Omloop fever: Quick-Step recons the infamous Muur, Evenepoel hints at his comeback!

Soudal Quick-Step already reconned the course of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Wednesday, tackling the 'sacred' Muur van Geraardsbergen. And the sound of their effort is pure music to the ears of cycling fans!

Remco Evenepoel also joined the team for the recon, marking another step in his recovery process. On Wednesday evening, he posted a cryptic message: "Dear peloton, ready to be calling again soon," hinting at his return. "The hunger is big, but at the moment, there’s still not much I can do. But everything is okay. You’ll get updates soon," he also told Sporza.

Lotto Cycling Team, led by Arnaud De Lie, has been making rounds on the Flemish roads in preparation for the Omloop recon. Along the way, they tackled some tough climbs, including the Molenberg. Last year, the young Belgian sprinter entered the classics season with high ambitions, but things didn’t go as planned, and he even took a brief break. In 2025, it's a fresh start and new opportunities for De Lie. The 22-year-old is set for a packed race schedule.

Toms Skujiņš is also making his presence felt during the opening weekend. The 33-year-old Latvian from Lidl-Trek had an explosive classics campaign last year, nearly dropping the big names on the Berendries. Now, a rain-soaked Skujiņš is back on that same stretch during the Omloop recon. "Belgium. We're here. Passed a road that got me 40sec of fame. And sore legs," he wrote on X.

While Wout van Aert flew to Utrecht for the press event announcing Rabobank’s return, other Visma | Lease a Bike riders were out scouting the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne route. The Belgian leader will complete his Omloop reconnaissance tomorrow. Team director Arthur van Dongen, who was following the riders by car, found humor in a parked police van. "No police at most races in the Netherlands! In Belgium, even police escort for a recon of KBK," he joked.

It's also a busy time for team directors. Aart Vierhouten, who joined Bahrain Victorious this winter, will be spending a lot of time in the team car during the cobbled classics. Right now, he’s following reconnaissance rides. Today, he was on the road behind young talents Vlad van Mechelen and Alberto Bruttomesso.