Powered by
es Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
WorldTeam Men 24 Mar '25 - 30 Mar '25
6/7 Berga › Berga 72km
7/7 Barcelona › Barcelona 88km
nl Olympia's Tour
Development Team 26 Mar '25 - 30 Mar '25
4/5 Zwolle › Zwolle 195km
5/5 Neede › Tiel 185km
be Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields ME
WorldTeam Men 30 Mar '25
1/1 Ypres › Wevelgem 250km
be Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields WE
WorldTeam Women 30 Mar '25
1/1 Ypres › Wevelgem 168km
be Dwars door Vlaanderen - A travers la Flandre ME
WorldTeam Men 02 Apr '25
1/1 Roeselaere › Waregem 184km
be Dwars Door Vlaanderen / A Travers la Flandre WE
WorldTeam Women 02 Apr '25
1/1 Waregem › Waregem 128km
nl Volta NXT Classic ME
WorldTeam Men 05 Apr '25
1/1 Eijsden › Eijsden 189km
be Ronde van Vlaanderen ME
WorldTeam Men 06 Apr '25
1/1 Brugge › Oudenaarde 269km
Kooij unable to sprint after crash in chaotic Classic Brugge-De Panne finale

Kooij unable to sprint after crash in chaotic Classic Brugge-De Panne finale

The highly anticipated royal sprint in the Classic Brugge-De Panne did not take place. The finale was overshadowed by several major crashes. Olav Kooij was also involved in a crash, but the 23-year-old Dutchman managed to reach the finish line.

The 49th edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne featured a strong lineup. The flat course of the Belgian spring classic traditionally offers an opportunity for the top sprinters. After the start in Bruges, five riders formed the breakaway of the day, but the peloton kept the group within reach. In that peloton, Team Visma | Lease a Bike contributed to the chase. Niklas Behrens – returning to competition after his collarbone fracture in the UAE Tour in February – did a lot of work at the head of the pack.  

With the final kilometres approaching, the final remaining breakaway rider was caught by the nervous peloton. In the last two kilometres, the race was overshadowed by several heavy crashes. Kooij was among those involved but managed to cross the finish line battered and bruised. Juan Sebastián Molano was the surprising winner after a disrupted sprint.  

"The road narrowings in the final kilometres led to some risky situations"

DS Grischa Niermann

Sports director Grischa Niermann reflected on a chaotic race. “As a team, we were in the right position, but a crash was unavoidable. The finale was simply too dangerous today. The road narrowings in the final kilometres led to some risky situations. Unfortunately, Olav also hit the ground, but the damage seems to be limited to abrasions. There are still some big goals ahead for him, so we’ll have to see how he recovers from this crash.” 

Related updates