧋eft up front.

There's now a minute between the leaders and the ꦫchasers🌺, who now have Mozzato and Welten with them.

The front group back together after꧟ that brief split.

Jonas Koch (Bora-Hansgrohe), Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and ♍Stian Fredheim (Uno-X) are the other riders in that lead group along with the others already mentioned.

40km to go

1:10 for the lead group. The gap is growing.

The lead group at today's race &n💝dash; Theuns, Ackermann, Fredheim, Co𒉰nsonni at the front there.

Anoth൲er split in the lead group as six get a gap aꦛt the front.

It quick🍎ly comes back together, though. 1:30 toꦕ the chasers.

36km to go

ꦐBike change for Philipsen! Fa✱r from ideal for one of the favourites today.

Meanwhile the gap goes up to 1:50.

A bike change for Molano too.

Philipsen is🌠 back after the lead group didn't pile on the pace following his bike change.

All's fai꧃r when the race is on but it looks like the riders have put a bit of sportsmanship first there.

Molano chases back on among the cars.

Marijn v🌳an den Berg is the next to stop for a bike change!

Now Molano is back in.

Van den Berg is making his way back, too. Jakobsen has a word with hi𝕴s team🔯 car.

Some video from😼 around 15km ago. Just look at those conditions...

32km to go

Van den Berg is back in the group.

And now Jonas Koch has stopped with a probl♕em. He gets a rear wheel change and so he's held up far more than he would've been with a simple bike change...

That might be it for Koch.

30km to go

Almost two minutes for the leaders now.

All teams rotating through the front♔ of the gr𓄧oup to do their work.

27km to go

Koch is among the cars and making his way back. The pace still noܫt super high at the front so he's able to get back in.

Groenewegen gives Van den Berg a hand in getting🐲 his rain jacket off.

24km to go

QuickStep, UAE and Alpecin takin✅g charge in the lead group.

2:10 to the chasers. It looks certain that this lead group will fight f⛦or victory among themselves.

19km to go

Lampaert gets a bike change and the QไuickStep DS Tom Steels slips over🐈 as he goes to hand the new bike over.

Stဣill, it was a pretty quick ch🎉ange and Lampaert should get back on soon.

Ackermann still taking turns on the front here, though you'd thin൩k it w🥀ould be Molano working for him at this point instead...

There have been plenty of bike and wheel changes recently but all 18 men are still up there in the ꦦlead group.

Ah, now Ackermann is off the back!

The pace has upped as the German dropped away.

15km to go

Philipsen, Lampaert and Kooij jump off the front and Frison t🅷ries ൩to respond.

The Belg🌃ian makes it across and the four riders already have 1ꦇ5 seconds.

Lampaert, Philipsen, Kooij, and🦄 Fri♛son away with 20 seconds now as various riders try to up the pace behind.

Lampaert will have to sit on here because 💞h♈e'd be easily beaten in a sprint finish.

Meanw💝hile, in the chase group they can have Jakobsen, Ballerini and Van Lerberghe r𝕴est because Lampaert is out front.

12km to go

It's🍸 up to Ph🐽ilipsen and Kooij to push this move on now.

25 seconds!

Will there be enough coordination behind to work to bring them back? Jakobsen moves to thꦗe front...

You feel that QuickStep will have to work to bring this movꦗe back if they wa✤nt to win unless Lampaert can get away solo.

QuickStep are working in the chase﷽ now as Lampaerꦯt sits on.

They were in a great position with four men up front but have meꦯssed things up a bit here.

9km to go

27 seconds is the gap currently. It♑'s no🃏t shifting.

Kooij, Philipsen and Frison all doing work at the fron𒊎t.

A few seconds coming off the gap here and there as Quick🐽Step work to bring it down.

7km to go

Right now it's basical🀅ly three (Philipsen, Kooij, Frison) who haven't done much work going up against two (Ballerini, Van Lerberghe) who have been on the fron🌱t a lot.

Démare, Molano, Groenew𓃲egen dropping away f🐷rom the chase group now.

6km to go

22 seconds♏ is the gap as Groen🌠ewegen and Démare battle to get back.

Only around eight i♎n the chase now as QuickStep continue to lead it.

5km to go

Ballerin🍸i still pushing hard ahead of Jakobsen as Jonas Rickaert tries to wave the TV moto off.

Van Lerberghe is oꦡff the 💟back with Démare and Groenewegen after all his work on the front.

4km to go

17 seconds now.

Ballerini, Jakobsen, Rickaert, Molano, Beullens, Van den Berg, Fredheim the only men 🍷left in the chase.

3km to go

Still 18 s🌠econds and it'🌃s hard to see the chasers getting back on.

D꧟émare, Groenewegen and Van Lerberghe ꦐaren't getting back to the chase either.

Kooij, Philipsen, Frison, and Lampaert s♋till out front all together.

1.5km to go

The gap remains at 20 seconds.

Is Lampaert going to launch an attack?

Lampaert hasn't taken a turn for over 10km here.

1km to go

Philipsen leads Kooij, Lampaert and Frison.

Frison attacks!

He barely gets past the head of the g♛roup, though.

Everyone will be dead tired at this point.

211kmℱ of racing in the high winds and heavy rain...

Frison on the front, Philipsen and Kooij behin🍷d him.

Lampaert sticks at the rear.

Frison opens it up at 200 metres to go!

Lampaert comes🌃 up the barriers around the outside.

Philipsen comes out of his wheel in🅰 an almighty struggle for the line.

Philipsen gets is at the death!

It looks like Kooij snuck throuඣgh for second place ahead of Lampaert.

Philipsen's third win of the season and the 26th of 🃏his career.

Jakobsen trails in fifth place at 🦩around 20 seconds down.

The race profiཧle may have been pan flat but the wind and the rain really made it a race to remember today. Action from 100km to go and groups all over the road before an elite breakaway contested the final.

Here's what Jasper Philipsen ꦇhad to say after the finish...

"It was really difficult. It made a really hard race for everybody. It ꦗwas good to be at the front and to race full gas to get warm. It was a nice race.

"This one was one for the sprinters and one for the guys who are str﷽ong on the flat. I think we had a really good team here today and it was nice to finish it off."

The group which broke away at 1🔜6km to go and contest🐻ed the final.

The four attackers at the finish 🌞– Philipsen celebrates ahead of Kooij and Lampaert as Frison finishes further back.

You can check out the finale of today's rac𓆉e here...

Our brief race report is up now...

Classic Brugge-De Panne: Jasper Philipsen prevails on day of rain and misery

The third stage of the Volta a Catalunya has als🐽o finished.

Check out what happened in the Catalan stage race here.

Classics season is ramping up now, of course.

Tomorrow it's the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Classic Brugge-De Panne Women, followed on Friday by the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:E3 Saxo Classic – a don't-miss 'mini-Flanders' features Van Aert, Van der Poel, Alaphilippe and Pogačar.

On Sunday it's time for the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:men's and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:women's Gent-Wevelgem. Next Wednesday brings the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Dwars door Vlaanderen ahead of the big one – the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour of Flanders and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour of Flanders Women on Sunday. 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Scheldeprijs follows midweek before the Queen of the Classics at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Paris-Roubaix and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

Our reporters Patrick Fletcher and Barry will be on the ground from tomorrow up until the Tour of Flanders, meaning comprehensive reporting from E3, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwa💧rs and Flanders.

We'll be providing live coverage of all men's and women's races through the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:spring Classics, too. Everythin🦋g you need is here at Cyclingnews.

Check back here through the late✃ afternoon and evening for news from a vinജtage edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne.