Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live c🙈overage of Classic Brugge-De Panne!

I'm Matilda and I'm here toꦛ take y🔯ou through the action from Belgium. 

The riders are just getting reaꦯdy for the neutral roll-out at 12.30 CET.

There's 8.6km neutral before the official start.

It's a pretty windy morning in Bruges, meaning echelons could be ꦆon the ca✅rds today.

There's also a good chance of rain later in the day, though perhaps not quite as much as the rain-soaked men's edition of this race yesterday.

It's a long day out today: 163.1km in total.

We'll start with a ꦜ67km traverse from Bruges to Veurne, and then it's two laps of the 47.9km loop around Veurne, De Panne and Koksijde. 

Here's the latest startli🍨st as the riders get away for the neutralised start:

Quite a few names missing𝄹 this morning: most notably Lotta Henttala, who hasn't started this morning thro🌺ugh sickness.

A lot of teams are here with reduced line-ups too, as injury and illness has already been taking its toll. With big races coming up, some ride🌱rs are saving themselves for bigger goals.

And yes, that is SD Worx with💎 just three riders supporting Lore𓄧na Wiebes.

Bastianelli, Kool and Balsamo all have full lead-outs here, so it will be a challenge for the Dutchwoman.&n�🥃�bsp;

The rain held off, right until the race started!

Sounds like it's started pouring in Bruges just as the roll-out startedꦺ. 

We should be ab🌳out 5 minutes from the official start now. 

A few more DNS's to note: Trofeo Binda winner Shirin van Anrooij and Movistar's Floortje Mackaij are both sitting out today.&nbꦛsp;

It's a little way away yet, b🍒ut the sections to keep an eye on for crosswinds are the parts of the circuit that 🐈go through De Moeren.

Th𓄧is is a marshy, flat region near the French border that is super exposed and prime for wind disꦉturbance. 

163KM TO GO

And the race is underway!

The flag is dropped for the official start.

Though this race is usually 

Here's the view from the roll-out:

After a brief downpour, the sun has co♊me out now in Belgium.&nb🐟sp;

I'm sur�🔯�e the riders will be hoping it stays that way. 

In the first part of the 🥃rac⛎e, which goes south-west from Bruges to Veurne, the winds will be strong but mainly head on.

It's on the circuits and the change of direction where the crosswinds are more🐷 likely. 

Can Lorena Wiebes make it work 🌳with just three tꦫeammates today?

Just as the rain started falling in Bruges!

Sounds like a relatively calm start to the race.

No moves reported yet, and not a super high pace 🐷in the bunch.

If the 🧜headwind isඣ as strong as reported, it's no wonder the peloton are starting off relatively slow.

Plus the early rain may have dampene🧸d some spirits.

10km done and all is together.

Tജhe rain is still a bit on an♍d off at the moment. 

Head⛎ing towards a section that could be a bit more wind-exposed in a few kilometres.

Could this see a split?

Nearly 20km completed and still no at🎃tacks to speak of.

This ༒is the 6th edition of t𝄹he women's Brugge-De Panne, which started in 2018.

Four out of the five previous editions ꦯhave finished in a bunch sprint... do you remembe𝐆r which one didn't? 

Of course that would be 2021 wh🐼en Grace Brown got away and stayed away to win 🍃solo in De Panne.

She's not staℱrting today, but it﷽'s a good reminder that solo attacks can work here. 

We're behind on t♓he slowest predicted schedule today - it has been a particularly slow-paced start.

20KM COMPLETED

All together but there's stillꦺ 143km to go of course!

The peloton is somewhat stretch🌱ed out now - the pace is building.

And there's a split!

The wind has definitely come into play here.

Hard to say who is where on each side of this spl𒀰it...

Details are sparse but we'll update with what we kno💛w. 

About 25km in now.

If it's hard already, it's going to be a long and challenging day for a lot o💎f riders.

The race has split more - there's t🥂hree groups now.

About ten seconds between each one.

Again we're not quite sure who is where in these groups, hopefully we will ౠhave some news soon.

10 second gaps could w🐬ell be closed, but in these winds could also stretch out really quickly.

30km completed now.

Sounds like the race is back together now, but a lo꧂t of ride❀rs will have had to put in quite a bit of work already today.

Getting ಌa sense of how tough those splits were - that's Lorena Wiebes working on the front already. 

125KM TO GO

ꦫGetting close to the local loops now - around 25km to go. 

