Three days of de Panne - 29th to 31st March

[Anonymous]

Click Images for Larger pictures.

Stage 1 - Middelkerke - Zottegem 194km


Stage 1 - Closing Kilometres Video [Flemish]


Stage 2 - Oudenaarde - Koksijde 219km


Stage 2 - Closing 5k [Italian] High Quality

 

[Anonymous]

Stage 3a - De Panne - De Panne 111km


Closing Kilometres Video [sporza]

Stage 3b - De Panne - 14.7km Time Trial



Startlist

Weather Forecast

Previous Winners

Last years top ten
1. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Transitions
2. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana, at 0:35
3. Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo, at 1:07
4. Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, at 1:25
5. Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team, at 2:16
6. Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team, at 2:26
7. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) HTC-Columbia, at 2:44
8. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom, at 2:45
9. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha, at 2:58
10. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas Doimo, at 2:59

Coverage
Live daily on Eurosport, feeds will be available.

 

[Jamsque]

Is David Millar going to be defending his title? He's had a very low-key start to the season, I know he was sick earlier but he ought to be back in some kind of form.

 

[Jamsque]

Wow, Garmin aren't even racing. So much for Millar defending. Wiggo might have a shot, there are not too many guys at the race that can out-TT him.

Sprints should be good, I want to see the Inter-Sagan Express on a collision course with The Cossack.

 

[bicing]

Is Renshaw going to be HTC's leader for this race??

 

[Anonymous]

Is David Millar going to be defending his title? He's had a very low-key start to the season, I know he was sick earlier but he ought to be back in some kind of form.

Garmin not going.

Vacon - Devolder, Feillu (Roman), Bozic
Rabo - Bos, Michael Matthews, Brown
HTC - Renshaw, Grabsch
Lotto - Greipel
Lampre - Hondo, Spilak, Bole
Katusha - Pozzato
Sky - Wiggins, Barry, Sutton, Appollonio, Swift, Henderson
Liquigas - sagan, Oss
BMC - Ballan, Quinziato
Quickstep - Steegmans, Cioleck

Some pretty serious riders.

Sky with the team they are sending really should be picking up stages, and would be expecting to really challenge for the overall.

 

[boomcie]

@Teamskyfans:

Something wrong with the label you gave the last stage. It is actually an ITT.

 

[Anonymous]

@Teamskyfans:

Something wrong with the label you gave the last stage. It is actually an ITT.

fixed, when i copied post one to make post 2 i forgot to change the stage details.

 

[Ferminal]

I'll say it here too... Gusev.

 

[Jamsque]

Grabsch should have a decent chance at the overall.

 

[Lanark]

Grabsch should have a decent chance at the overall.

Not really, this race is more than just a time trial. Just look up the results from the first stage from the last couple of years, there are usually between 5 or 10 guys within one minute after the first stage, those hill will probably be too difficult for Grabsch.

 

[Jukebox]

I'll second Gusev, Ballan could win here too.

 

[Moondance]

Its a sham. Once upon a time everyone went to de Panne to prepare for Flanders and Roubaix.... Nowadays almost nobody goes.

Gusev FTW.

 

[joy118118]

Dim forgets Howard and Degenkolb again.

 

[Raceoftruth]

Grabsch should have a decent chance at the overall.

Is the time trial his distance? Apparently other than when he won the worlds its not been his distance or course! Will also struggle with anything more severe than a hump-back bridge where climbing is concerned!

 

[L'arriviste]

Is the time trial his distance? Apparently other than when he won the worlds its not been his distance or course! Will also struggle with anything more severe than a hump-back bridge where climbing is concerned!

I was there last year. Flat as a pancake but the winds are something else. The last long straight before the riders head back into town is one long headwind all the way. I walked a bit of it and it was a battle to stay on my feet!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Stage one to do it's usual shuffling of the pack into a handful of contenders and the ITT to sort out the podium,.......................unless the wind blows, which is a possibility, given the forecast.

 

[MADRAZO]

The way he has been riding lately Westra must be the biggest favourite.

Malori could surprice and Thomas, Flens, Gusev and Rosseler should also have a decent chance. And also Wiggins can not be counted out.

I suppose the often here favourised Hoste and Devolder will take it easy.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Westra got sick or injured last week, I remembered reading that. Which is also why he was really bad in his last 2 races. So I can't see him winning

 

[maltiv]

The way he has been riding lately Westra must be the biggest favourite.

Malori could surprice and Thomas, Flens, Gusev and Rosseler should also have a decent chance. And also Wiggins can not be counted out.

I suppose the often here favourised Hoste and Devolder will take it easy.

Geraint Thomas is seemingly taken off the startlist, although he would've been one of the favorites. Probably saving him for RVV.

 

[luckyboy]

For God's sake Ballan please win something.

 

[mc_mountain]

The way he has been riding lately Westra must be the biggest favourite.

Malori could surprice and Thomas, Flens, Gusev and Rosseler should also have a decent chance. And also Wiggins can not be counted out.

I suppose the often here favourised Hoste and Devolder will take it easy.

Malori at present, is also missing from the startlist - although not replaced.

this could be a good race for matthews hard sprint stages plus short ITT.

Also a chance for radioshack to repeat their dominace of 3days of west flanders

 

[taiwan]

Decent race for Devolder, I would have thought.

Oh yes, too close to De Ronde.

 

[ergmonkey]

Rabobank and Steegmans should be hungry for stage wins here. In both cases, there's obvious form and momentum already but neither is likely to be headed for the win at Flanders. Both have more than enough experience with this sort of racing, too.

As for Gusev, I think he's a solid dark horse for everything he races through Roubaix. I really hope to see him in the group of leaders again at the end. Seeing an extra team or two represented in the finale of Roubaix should make things much more interesting. Besides, Leif Hoste needs another diesel engine in the group to try to keep snappier guys like Cancellara and Boonen in check. At De Panne, a good day could definitely see him taking the overall with a big TT ride.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Volderke might be good at this