E3 Saxo Classic: stormy day brews up in Belgium with winds of up to 75kmh

DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 22 LR Tim Van Dijke of The Netherlands and Team JumboVisma Yves Lampaert of Belgium and Team Soudal Quick Step and Erik Nordster Resell of Norway and UnoX Pro Cycling Team compete in the breakaway during the 47th Minerva Classic Brugge De Panne 2023 a 211km one day race from Brugge to De Panne on March 22 2023 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images

Storms and a hard day of racing are expected for the 2023 edition of the E3 Saxo Classic, with winds forecast up to 75 kmh this afternoon and a mixture of hail and rain showers set to batter the peloton.

Local weather forecasts this morning for Belgium said that “Today is a stormy day on the program with a lot of wind from the southwest. Wind gusts can reach 75 km/h with some thunderstorms in the afternoon. The wind gusts can then become even stronger.”