Bredene Koksijde Classic 2026 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Sprint expected on 'mini Gent Wevelgem'
Cycling
Taking place on the 20th of March, the Bredene Koksijde Classic is the third of three consercutive semi-classics that are highly prestigious, even if they are not part of the World Tour division. The sprinter's classic has had great quality in its short history, however it delivers exciting action every year. We preview the race ahead, with the start and finish expected at 12:20 and 16:40CET.
This race is much more recent than its peers, having its first edition only back in 2011 with Steve Schets taking the win. The likes of Luka Mezgec, Pascal Ackermann, Tim Merlier, Gerben Thijssen and Luca Mozzato have won here whilst 12 months ago it was Edward Theuns who took the glory in a sprint finale.
Profile: Bredene - Koksijde

Bredene - Koksijde, 203.5 kilometerss
If at the GP de Denain we've had the mini Paris-Roubaix, at the Bredene Koksijde Classic the continental teams have their own 'mini Gent-Wevelgem', with over 200 kilometers on the menu and a course that features a very similar formula and literally the same climbs as in the Belgian World Tour classic.
On paper, the race is almost fully pan-flat. However, from 125 to 100 kilometers to go, the riders are going to climb the Baneberg, the Monteberg and the Kemmelberg twice, through both sides. Brutally steep cobbled climbs that are enough to split the peloton to bits, however so far from the finish.
Even in the best case scenario, there would still be two hours of racing on flat roads before reaching the finish line in Koksijde - where there is a final circuit to race - however in this region the winds also blow hard and echelons can also create meaningful differences in the race.
Read also
Predictions Bredene Koksijde Classic 2026:
*** Tim Torn Teutenberg, Juan Sebastián Molano, Matteo Moschetti
** Alberto Dainese, Dylan Groenewegen, Milan Menten, Max Kanter
* Gerben Thijssen, Henri Uhlig, Jensen Plowright, Paul Penhoet, Vito Braet, Hugo Hofstetter, Itamar Einhorn, Pascal Ackermann, Erlend Blikra, Sam Bennett, Emilien Jeannière, Luca Mozzato, Tom Crabbe
** Alberto Dainese, Dylan Groenewegen, Milan Menten, Max Kanter
* Gerben Thijssen, Henri Uhlig, Jensen Plowright, Paul Penhoet, Vito Braet, Hugo Hofstetter, Itamar Einhorn, Pascal Ackermann, Erlend Blikra, Sam Bennett, Emilien Jeannière, Luca Mozzato, Tom Crabbe
Pick: Juan Sebastián Molano
How: Regular bunch sprint
Original: Rúben Silva

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- The deciding factor may be the (TBD) number of (any type of) kilometers without Pogacar.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- Unexplained chronic fatigue is an all too common bitch. The hard to find definitive answer may lie buried in gut mechanisms. A mystery of the deep.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- It's weird to say Evenepoel would be making a "serious mistake by adding the 2027 Giro d'Italia to his calendar, warning that such a decision could even be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his ability to win the Tour de France." It may well be a mistake but with so many commentators (of all sorts) continuously claiming almost everything Remco does as being a mistake, almost nobody should care what the pundits and the disparagers should say. His team may not want him to do the Giro, and that matters. But it's possibly or probably up to Remco to decide and it may not have to be decided on until a month or so ahead of the race. Yes , Remco is inconsistent much like the majority of the best riders but he's enjoying a period of not having been recently injured (or sick). Whatever he does he need not be concerned with critics who will second guess any perceived failure no matter what. I suspect he will have enough other races on his schedule so he won't be considering it. But the worst reason to not race it is because of what some will say - humorous that be.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- I'll say clean sweep all grand tourZamorano04-11-2026
- And the place he calls home is in Slovenia with his parents.RidesHills04-11-2026
- I think Tadej will be working on his new C7 TT position for the Tour de France :-)frieders304-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment






