BACK TO THE NORTH AT THE CLASSIC BRUGGE-DE PANNE
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Bahrain Victorious is back to the North, where the team will face a handful of races in Belgium over the upcoming weeks. The first event on the calendar is the Classic Brugge-De Panne on Wednesday, March 23.
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The 207.9km WorldTour race is one for the sprinters, with its course almost entirely flat and with fewer cobbles than the other classics. Starting at the iconic Markt of Brugge, the route runs through the North Sea Coast, where the wind could play a decisive factor, especially in De Moeren marshy region. If the crosswinds don’t cause chaos, the peloton will battle a three-lap circuit (44km each) before an expected bunch sprint in De Panne.
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| Enrico Poitschke, Bahrain Victorious Sports Director: |
| “Traditionally, it is a sprinter-friendly race. Everybody is expecting a sprint finish almost at 99%. It’s easy to predict that every team will try to control the race, particularly in potential crosswind sections where positioning is crucial. But the weather forecast looks favourable with sunshine and slight wind. |
| It can be a good chance for the young guys in the team. We want Jonathan Milan to have his opportunity to take a good result. At his first appearance in the North classics, he performed pretty well. He will be supported by a strong bunch of teammates and guided throughout the race by our road captain Heinrich Haussler, a Classics specialist. |
| Then in the final, he will take advantage of the work also of Jasha Sütterlin and Fred Wright. Both are in good shape as Arashiro, Gradek and Maciejuk, who round up our lineup”. |
