Tour of Bruges 2026: Philipsen and Groenewegen lead Bruges’ sprint relaunch

Tour of Bruges 2026 on March 25 keeps Belgium’s biggest flat WorldTour sprint slot, but the headliner picture is different now. Jasper Philipsen and Dylan Groenewegen look like the clearest pure-speed matchup, while Arnaud De Lie, Milan Fretin, and Biniam Girmay keep the race from turning into a one-dimensional bunch finish preview.

The old Classic Brugge-De Panne identity still matters because this is a flat, wind-sensitive day where riders have to survive positioning stress before they can even think about the last straight. That is why Philipsen still looks like the strongest all-around favorite. He has the cleanest blend of top-end speed and resilience if the field reaches the line reduced but still organized.

Groenewegen belongs much closer to the top line than the older local copy suggested, because this route still gives a true sprinter enough runway if the exposed sectors do not break the race too early. De Lie and Fretin are the main disruptors if the pace hardens before the finale, and Girmay is live anywhere the race asks for more than a clean drag race. The practical preview question is simple: does Bruges stay controlled, or does the wind create a harder sprint hierarchy before the final kilometer?