NXT Classic 2026 | A perfect Amstel Gold Race teaser in between the cobbled classics

The NXT Classic may be a relatively new name on the calendar, but that is a little deceptive. The first edition was held in 1993, back when the race was better known as Hel van het Mergelland. It kept that name through 2011, after which it became the Volta Limburg Classic. Since then, the race has only become more demanding, and the winners list reflects that.

Sprinters such as Moreno Hofland gradually disappeared from the palmarès. Instead, riders such as Jan Tratnik and Stefan Küng came to the fore: big engines with strong climbing legs. Fast finishers who can also survive the hills have won here too. Arnaud De Lie was the strongest in 2022, Kaden Groves won a year later, and last season the victory rather surprisingly went to Dion Smith.

2025 Dion Smith

The course of the NXT Classic will be largely the same as in previous years. One small change is the absence of the Bemelerberg and the Koning van Spanje. In return, the Gulperberg is back. All in all, the riders will face slightly fewer vertical metres, but a little more distance.

The race starts in Oost-Maarland, just north of the finish town of Eijsden. After seven kilometres, the riders already enter the local circuit, a demanding loop through the Limburg hills. That lap is almost 40 kilometres long and includes familiar climbs and passages such as the Piemert, the Örenberg, the Hoesberg and the Gulperberg. Even so, that is still the ‘smaller’ loop of the course.

Across the next three laps, an additional northern section is added around the village of Cadier en Keer. From there, the race would normally head toward the Bemelerberg, but the organisers have removed that climb this time. Even without it, the route will still be relentlessly up and down. The Gulperberg should act as the key judge of the race, with the final passage coming at around 25 kilometres from the line.

From there, it remains a sequence of climbs and descents toward Eijsden. The circuit ends with 15 kilometres to go, after which the road trends mostly downhill toward the finish area. The riders actually cross the line with 7 kilometres still remaining, before taking on one short finishing loop around Eijsden. The finishing straight itself drags uphill awkwardly, so a power sprint is certainly possible.

Weather
Conditions look very solid for racing. It should stay mostly dry in Limburg, although a local shower cannot be ruled out completely. The wind is not expected to play much of a role, blowing at force three from the southwest. At around 16 degrees Celsius, it should be mild, though not especially sunny.

Times
Start: 12:03 PM local time
Finish: approximately 4:45 PM local time

History tells us that the NXT Classic is difficult, but usually not quite difficult enough to eliminate the fast men who can climb well. More often than not, the winner is someone with solid climbing legs and a good sprint. So how many riders of the Kaden Groves mould are on the start list this year?

Lotto-Intermarché has two options in Milan Menten and Steffen De Schuyteneer. Jayco AlUla also brings a fast finisher in Anders Foldager, though their bigger focus is likely to be on Mauro Schmid. Once you move beyond those names, the pure fast finishers begin to run out.

The NSN Development Team brings Hugo Hofstetter, while Alpecin-Premier Tech has Jensen Plowright. That said, the latter team may actually have a better chance by racing aggressively with Tibor Del Grosso and Senna Remijn. Visma | Lease a Bike, meanwhile, appears to be pinning much of its hope on Bart Lemmen.

Lemmen will first have to deal with former Dutch national champion Pascal Eenkhoorn, who finished on the podium here in both 2023 and 2024. He has a strong lieutenant alongside him in Stan Van Tricht. Another rider who often goes well in Limburg is Frits Biesterbos, who leads the line for Picnic PostNL. Pinarello - Q36.5 also has a dangerous contender in Quinten Hermans, but Milan Vader is another rider from that team worth keeping an eye on.

Top favorites: Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
Outsiders: Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Senna Remijn (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step) and Quinten Hermans (Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
Long shots: Jelle Johannink, Odd Christian Eiking (Unibet Rose Rockets), Milan Menten, Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto-Intermarché), Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Frits Biesterbos (Picnic PostNL),Stan Van Tricht (Soudal Quick-Step) and Milan Vader (Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling)