Mathieu van der Poel kept everyone guessing for a long time, but the Dutch leader of AlpecināPremier Tech will indeed make his first road appearance of 2026 at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. After the decision was confirmed, the former world champion travelled from Spain to Belgium midweek ā and he wasted no time getting out on the course.
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Not long after Wednesdayās news that Van der Poel will kick off his road campaign at Opening Weekend, the Dutchman posted a photo showing his private jet ready to take him from Spain to Belgium.
FlyingGroup, Van der Poelās aviation partner, got him to his destination quickly, and just a day later he was already out reconnoitring the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad route. In a short video on X, a supporter can be heard cheering him on as he rides up the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen.
Continue reading below the photo
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Van der Poel will ride only Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, then follows the same plan as 2025
Van der Poel can let the brakes off on Saturday, although his early-season road debuts in recent years have not always brought immediate success. After Omloop, he will not add KuurneāBrusselsāKuurne and/or Le Samyn to his calendar. Instead, just like last season, TirrenoāAdriatico comes next.
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The Italian stage race will serve as his build-up for the Italian spring, with MilanoāSanremo on 21 March as the major ā and only ā target there. After that, focus shifts fully to the Flemish Classics, with E3 Saxo Classic, GentāWevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and ParisāRoubaix following in quick succession.
Video: Van der Poel explores Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Program Mathieu van der Poel spring 2026
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Tirreno-Adriatico Milan-Sanremo E3 Saxo Classic In Flanders Fields Tour of Flanders Paris-Roubaix
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.