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Follow us on GoogleGent-Wevelgem is out, In Flanders Fields is in. The name change may take a little getting used to, but when it comes to the start lists for the Sunday before the Tour of Flanders, very little has changed. In 2026, the field once again looks exceptionally strong.
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In the men’s race, there is an intriguing blend of Classics specialists, fast finishers and riders who sit somewhere in between. What makes the field especially interesting is that several of the top teams are bringing both a rider for the tougher terrain and a pure sprint option.
Just look at Alpecin-Premier Tech, where Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen are both listed, while Visma | Lease a Bike is set to start in Middelkerke with Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte and, normally, Matthew Brennan.
The team that has dominated this race over the past two years, however, is Lidl-Trek. Defending champion Mads Pedersen is back once again, and the German-based squad has also named fast man Jonathan Milan. Tactically, that should make this another fascinating edition.
Other notable names on the start list include Filippo Ganna, Tobias Lund Andresen, Tim van Dijke, Mick van Dijke, Florian Vermeersch, Matteo Trentin, Luca Mozzato and Mike Teunissen.
Wiebes also back on the start list
In the women’s race, Lorena Wiebes is once again expected at the start, although Lotte Kopecky is not yet listed for SD Worx-Protime. Other major names currently on the provisional line-up include Elisa Longo Borghini, Charlotte Kool, Elise Chabbey and Lidl-Trek’s Elisa Balsamo, who in recent years has come closest to matching Wiebes in these kinds of races.
Participants In Flanders Fields 2026 - men
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Participants In Flanders Fields 2026 - women
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026