It's still a strong headwinꦏd the riders are facing,꧙ hence being on a slightly slower pace than expected. 

Over an hour of racing complete now.

We may not have seen any moves go yet, but🌳 the splits and tensꦓion will be having an tiring effect on the peloton.

Mechanical problem for Juliඣe De Wilde (Fenix-Deceunღinck).

With the wet roads, punctures or similar issues ma🦹y be a theme of the day. 

CRASH IN PELOTON

Quite a big crash 🌠in the peloton - the race has been temporarily neutralised as a result. 

The race seems to have paused completely, not just neutralised.&nb🧜sp;

Riders from quite a few teams were involved in the crash, which seems 🌺to have happened near the front of the bunch. 

Marta ꦆBastianelli and Lisa Klein reportedly among those involved in this crash.

Good news - racing is back underway.

Seems like the crash had been blocking th💜e road, but we're clear now. 

Some images from the stoppage:

Two abandons so far from that crash: Letizia Paternoster (Jayco-AlUla) and Ilse Grit (Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-D♔oltcin💫i)

50KM COMPLETED

Just over 10km until the local loops.

With tཧhe effects of that crash and the circuits looming, it's unlikel𒐪y we'll see any moves go now before the local laps.

CRASH IN PELOTON

Another crash in the bunch - t♉hese wet roads are dangerous. 

Eight riders involved in this crash, including Lizzie Hoꦐlden (UꦗAE Team ADQ) and Jade Wiel (FDJ-SUEZ).

It's a real combination of things causing a tetchy peloton here - the roads are narrow and wet, the wind is blowing, there's tension heading towards the loops and the previous crashes will have left a 🌠lot of riders feeling nervous. 

You'd hope this was the last of the crashes, but we haven't even hit the worse crosswinds sec🍸tions yet, so let's hope to get through them safely.

All is togetheꦡr in the bunch as we head towards Veurne.

Tiril Jorgensen (Coop Hꦐitec Products) is another crash victim - the team says she is okay but her bike is not in good ♌condition. 

Equipment issues could prove to be as decisiv⛎e as injಞuries with these crashes.

The wind is keeping the peloton strung out. 

Minke Bakker (Duolar-Chevalmeire) is the latest confirmed abandon.&nb💖sp;

We should be into the two local laps no🐟w - under 100km toꦆ go.

The pel🃏oton is just passing the finish line for the first ti🌸me now.

It's quite relaxed in𝐆 the bunch, all is 𝄹together and the sun is shining.

95KM TO GO

And we have a rider on the attack!

Mieke Docx from Lot🌃to-Dstny has just clipped off 🐼the front of the bunch.

The p꧒eloton are lettin🐓g Docx go here, but perhaps thinking that she won't have much of a chance on her own.

Not a huge am💟ount ofඣ team organisation in the peloton.

SD Worx, Uno-X and DSM all have riders up there.

It's 20 seconds advantage for Docx currently, but th🌸e pace is definitely upping in the peloton. 

The wind is still strong out in Belgium, it's not affecting th🐭ings too much right now but it will in the more exposed areas.

And that's Mieke Docx caught by the pelo🔥ton. 

SD Worx are really taking things up here.

Perhaps an interesting tactic from the team with only fꦰour ridersꦛ and 91km to go.

Trek-Segafredo are coming up to the front now.

Elisa Balsam♛o is of course the defending champion here.

Elisa Balsamo beat Lorena Wiebes into second at last year's race - one of the rare times the Italian has won a head-to-head bet🐬ween the two - but Wiebes would argue a broken spoke impeded her in that sprint. 

A shot from that crash earlier.

Seems like quite a few riders ended up in the ditch, there's just nowhere to go on those narrow roads. Marta Bastianelli (pictured) is appaꦡrently still in the race𓃲. 

85KM TO GO

Onto wider roads and all is ♓still tog⛦ether, but the pace is high. 

Canyon-SRAM are taking things up now.

They have 𝔉a sprint option in Shari Bossuyt, who has a lot of top-10 finishes under her belt and took her first pro win in Normandy laꩵst weekend. 

It's a constant battle at the front 🐻of the peloton here, with everyone trying to stay in position before the almost constant corner and pinch points.

Bike change for Elisa Balsam♓o - the Italian champion is back and riding pret🧸ty quickly but will need to get back into the bunch now. 

Balsamo has just rejoined the peloton.

Aboﷺu🔴t 10km away from the exposed De Moren section now.

