Brabantse Pijl 2026 preview: A wide open battle with no clear favourite

Brabantse Pijl forms the bridge between the one day races of the past weeks and the Ardennes trio of Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège Bastogne Liège.

Across its 65 previous editions, the race has produced 52 different winners. Edwig Van Hooydonck still holds the record with four victories. In recent years, the race has been won by some of the sport’s biggest names, including Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Pidcock and Remco Evenepoel.

Evenepoel’s 2025 season started later than planned after a winter training crash, with the Olympic champion making his return at Brabantse Pijl. It proved to be a perfect comeback. He attacked alongside Wout van Aert and eventually outsprinted his compatriot to take the win.

Key information: 

• Date - Friday 17 April
• Distance - 162.6km
• Start Location - Beersel
• Finish Location - Overijse
• Start time (CET) - 13:32
• Fastest expected finish (CET) - 17:09

In total, there are 21 categorised climbs packed across 162km from Beersel to Overijse, an almost carbon copy of the route twelve months ago. 

There’s a series of categorised climbs in the first 90km of the race, including the Alsemberg, Bruineput, Beerselberg, Eigenbrakelsesteenweg, Chemin dit le Bois, and Rue François Dubois.

The race particularly heats up when the riders reach the 19.8km local circuit, which they will tackle three times in full to conclude the race. With 66.7km to go, the riders will get a first taste of the Holstheide climb, before tackling S-Bocht Overijse to the finish line, which will mark the start of the three laps remaining with 59.4km remaining.

The circuit features four key climbs, the Hertstraat, Moskesstraat, Holstheide and the S-Bocht.

First up is the cobbled Hertstraat, which is 700m in length with an average gradient of 4.7% and a maximum gradient of 9.4%. The steepest section of the climb comes towards the base before the climb slopes towards the crest. The riders will crest on the Hertstraat for the last time with 15.4km remaining.

Next up is the most significant of the circuit’s climbs. The Moskesstraat is also cobbled and is reminiscent of some of the most difficult climbs in the Tour of Flanders, such as the Koppenberg and Taaienberg. The 500m cobbled ascent is not only steep with an average gradient of 9.2%, but the road is also narrow, making positioning crucial. 

With a maximum gradient of 14.9% just before the crest, the race can be blown apart here, and the section over the top of the climb is equally important as the strongest riders can look to make the difference while the rest try to recover from the brutal gradients of the Moskesstraat with just 10.3km when they crest it for the final time.

The final two ascents aren’t cobbled, but that doesn’t make them easy. The Holstheide is 1km in length with an average gradient of 5.3% and a maximum of 11.5%. The steepest gradients come towards the bottom, before the gradient eases, and there will be just 7.3km when the riders crest the climb for the final time.

Finally, the race will come down to the well-recognised S-Bocht climb, which has been decisive in many recent editions. Six of the previous seven editions of the Brabantse Pijl have ended in a sprint of sorts atop the S-Bocht, with Magnus Sheffield’s solo success in 2022 being the exception. 

Compared to some of the other climbs on the menu, the 1.3km S-Bocht isn’t the sternest of tests in terms of gradients, with an average of 4.2% and a maximum of 5.7%. The difficulty of the climb comes via its layout, as the riders hit a sharp right-hand corner to begin the climb, where the road twists through a chicane, and winds its way towards the final 200m.

The climb officially ends with 200m remaining, where the road flattens out. As mentioned, many recent editions have come down to a sprint, and it’s a case of whether riders use the final metres of the climb to begin a long-sprint, or wait until the road starts to level off before launching their final effort.

In all, the difficult nature of the Brabantse Pijl, with all the steep cobble climbs and technical run-ins, often produces an exciting race, and the 2026 edition is set to be no different. 

Team Jayco AlUla arrives with one of the strongest squads on paper, led by Mauro Schmid. The Swiss rider is enjoying the best season of his career, already collecting 2119 UCI points, a significant jump from his previous high of 1193.

This will be his debut in the Brabantse Pijl, and while the course clearly suits his profile, there are question marks. Positioning has never been his strength, which could push him towards an early move to avoid the chaos. If he manages to get clear, he has the engine to go all the way. Should it come down to a reduced sprint, the uphill finish also plays to his strengths.

With Alessandro Covi, Anders Foldager, and Davide De Pretto, Jayco has multiple cards to play, while Filippo Conca and Asbjørn Hellemosen provide depth and support.

