Dylan Groenewegen blames riders themselves for Brugge-De Panne mayhem: "Nobody really gives each other space"
Cycling
The final kilometers of Classic Brugge-De Panne were marked by many crashes with some of the biggest pre-race favourites involved. Dylan Groenewegen saw the likes of Tim Merlier or Olav Kooij hit the tarmac while he himself got held back in one of the crashes and never got to compete for the victory today.
The Dutch champion told Eurosport that he didn't notice much of the crashes themselves. "But you do notice that it's hectic with so many sprinters in the peloton," he said shortly after the finish.
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The hectic situation resulted in a series of crashes. Among others, favourites Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij, but also contenders like Milan Fretin and Gerben Thijssen came into contact with the asphalt. Therefore the final of Classic Brugge-De Panne turned into a battle for survival rather than the anticipated sprint of the fastest men on the planet.
How could it go so wrong according to Groenewegen? "Nobody really gives each other space. It's a bit nervous all day because there's a bit of wind, but not enough. And at the end everyone knows where they have to sit in the finale. That applies for every sprinter." And then the roads can suddenly become very crowded.
The Team Jayco AlUla sprinter does not want to point the finger at the organization. "Now it was just before that narrowing, but in UAE (Tour, ed.) on a five-lane road we also fall. So yes, I think it is also partly up to the riders themselves," Groenewegen judges.
The 31-year-old sprinter did not crash himself, but could was still held back by the number of crashes and finished only 9th, far off the winner. "My derailleur was hit. There is nothing left of it, so my gear kept jumping from left to right. Molano won because he suddenly had space, but it was crazy," Groenewegen concluded.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- exactly, he had an amazing season, but with these overstatements they don‘t do him good.Ketterechts08-11-2026
- More to the point, it isn't his remaining goal.Renz08-11-2026
- lol yeahmij08-11-2026
- I know, their headlines can be so misleading. Pidcock had a great season with 5 wins. and some solid 2nds. no reason to take away from that with a fake headline.mij08-11-2026
- You can clearly see the the posture change from slightly sitting to again out of the saddle while changing of gears in the video of the sprintabstractengineer08-11-2026
- He has already beaten Pogi twice in the TDF. the achievement is over. He cannot beat Pogi now and he only has a few years left at the top. Win Giro and compete in the TDF, maximise palmares.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- Just looked again at the photo. Yeah I stand by that. If MS had fallen over in Brands direction I don’t even think she would have hit her. You must be a UCI race commissioner. I’ll be sure to check my sock height should I ever see you on a ride. Looks like everyone else on here sees what I see.mij08-11-2026
- I said looking at the photo it doesn’t appear she deviated. Chill out, not stating my word is the final judgement. Just commenting that based on the photo I don’t see it. And BTW the Dutch coach even said she didn’t impede her.mij08-11-2026
- Blah Blah Blah !frieders308-11-2026
- MS said she was changing gears so that caused her slight deviation. Nothing was intentional.frieders308-11-2026
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