The tensio🦹n is def🐓initely rising going towards what could be a very decisive stretch.

Some splits forming at the back here.

A lot of riders will be t👍ired after what's already been a stressful start to the day.

The winds are already showing their effects now.

Wiebes and Balsamo are keeping safe right ꧃at the front of the peloton.

Echelons are starting to form!

It's breaking apart from the back as the strong ride🔯rs push on at the front. 

The sprinters are having to do a lot of work themselves to stay in the front currently.&nb🅠sp;

A lot of riders have been dropped out the back - t♉wo distinct groups - but it's still quite a large peloton up front.

A moment of calmi💞ng now as we're in a less windy se🅘ction.

And with that lull, group two has rejoined the pel🌜🔜oton.

The third group has also got back on.

Another crash here - an Israel ❀Premier Tech Roland rider is in the ditch.

It's Thị Thật Nguyễn who just got squeezed off the road, but she's back riding now.

Another🎀 crash in the peloton - riders are just getting ♈squeezed and caught out in this tense bunch.

Romy Kasper, Fien Delbaere and Agnieszka Skalniak-Só𒁃jka ▨all affected.

About to hit De Mওoeren and the peloton is really stretched out as the pressure builds.

It's D🔯SM and Trek-Segafredo who are꧂ working to make this really hard up front.

Lorena Wiebes is having to look after herself.

The pace is super high but we're not seeing too many e𓆉chelon splits just yet. 

And we're on the De Moeren section!

♈Almost a𒆙s soon as we turn onto this straight the echelons start forming.

It's DSM and Uno-X who are driving it on the𝔉 front. 

Balsamo and Wiebes are safely in the front group of around 15 riders, thoug⛄h neither have 🏅much team support. 

Marta Bastianelli is on💯 the wrong side of these splits, and Charlotte Kool also seems to be missing from the front group - though Pfeiffer Georgi and another DSM rider are up there f♓or the team.

The front group now have 15 second𒁃s on the first chaꦆse group. 

The group includes Balsamo, Wiebes, Alice Barnes, Shari Bossuy🌞t, Maike van der Duins, Julie De Wilde, Christina Sch▨weinberger, Amalie Dideriksen, Pfeiffer Georgi and Megan Jastrab. 

This ten-rider group is really pushing on here, thou𒈔gh they have only 16 seconds on a fairly large chase ꦕgroup led by UAE Team ADQ. 

The third group on the road🔥 is 🎶now a minute and a half down.

So anyone not in the ♈front two groups is probably out of this race.

50KM TO GO

We're𝓀 just about to cross the finish line and start th🦩e second lap here.

10 🌄rider group is ✨still about 20 seconds up the road.

The gap is going out ♔slightly - it's 30 seconds as the leaders cross the finish line. 

Could this group stay away?

The questio🐓n is whether these riders will co-operat🐻e or start attacking each other when we hit the win again.

With a gap th🎐is small, as soon as they start looking at each other they could well find themselves caught. 

It remains only UAE Team ADQ who areܫ working in the second group, and not really making any inroads on the leaders. 

The group is growing 𒉰out now in the le🤡aders' favour.

They've got 45 seconds on the chasers now.

With DSM, Fenix-Deceuninck and Canyon-SRAM all having tw🃏o ri⛄ders in the front 10, there is a good amount of cohesion and co-operation.

Behind, UAE Team ADQ have Chiar🦄a Consonni trying to bridge solo now.

40KM TO GO

Stil𒆙l a long way to go for this group, but they're looking strong.

Doesn't look like Consonni is having much luck in bridging t🍷his gap.

36KM TO GO

The leader𒁃s' advantage is over a mꦰinute now for the first time.

And here's visuals on the leading ten: 

With the energy definitely sapping from the chase, it loo🌌ks like this group of ten has  good chance of going to the line.

But will it be a Balsamo vs Wiebes sprint, or will we see som🅘e attacks in tඣhe finale?

A bit of discord in the chasing group.

UAE Team ADQ and Jayco-AlUla are both clearly frustrated at having missed this move, but their defici🔴t is just growing a𒈔nd growing. 

30KM TO GO

Not much change here, the leaders are just🍸 rolling through andꦆ off.

But, we ꦺstill have some more windy sections to go. 

Quite calm in the lead group - riders are drinking and taking gels💝 in preparation for the finale. 

Almost two minutes now for the leaders.

It's pretty certain that they're not going♔ to be caught. 

25KM TO GO

Heading back towards the crosswinds sections.

The final De Moeren section finishes with around 10km to go, so the attac🐭ks may come quite close to the line.

Jastrab and Georgi from DSM💧 have been working we🐭ll on the front of this group.

20KM TO GO

It's been no-change for a while now, but don't expect this race to culminate without some more attacks and ✨actiꦅon. 

It's maybe surprising that a group as strong as this was just allowed to go, but it proves just how h🔜ard it can be to chase down breaks.

Particularly when teams have been affected by crashes as they ♎have t💝oday.

The question is, which riders will attack?

Both DSM and Canyon-SRAM should theoretically be sending a rider on the move. Will Balsไamo herself try to get away from Wieb𓄧es?

We'🌸re just a couple of kilometres from the start of De Moeren now.

This will be the best chance for riders to take advantage of the wind and try to pu🌞t Wiebes and Balsa🌱mo in trouble.

15KM TO GO

Crosswinds coming...

Echelons views from earliไer in the race - what a sigꦕht! 

Georgi is pushing her lead out to 24 seconds in her attempt to win Brugge☂-De෴ Panne

Georgi caught the breakaway by surprise with this move.

She reacted off the back of her teammate Jast🎀rab's initial attack and gained an instant gap as the sprinters all looked at each other, no one wanting to burn matches by taking up the chase.

Georgi has been on the cusp of a major victory this year and it looks like she is about to take the win at Classic Brugge-De Panne.

Read our recent in-depth feature - On the cusp of a breakthrough – No more mistaking Pfeiffer Georgi

This was tactical brilliance from Team DSM's Georgi and Jastrab, the only team with two riders in the breakaway at the la🏅te 💙stages of this race.

Pfeiffer Georgi takes a solo victory at Classic Brugge-De Panne!

It was her biggest win as a pro rider.

The sprint for second place is about to happen as Amalie Dideriksen leads the chase group into❀ the run-in to the finis🃏h.

Lorena Wiebes launches her attack at 300 metres out but Elisa Balsamo has thrown her𒊎 bike at the line in what looks like a photo-finish for second place.

It's Balsamo who takes second on the line, beating Wiebes to sec💎ond. 

It may not have been for the win, but that could give ♓Balsamo some confide💎nce going forward.

It's a🍸 very happy Pfei🍬ffer Georgi at the finish, after a strong ride from the team.

"I'm so happy," she said. "This is my first WorldTour win. Pretty unexpected for me actually. We came in today with a plan to race aggressively, and the whole team did that, so I was just f🍃inishing off a great team effort today."

There's something full circle about wi♛nning here for Pfeiffer💯 Georgi.

It was at this race in 2020 where she fractured two vertebrae and had a long recovery perio𒊎d ove𝕴r the off-season.

Jastrab and Bossuyt rounded out the top-5 on the line, after strong rides for DSM and Canyon-SRAM resp𒁏ecܫtively. 

Here's your confirmed top 10:

After crashing heavily in the finale, we𒈔're still waiting for updates about Alice Barnes and Julie De Wilde.

Here's that winning moment!

And the throw to the line between the two favourites, who had to seꦡttle for podium spots today. 

Elisa Balsamo is still🔴 waiting for a big one-day win thi🔯s year - this time last year she won Trofeo Binda, Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem on the trot - but she didn't seem too disappointed about her runner-up finish today.

"I took a good sওecond place," she said. "Today was a really hard race and the girls from DSM, they were two, and they were so strong. So I am satisfied about my second place."

Everyone in the group knew they couldn't go to the line with Wiebes and Balsamo, but it was only DSM who successfully pulled offౠ another tactic.

"We just knew we were going to attack," Georgi explained. "Megan [Jastrab] attacked first and set me up, then I just went as hard as I could. My legs were feeling pretty tired at that point, so it was just giving it everything, and the DS shouting in my ear really helped, just put the head down and𓆏 go to the line."

If you missed any of the action today, head over 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:here for our full report.

Juꦏlie De Wilde is heading to hospital after crashing in the finale. We expect Alice Barꦇnes to be doing the same after what was a heavy crash, but there is no official update yet.

And here's the podium shot!

Not long until the WorldTour resumes with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Gent-Wevelgem this Sunday.

It could well be a rematch for Loren𝔉a Wiebes and ꧋defending champion Elisa Balsamo.

That's all from me!

Join us again on Sunday for cove💦rage from Gent-Wevelgem.