Groupama-FDJ also brings a well balanced team, built around Romain Grégoire. The Frenchman is in excellent form, with a win at the Faun Drôme Classic, a podium at Trofeo Laigueglia, and a strong fourth place in Strade Bianche.

He comes into this race after a demanding block of cobbled classics, including E3, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Tour of Flanders. While results were limited, his climbing legs looked sharp. The challenge now lies in transitioning from cobbles to the punchy Ardennes style terrain, something few riders manage to do successfully.

If he carries that form, this race suits him well. He has the punch for the short climbs and a strong uphill sprint. What he has yet to prove, however, is the ability to sustain a long solo effort, something that could be decisive on this course.

Groupama-FDJ’s depth adds further options. Valentin Madouas showed excellent form in the Tour of Flanders, recording one of the fastest ascents on the final Oude Kwaremont. The question is whether this race is selective enough for him, as he typically excels in longer, more attritional one day races.

Ewen Costiou is another rider in form, while Kevin Geniets returns after leaving Itzulia due to pollen issues. If he has recovered, the course should suit him. Quentin Pacher, Lorenzo Germani, and Rudy Molard complete a versatile and dangerous line up.

Uno-X Mobility also has several options. Andreas Kron is the natural leader, a rider with clear talent but often hindered by injuries. Recent performances suggest he is finding his rhythm again, particularly after a strong showing in Itzulia in support of Tobias Halland Johannessen.

If Kron approaches his early season level, this race suits him perfectly.

Behind him, Frederik Dversnes arrives fresh from altitude and should be in top condition, while Anthon Charmig has rediscovered his best form this season. Andreas Leknessund, who impressed here in the past, appears to be evolving into a more endurance based rider, which may limit his impact on this terrain.

EF Education-EasyPost brings one of the most intriguing squads, notably without a clear leader. Their strength lies in numbers and versatility, but that also requires a clear tactical approach.

Young talent Mattia Agostinacchio makes his road debut as a first-year U23 with a WorldTour contract and will be eager to impress. Alex Baudin and Samuele Battistella both have experience on similar terrain and arrive in solid form.

Mikkel Frølich Honoré transitions from a block of cobbled races, where his level was inconsistent, making him a bit of an unknown. The same applies to Lukas Nerurkar, whose punch makes him well-suited to this course.

It'll be important to have a good team meeting and properly talk through who will be the man of the team, with this many potential leaders.

Lotto Cycling Team brings a line up full of options. Jenno Berckmoes is expected to take on leadership duties, with the race clearly suiting his profile.

In the event of a reduced sprint, riders such as Luca Van Boven, Vito Braet, Milan Menten, Huub Artz, and Toon Aerts all offer finishing speed, giving the team valuable tactical flexibility.

At Soudal Quick-Step, the focus is on Maximilian Schachmann, who appears to have recovered well from his crash in the Volta ao Algarve. If he returns to his best level, he immediately enters the conversation for victory.

Behind him, Andrea Raccagni Noviero provides an interesting alternative, while Stan Van Tricht could come into play if the race ends in a reduced sprint.

Alpecin-Premier Tech is likely to lean on Tibor Del Grosso, although his participation in Paris Roubaix just days earlier raises some doubts about recovery. Senna Remijn offers a second option with a similar profile.

Two of the most exciting puncheurs in the peloton, Brady Gilmore and Pau Marti, headline the line up of NSN Cycling Team. Both riders will be eager to make an impact, although uncertainty remains around Joe Blackmore, who is currently dealing with injury. An update is expected closer to the race.

There are question marks around Tom Pidcock at Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team following his crash in the Volta a Catalunya. Even so, the team retains depth with Xandro Meurisse, Quinten Hermans, and Milan Vader, all capable of featuring in the finale.

Bahrain Victorious once again leans on emerging talent. Edoardo Zambanini and Attila Valter are expected to lead the team, supported by promising names such as Kasper Borremans and Alessandro Borgo. Local rider Vlad Van Mechelen returns from injury and will be highly motivated on home roads.

At the time of writing, UAE Team Emirates-XRG faces uncertainty, with several riders on the provisional start list currently dealing with injuries. Florian Vermeersch was recently added to the startlist. If he is recovered well from Paris-Roubaix, he could go for a nice result here, but that's everything but evident.

Other riders to keep an eye on: Alex Molenaar, Dylan Teuns, Clément Venturini