Nokere Koerse 2026 preview - Will Jasper Philipsen break his dry spell?

Last year, it was Nils Eekhoff who took a surprising but impressive win here, not long after a hard crash in the AlUla Tour. It showed straight away how tough this new finish is. He was actually supposed to do the leadout, but went early and no one came past him. That’s a clear message for the stronger sprinters and puncheurs on the start list this year: don’t wait too long to open your sprint.

Two former winners are at the start, Timothy Dupont and Fabio Jakobsen. Still, with the finish now so different, those past wins don’t say that much.

Key information:

• Date - Wednesday, March 18
• Distance - 186.4km
• Start location - Deinze
• Finish location - Nokere
• Start time - 12:55 CET
• Finish time - 17:10 CET

The finish is in a different place this year, moving from the cobbled Nokereberg to the Waregemstraat. The final 700 metres rise at around 5 percent, with the steepest section just before the top. It then eases slightly towards the line, making timing and positioning key.

Nokere Koerse is just under 190 kilometres long and starts, as usual, on the market square in Deinze. The opening phase heads through the Flemish Ardennes on rolling roads, with early cobbled sectors already forcing the bunch to stay sharp.

The middle part of the race adds more of the same: short climbs, exposed sections and cobbles that gradually wear the peloton down without really blowing it apart. It is more about accumulation than outright difficulty.

The finale takes place on local laps around Nokere. After a first passage over the Nokereberg, the riders complete two laps of roughly 31 kilometres and a longer final lap of about 38 kilometres. These circuits are packed with narrow roads and cobbled sectors that follow each other quickly, making it hard to control and encouraging attacks.

On paper it is still a race for the faster men, but the repeated efforts and constant positioning battle make it selective enough to drop the pure sprinters. If everything comes back together, the uphill finish on the Waregemstraat favours the more powerful types.

Last year already showed how demanding it can be, with Jasper Philipsen forced to race aggressively well before the final.

There is a strong case to put Jordi Meeus (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) forward as the main favourite. His form has been consistent from the Algarve through to the Opening Weekend, and he confirmed it with a win in GP Le Samyn, a race that offers a useful comparison with Nokere. The Waregemstraat may be slightly steeper, but that should not be an issue for him. What stands out even more this season is the support around him. 

With a more reliable leadout and someone like Gianni Vermeersch able to anticipate moves earlier in the race, Meeus is well positioned to handle a demanding finale.

The main challenger is likely to be Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Premier Tech), who has already shown on several occasions that this kind of uphill sprint suits him. Last year, he was one of the most active riders well before the finish, only to see his race undone by a crash in the run-in to the Waregemstraat. That incident also derailed much of his spring. Given a clean race, he has everything to compete for the win here.

A slightly more under-the-radar option is Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets). Combining this race with Milan Sanremo is not the easiest choice, but it underlines his ambitions. He thrives in hard races with demanding finishes, and this profile fits him well.

There are also a few riders who remain harder to place. Alberto Dainese (Soudal–Quick-Step) is one of them. His previous teams never fully managed to get the best out of him, but there is a feeling that Quick-Step could change that. His early season has been far from ideal, with illness in Australia and a crash in the UAE Tour, yet both setbacks are now some time behind him. If he has found his rhythm again, he has the power to be a factor in this type of finish.

The same sense of uncertainty surrounds Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates–XRG), albeit for different reasons. He has already shown his class in the classics at a very young age, with standout results in races like GP Le Samyn and the Tour of Flanders. Illness interrupted his progress last year, but he still managed to impress later in the spring. This season has followed a similar pattern, though his recent performance in Laigueglia suggests he is getting back to his best. His punch over short efforts makes him particularly dangerous on a finish like this.

Among the more interesting profiles for this race is Pau Miquel (Bahrain Victorious). He has repeatedly proven that uphill sprints suit him, and this finish looks almost tailor-made. His role earlier this spring was more in support, but this is a race where he can aim for his own result.

A late addition to the start list, Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl–Trek) is one to watch closely. His results so far do not reflect his actual condition, after struggling with the cold at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and crashing out of Strade Bianche. Internally, however, there are strong indications that he is going well. He is expected to be the protected rider here, ahead of Tim Torn Teutenberg, for whom this finish may still be a step too far. Jakob Söderqvist could play a supporting role for Lidl-Trek, although he also has the engine to anticipate moves before the final.

Further down the list, there are several riders who could benefit from a hard race. Hugo Hofstetter (NSN Cycling Team) has a proven record on this type of terrain, while Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) appears to have recovered well from illness and could be competitive again.

Young talent will also be on display, with Steffen de Schuyteneer (Lotto–Intermarché) targeting this race specifically. Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5-Pinarello), second here last year, knows exactly what it takes on this finish, while Tom Crabbe (Team Flanders–Baloise) has already surprised this season and now gets a chance to test himself at a higher level.

Beyond the main contenders, riders like Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ United), Hugo Page (Cofidis), Frits Biesterbos (Picnic PostNL), Aaron Gate (XDS Astana Team), Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets), Matyáš Kopecký (Unibet Rose Rockets), Ben Oliver (Modern Adventure), Milan Menten (Cofidis) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) add further depth to the field.

Much will also depend on how the race is approached. With riders such as Vermeersch, Söderqvist, Alec Segaert (Lotto–Intermarché), Alexys Brunel (TotalEnergies), Storm Ingebrigtsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Cedric Beullens (Lotto–Intermarché) likely to force the pace well before the final, the scenario of a straightforward sprint is far from guaranteed.