Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 | The Wærenskjold scenario looks less realistic this time

Omloop traditionally kicks off the Classics season, and 2026 is no different. It is the first big appointment of the spring, even if we should add the usual disclaimer: some of the biggest names still choose to skip it. Riders like Mads Pedersen and Tadej Pogačar, for example, are again not expected to line up.

Last year delivered one of the biggest surprises in years. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X) crested the Bosberg as the last man in the peloton, but benefitted from a headwind and the way the race developed — and eventually sprinted to victory in Ninove. Paul Magnier came flying late, but missed out by a whisker.

The three editions before that were Visma masterclasses (then Jumbo-Visma / Visma | Lease a Bike), with Wout van Aert (2022), Dylan van Baarle (2023) and Jan Tratnik (2024) taking impressive wins.

2025 Soren Waerenskjold
2024 Jan Tratnik
2023 Dylan van Baarle
2022 Wout van Aert
2021 Davide Ballerini
2020 Jasper Stuyven
2019 Zdenek Stybar
2018 Michael Valgren
2017 Greg Van Avermaet
2016 Greg Van Avermaet
2015 Ian Stannard

This year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is 197.2 kilometres, roughly five kilometres shorter than last year. Beyond a few small tweaks early on, there are no major changes — so we can expect the classic Omloop script when it comes to the likely pressure points.

After the team presentation in ’t Kuipke in Ghent, the riders set off for a hard day across Flanders. After 33 kilometres, the first cobbled sector appears (Paddestraat). Fifteen kilometres later comes the first climb, the Leberg. Normally, the breakaway is already clear by then and the big teams have settled into a steady tempo at the front of the bunch.

Halfway through the race, the peloton reaches the Flemish Ardennes, with Lange Munte, Leberg and Valkenberg coming in quick succession. With around 50 kilometres to go, the Eikenberg/Wolvenberg combination is often where the finale starts to simmer — especially with the cobbled stretches of Holleweg and Kerkgate/Jagerij close behind, as the final hour approaches.

After that comes the Molenberg, where the race more often than not truly ignites. Then follow Berendries, Tenbosse and Parikeberg, with the last two climbs new compared to last year. The Leberg, Vossenhol and the Haaghoek cobbles do not feature in this phase of the race.

After Parikeberg, the riders get roughly ten kilometres of “rest” before the best-known climb of them all: the Kapelmuur (Muur van Geraardsbergen), long a staple of the Tour of Flanders finale together with the Bosberg. From the top of the Bosberg, it’s then 12 fast kilometres to Ninove, where the finishing straight still rises unpleasantly.

Weather
Belgium should be a pleasant place to be this weekend: sunshine is expected, a maximum temperature of around 11°C, and a moderate breeze that is forecast to be mostly a tailwind in the finale — which, in theory, can suit attackers.

Times
Start: 11:05 AM
Finish: approximately 4:05 PM

What a start list, ladies and gentlemen. It has been a long time since Omloop welcomed a field this stacked in Ghent — even if we should add a small disclaimer: not everything was officially confirmed at the time of writing.

The big pre-race question: will he start or won’t he? We are, of course, talking about Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman has already hinted twice — after Le Samyn last year and more recently in Benidorm — that he is considering taking on Omloop for the first time in his career. For now, though, we are still waiting for firm confirmation from his base in Spain.

Alpecin–Premier Tech have already announced Jasper Philipsen, third in 2025, and Kaden Groves is also on the provisional list.

One man who will be there is Wout van Aert. The Belgian fractured his ankle on 2 January in Mol, but an altitude camp has helped him get ready in time for the Opening Weekend opener. Within Visma | Lease a Bike, he shares leadership with Matthew Brennan, who already raced the Tour Down Under in January.

Christophe Laporte was also high on the team’s list, but he crashed hard in the Ruta del Sol on Sunday. How much that affects him this week remains to be seen — but if the Frenchman is fit, Visma have multiple cards to play.

Over at UAE Team Emirates–XRG, there is no Pogačar, but Tim Wellens arrives in form. In Spain last Monday, the Belgian rode the entire peloton off his wheel with a solo of more than 50 kilometres in Clásica Jaén. Florian Vermeersch also impressed as an important helper for Isaac del Toro at the UAE Tour, and Nils Politt is another rider to watch closely on these roads.

At Soudal Quick-Step, two riders have already put their names in lights ahead of Omloop thanks to strong performances in the Algarve. Paul Magnier won two stages — continuing exactly where he left off in 2025: winning a lot. Dylan van Baarle has also looked sharp after his move, with a tenth place in the tough queen stage. Normally, Jasper Stuyven would be on this list too, but he did not start on Saturday due to illness.

A little further east, we saw Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) strike in the Ruta del Sol finale, and he will start Omloop on Saturday as well. For the Brit, this race may be a difficult one to make the difference purely uphill, so his team will hope Fred Wright and Xandro Meurisse can play key roles in the (pre-)finale.

Last year Wærenskjold was the hero of Omloop, but this time the wind direction in Ninove is expected to be completely different — which is one reason why a similar scenario feels less likely. At Uno-X, attention therefore shifts more to Jonas Abrahamsen. The smiling bundle of Nordic horsepower has prepared in a Spartan way for the Classics, with one clear goal: to be there in the finales. He also won Muur Classic Geraardsbergen last August.

Looking back at last year’s finale, we also saw Abrahamsen and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) among the riders in the front on the Muur and Bosberg. The Czech is set to be Lidl-Trek’s outright leader for this race, with riders like Jakob Söderqvist and the surprise from the year before, Toms Skujiņš, in support.

The Muur is not only central to Omloop; it has also been a key feature of the Renewi Tour for years. And in that race, Arnaud De Lie has been one of the standout riders across the last two editions — a role he would love to repeat in the spring Classics. Could 2026 be the year we see De Lie truly blossom into a fully-fledged Classics rider?

It is one of the many questions Omloop brings. In recent weeks we’ve already seen encouraging signs from riders like Biniam Girmay, Riley Sheehan, Magnus Sheffield and Ben Turner in Spain — but what will that mean once the race hits the decisive moments across the 200 kilometres between Ghent and Ninove?

A team also eager to make a mark this spring is Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe. Last year, Tim van Dijke was one of the men animating Omloop, and together with his brother Mick, he has again built towards the Opening Weekend. With riders such as Laurence Pithie, Gianni Vermeersch and Jordi Meeus, they bring serious depth.

Bahrain Victorious come with Matej Mohorič and Alec Segaert, while a slightly depleted Decathlon–CMA CGM will hope for something from Oliver Naesen, Stefan Bissegger or Stan Dewulf. EF Education–EasyPost also bring a deep squad including Kasper Asgreen, Vincenzo Albanese, Luke Lamperti and Marijn van den Berg.

At Groupama-FDJ, we are quietly curious to see what Valentin Madouas, Bastien Tronchon and top talent Thibaud Gruel can do, while Movistar have also brought a line-up that can play a role in Flanders: Roger Adrià, Carlos Canal, Orluis Aular, Jon Barrenetxea and Iván García Cortina.

For XDS Astana, keep an eye on Mike Teunissen, Alberto Bettiol and former winner Davide Ballerini. Tudor look to Matteo Trentin, Rick Pluimers, Luca Mozzato and the man who is almost always good in Omloop: Stefan Küng. And then there’s Unibet Tietema Rockets, who will want to build on their top performance from 2025 with Lukáš Kubiš. Plenty of storylines to follow.

Top favorites: Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
Outsiders: Wout van Aert, Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates-XRG), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
Long shots: Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Biniam Girmay (NSN), Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG), Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), Dylan van Baarle (Soudal Quick-Step) and Stefan Küng (Tuddor)

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad can be followed on multiple channels on Saturday. In Belgium, VRT 1 (Sporza) shows the team presentation from 10:15 to 11:30, then returns with live coverage from 13:30. Eurosport 1 also joins from 13:30, as does HBO Max.