Omloop Nieuwsblad 2026 preview - Can Van der Poel be challenged in Classics opener?

The race marks the first cobbled Classic of the season, and forms the first part of Opening Weekend, with Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne taking place the following day.  

Recent years saw Visma | Lease a Bike gain a stranglehold on the race, with solo wins for Wout van Aert and Dylan van Baarle in 2022 and 2023, before Jan Tratnik outsprinted Nils Politt in 2024. Last year’s finish looked like it was set to welcome another solo winner in the shape of Stefan Küng, but the Swiss rider was swept up by a rampant peloton just before the flamme rouge.

In the end, Søren Wærenskjold sprinted to a somewhat surprising victory, just ahead of Paul Magnier with Jasper Philipsen in third. It marked the first WorldTour victory of the Norwegian rider’s career, and the first WorldTour victory of the 2025 season for Uno-X Mobility, in the year that the team would seal promotion to cycling’s premier division.

There are set to be four former winners on the start list. 

• Jasper Stuyven - 2020
• Davide Ballerini - 2021
• Dylan van Baarle - 2023
• Søren Wærenskjold - 2025

Key information: 

• Date - Saturday, February 28
• Distance - 207.6km
• Start Location - Gent
• Finish Location - Ninove
• Start time (CET) - 11:05
• Expected finish (CET) - 15:52 

There have been some changes to the route for the 2026 edition, which, on paper, looks to have increased the difficulty of the finale to Ninove. In total, there are twelve categorised climbs and eight cobblestoned sectors across the route.

The race has increased in distance to 207.6km, 10km more than the 2025 distance. Beginning in the ‘t Kuipke velodrome in Gent, the riders will reach the first cobbled sector, Paddestraat, after 41.8km of racing. 

There is an early double combination of the Leberg and Eikenberg, with the former also featuring a third time later in the race. At this stage of the race, the tension will begin to gradually boil as the pressure and fight for position increase. 

One of the most crucial sections of the race begins with around 60km to go, with the rapid fire succession of the Eikenberg climb, Holleweg cobblestone sector, and Wolvenberg hill, all within the space of five kilometres. 

Two more cobblestone sectors at Jagerij and Kerkgate follow with little over 50km to go, before the intensity of the route continues to escalate. 

Inside the final 50km, the race initially follows a familiar rhythm with the cobbled Molenberg climb, followed by the second stretch through Haaghoek and Leberg, then the Berendries.

From there, the course takes a different turn. Tenbosse and Parikeberg have been added, replacing the Elverenberg-Vossenhol that featured in recent editions.

The Tenbosse climb is short and punchy, while Parikeberg stands out as the key addition with its steep, explosive gradients inviting attacks when the race is already on the edge, and fatigue is setting in for the riders. 

After Parikeberg, Omloop returns to its classic closing sequence with the Kapelmuur-Bosberg combination. The Bosberg comes 11.8km from the finish, before a flat run-in to the finish on Elisabethlaan in Ninove.

Søren Wærenskjold returns as defending champion (Uno-X Mobility). The 25-year-old won’t be the favourite for victory, but that doesn’t matter, as he wasn’t twelve months ago either, and managed to get the win. Wærenskjold started his 2026 with good signs at the Vuelta a Andalucia, finishing second and fourth on stages. 

The outright favourite for victory will be Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who is set to make his debut at the race. Fresh off winning a record-breaking eighth elite men’s cyclocross world title, Van der Poel will be looking to make a winning start to his 2026 road season, something which he was able to do when he won the Ename Samyn Classic last season.

The more difficult finale will only suit Van der Poel further, and much of the race’s dynamics will revolve around the Dutchman and what he does. It will be some task to beat him, even though this is his first road race of the season.

Van der Poel will also be able to use the fact that the Belgian team have Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) at their disposal if things come down to a sprint. Philipsen kicked off his 2026 season in Portugal at the Volta ao Algarve, and although he didn’t get off to a rampant start, he has admitted that plenty of his attention this season will be placed on the Classics and thus will be one to watch.

The man who won both sprints in Portugal at the Volta ao Algarve and is one of the most in-form sprinters in the world is Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step). As previously mentioned, the 21-year-old Frenchman narrowly missed out on victory in 2025, finishing second, and will have the hunger to go one step further. 

With two victories under his belt already this campaign, Magnier is proving that last season’s winning streak of 14 victories in 18 race days isn’t a fluke, and he is rapidly rising up the ranks and becoming one of the most prolific riders in the peloton. 

Magnier will also have a strong squad to support him, including Classics specialists Yves Lampaert (Soudal Quick-Step) and 2023 winner Dylan van Baarle (Soudal Quick-Step), both of whom were present alongside the Frenchman in Portugal.

Another of the major storylines ahead of the race would have been the return of 2022 winner Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike). The Belgian fractured his ankle at the Zilvermeercross in Mol in early January, racing against Van der Poel, and consequently found himself in a race against the clock to be ready in time for Opening Weekend. Unfortunately, illness has forced Van Aert to withdraw from the season opener.

The good news for Visma | Lease a Bike is that they still have some strong cards to play. Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) finished 69th in 2025, before going on to enjoy a significantly successful season as a neo-pro with 12 victories. The 20-year-old British rider is already up and running for 2026 with a stage win at the Santos Tour Down Under. Brennan will be one of the favourites if he is present in the finale and a sprint finish is on the horizon. 

Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) also made a strong start to 2026 after a long-term absence in 2025. The Frenchman won a stage at the Vuelta a Andalucia, but did crash out on the final stage, and it also remains to be seen what impact this has had on his shape. If he is ready and raring to go, he could be another rider to animate the race alongside Van Aert.

Two more riders who could animate the race are Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Both have started 2026 on the front foot. Wellens soloed to victory on gravel roads at the Clásica Jaén, with Pidcock finishing second on the day behind the Belgian champion. Wellens has only missed one edition of Omloop since making his debut in 2018, and his best result was fifth place in 2019.

Meanwhile, Pidcock’s last race day was the final stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia, which he won solo, propelling himself up to third in the GC. Omloop has also become a regular fixture for Pidcock, with the British rider starting the last five editions, with a third-place finish in 2023 being his best result.

Other riders to watch in the event of a sprint finish include Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché), Biniam Girmay (NSN), Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets), Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers).