Preview: Nokere Koerse 2025 | The rider best prepared for San Remo vs. the one who should skip it

Tim Merlier has dominated the last three editions of this Belgian semi-classic, but for now, he is not listed on the start list for Wednesday. That means we’ll not only see a new winner but also a new finish, as race organizers have made a crucial change after multiple crashes in recent years.

"The traditional descent in the final kilometer through Nokere Dorp, which has frequently led to dangerous situations and crashes in past editions, will be replaced by a straight, uphill finishing stretch to improve rider safety," the organization announced. "The finish will now be on a different side of Nokereberg, coming via Waregemsestraat." The final kilometer is no longer a downhill sprint but instead features a gradual uphill drag to the line.

2024 Tim Merlier
2023 Tim Merlier
2022 Tim Merlier
2021 Ludovic Robeet
2020 Not ridden
2019 Cees Bol
2018 Fabio Jakobsen
2017 Nacer Bouhanni
2016 Timothy Dupont
2015 Kris Boeckmans

The race begins with an 87.8 km approach that takes the riders through Nazareth, Gavere, Zwalm, Zottegem, Oudenaarde, Horebeke, Maarkedal, Anzegem, and Wortegem-Petegem, leading toward Nokere. The first cobbled sector of the day, the Paddestraat, comes after 22 km, followed 18 km later by the Jagerij and Holleweg sectors. After passing Brouwerij Roman, the route continues via Kokkerellestraat toward Oudenaarde, then heads to Anzegem, where the riders will face the cobbled Varent sector, the climbs of Hellestraat and Holstraat, and finally, in Wortegem-Petegem, the lesser-known Petegemberg (500m at 7.6%), which offers a stunning view of the Flemish Ardennes from the top.

Obviously, these obstacles will serve only as warm-up challenges. Once the riders tackle Nokereberg (350 meters at 5.7%, max 7%) for the first time, the race will move into two local circuits of 31.3 km each, followed by an extended final lap of 37.8 km.

The local circuits are packed with cobbled sections, including Herlegemstraat, Lange Aststraat, Kloosterstraat, Doorn, Lededorp, and Huisepontweg, all coming in rapid succession. These sectors are where the key attacks will likely take place. If not, the race will head toward a tricky sprint finish on Waregemsestraat, featuring a final kilometer with an average gradient of 4%. In total, the riders will face 1,450 meters of elevation gain, spread over 12 climbs, six of which include cobblestones, and they will cover 23 kilometers of cobbled roads throughout the race.

Weather
On Wednesday afternoon, riders will enjoy pleasant race conditions. A moderate southern wind will be present, while temperatures will rise to around 16°C. Add to that a bright sun, making for ideal racing weather.

Times
Start: 12:45 PM (local time) | 6:45 AM (EST)
Finish: around 5:23 PM (local time) | 11:23 AM (EST)

So, no Tim Merlier this year, but there’s no reason to worry—Nokere Koerse still boasts a top-tier start list. The biggest crowd favorite will likely be Jasper Philipsen. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter skipped both Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo after his victory in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, potentially giving him the best preparation for La Primavera, considering the harsh weather in both races. Nokere will be his chance to test himself ahead of the first Monument of the year.

Meanwhile, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) was forced to withdraw from Milan-San Remo due to an earlier illness, but he is still targeting success in Nokere and Denain this week. The newly designed uphill finish should suit the Belgian perfectly. He will be backed by Arjen Livyns, Jasper De Buyst, and Milan Menten.

Several teams are opting for depth over a single leader. UAE Team Emirates-XRG brings sprinter Juan Sebastián Molano, but they also have aggressive options in Antonio Morgado, Florian Vermeersch, and Filippo Baroncini. Lidl-Trek features young talents Jakob Söderqvist and Tim Torn Teutenberg, while Soudal Quick-Step is set to give Luke Lamperti his season debut.

The pure sprinters will need to survive the tough final kilometer, but if they do, expect to see contenders like Gerben Thijssen, Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Max Kanter, Cees Bol, Aaron Gate (XDS-Astana), Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious), Alberto Dainese (Tudor), Pavel Bittner (Picnic-PostNL), Erlend Blikra, Stian Fredheim (Uno-X), Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5), and the in-form Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) along with his teammate Ethan Vernon.

Other riders in top form include Lukas Kubis (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), and Fabio Christen (Q36.5), who has already picked up a victory this season.

Top favorites:Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
Outsiders:Antonio Morgado (UAE Emirates-XRG), Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) and Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
Long shots: Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step), Juan Sebastian Molano, Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG), Jakob Soderqvist (Lidl-Trek), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Max Kanter, Cees Bol (XDS-Astana), Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech), Alberto Dainese (Tudor) and Lukas Kubis (Unibet Tietema Rockets)

Nokere Koerse will be covered on Wednesday by Sporza and Eurosport. The women's race will be shown on Canvas from 12:10 p.m., followed by the men's race from 2:30 p.m. on VRT1. Eurosport follows the same schedule on HBO Max but will also prioritize Milan-Turin on its main channel during parts of the broadcast.