Bahrain Victorious targets sprint in windy Ronde van Brugge
# Bahrain Victorious Aims for Victory in Challenging Ronde van Brugge
As the UCI WorldTour calendar progresses, the cycling community’s attention shifts from the ongoing Volta a Catalunya to Belgium, gearing up for the iconic Tour of Flanders. The first highlight of the cobbled Classics is the Ronde van Brugge on Wednesday, March 25, a revamped event previously known as Brugge–De Panne.
This year’s race maintains its reputation as a fast, flat course catered to sprinters. The route kicks off from the historic Markt in Brugge, journeys south through Torhout, Wingene, and Beernem, before looping back to Brugge for a decisive circuit phase. After a passage over the finish line on the wide Gulden-Vlieslaan, the peloton will tackle two laps of a 59-kilometre circuit, which notably includes a 1.3 km cobbled section on Brieversweg and multiple fast stretches along the Damse Vaart, part of the time trial course for the 2021 UCI Road World Championships. The total race distance stands at 202.9 km.
However, the new course brings a double challenge as severe weather is expected. Heavy rain and strong winds are likely to create echelons and splits within the peloton long before the race reaches its finale. Sports Director Nikolas Maes comments on the challenging conditions, saying, “It’s a new parcours, so we don’t know exactly how the race will unfold, but it’s clear that the wind and rain will make it very hard. These conditions usually create echelons, with the race opening up and coming back together repeatedly. It will be crucial to be attentive from the start due to the weather forecast.”
Bahrain Victorious has set its sights on a competitive sprint finish, led by their experienced sprinter Phil Bauhaus alongside promising young talent Zak Erzen, who recently secured a sixth-place finish at GP Monseré. Supporting them in the early stages of the race will be Oliver Stockwell and Kamil Gradek, who will work to protect the leaders. Alberto Bruttomesso, Daniel Skerl, and Attila Valter will focus on ensuring the team is well-positioned ahead of critical sectors.
Maes expressed a cautious yet optimistic outlook: “We have the ambition to go for the sprint, but the harder the race becomes, the more difficult it will be to be there in the final. With Zak showing good form recently and Phil bringing a lot of experience, we believe we can survive in a reduced group of around 20–25 riders. That’s the scenario we are aiming for, arriving at the finish after a hard race and fighting for a good result.”
As anticipation builds for the Ronde van Brugge, Bahrain Victorious is poised to tackle the dual threats of competition and the elements in pursuit of victory.
