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Oxyclean Classic Brugge - De Panne: They're Cleaning With Air Now! (24th and 25th Mar)

First the guys. 203.9 KM

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2021-02-02_Driedaagse_profile_men (sport.be)
 
All eyes on David Dekker for me, especially after his performance at UAE tour this year.
Got a podium spot at Le Samyn last year too, so no stranger to a hard race.
If it is a complete bunchsprint I think JV should ride for Kooij. Neither of his 2nd places in UAE were because he was one of the fastest sprinters there. First stage noone was there, and the other time he was 2nd mainly because he sat in the wheel of Bennett. If it is a reduced bunchsprint after a hard race he'll probably have more chances.
 
If it is a complete bunchsprint I think JV should ride for Kooij. Neither of his 2nd places in UAE were because he was one of the fastest sprinters there. First stage noone was there, and the other time he was 2nd mainly because he sat in the wheel of Bennett. If it is a reduced bunchsprint after a hard race he'll probably have more chances.
My memory of it was that he was quick, but got himself a bit boxed in. I'll maybe have to watch again.
 
He was boxed in, but Bennett was so much stronger than the others that just sitting in his slipstream granted Dekker the 2nd place. In the other stage Bennett won, Dekker tried to come out but got distanced quite fast.
I've just the watched stages 1,4 and 6 finishes.
You're absolutely right. It was only stage 4 that he got himself boxed in, but that took him into 2nd place anyway on Bennett's wheel, as you say.
He was perfectly positioned in the other two stages, and in fact stage 1 was a very reduced bunch sprint as well. Although finishing 2nd to MVDP is none too shabby!
 
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If it’s a bunch sprint than JV definitely have to go for Olav Kooij. At 19 he’s probably the biggest sprinting talent atm. Hope he’s in the right form for this race.
I feel David Dekker will be the one for Jumbo. He showed he could be up there with Bennett, Ackermann, Ewan et al in the UAE. He performed well (winning) in wind swept Dutch early season races last year (beating Kooij) as well, which it can always possibly be. I suppose they've got two guys but Dekker just seems the more logical choice to me.

For me it will always be the 3 days of De Panne, whether it's two separate races for men and women over two days, four stages over 3 days or ether they squeeze 21 stages into 14 days
 
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I feel David Dekker will be the one for Jumbo. He showed he could be up there with Bennett, Ackermann, Ewan et al in the UAE. He performed well (winning) in wind swept Dutch early season races last year (beating Kooij) as well, which it can always possibly be. I suppose they've got two guys but Dekker just seems the more logical choice to me.

For me it will always be the 3 days of De Panne, whether it's two separate races for men and women over two days, four stages over 3 days or ether they squeeze 21 stages into 14 days

Like has already been mentioned above, Dekker profited from being in the right wheel/slipstream, which is kudos to him but other than that he never once really looked like beating Bennet though.
The last sprint they contested in that same race showed the big difference between him and Bennet. Furthermore, I wouldn’t draw anything conclusive from the UAE tour.

I’m not saying Dekker is a bad sprinter, I just think Kooij is more of a pure/bunch sprinter, and thus faster, while Dekker will benefit more from sprinting from a select group. Time will tell.
 
Like has already been mentioned above, Dekker profited from being in the right wheel/slipstream, which is kudos to him but other than that he never once really looked like beating Bennet though.
The last sprint they contested in that same race showed the big difference between him and Bennet. Furthermore, I wouldn’t draw anything conclusive from the UAE tour.

I’m not saying Dekker is a bad sprinter, I just think Kooij is more of a pure/bunch sprinter, and thus faster, while Dekker will benefit more from sprinting from a select group. Time will tell.
You could argue that the UAE was the perfect testing ground for tomorrow. Both likely to have crosswinds and the potential for echelons ;-)

Regarding the wind though. Like I said before, seems there will be cross winds, but not likely strong enough to split the race to pieces.
 
Like has already been mentioned above, Dekker profited from being in the right wheel/slipstream, which is kudos to him but other than that he never once really looked like beating Bennet though.
The last sprint they contested in that same race showed the big difference between him and Bennet. Furthermore, I wouldn’t draw anything conclusive from the UAE tour.

I’m not saying Dekker is a bad sprinter, I just think Kooij is more of a pure/bunch sprinter, and thus faster, while Dekker will benefit more from sprinting from a select group. Time will tell.
I was thinking the total opposite to you!! I was thinking Dekker as more of a pure sprinter and Kooij better from a select group. Anway, as you say, time will tell.
 
You could argue that the UAE was the perfect testing ground for tomorrow. Both likely to have crosswinds and the potential for echelons ;-)

Regarding the wind though. Like I said before, seems there will be cross winds, but not likely strong enough to split the race to pieces.

That would be the case if the conditions were what I was referring to. Obviously I meant that being the first race of the season I highly doubt that most of these riders were in form or at least went into this race to see where they stand en route to their bigger targets.
 
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I was thinking the total opposite to you!! I was thinking Dekker as more of a pure sprinter and Kooij better from a select group. Anway, as you say, time will tell.

Just based off the UAE? He didn't even win a stage. That's like expecting the dominating riders from the Tour Down Under to go on and dominate the rest of the season...

I don't want to sound like I don't like or rate Dekker, but where else has Dekker sprinted and actually won a bunch sprint of a somewhat decent level? I mean, I'll be happy for him if he proves me wrong of course.

I just thought it was pretty clear that Kooij is the man for the bunch sprints in absence of Dylan. Oh well. Let's wait and see.
 
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