The course for the 2014 edition of the Three Days of De Panne has been unveiled and the organizers will stick to the well-known format. The race will kick off with a hilly stage in the Flemish Ardennes and end with a decisive time trial in De Panne on the Belgian coast.

The Three Days of De Panne plays an important role as a warm-up race for the Tour of Flanders. Held in the same week as the big classic, the race offers a perfect opportunity for the classics stars to keep their legs going in days between Gent-Wevelgem and Vlaanderens Mooiste.

The race has a well-known format and will see no great changes in 2014. As usual, the race will kick off on a Tuesday with a stage that brings the riders from the coast and the city of De Panne to the Flemish Ardennes with a finish in Zottegem. The stage is likely to end with a few laps on a circuit that includes some of the well-known hellingen. This year, the opening stage was won by Peter Sagan.

The second stage will take the riders from Zottegem back to the coast and the city of Koksijde. Usually, the riders pass some of the climbs known from Gent-Wevelgem but unless the wind causes havoc on the peloton, the stage usually ends in a bunch sprint. This year, Mark Cavendish won the similar stage.

The final day will consist of two half-stages. In the morning, the riders will tackle a short, completely flat stage starting and finishing in De Panne. Alexander Kristoff has won this stage twice in a row. The race ends with its usually decisive stage, a short time trial in De Panne. In both 2012 and 2013, Sylvain Chavanel has laid the foundations for his overall wins by winning the crucial race against the clock.

The race will take place April 1-3.