Tour of Flanders 2026 preview - A Monumental showdown for the ages?

The Tour of Flanders is already a special race, but the 2026 edition promises to be truly unforgettable. It will mark only the third time that Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Remco Evenepoel face off in a one day race, following their previous clashes at the UCI Road World Championships of 2021 (Leuven) and 2023 (Glasgow). 

A perfect reason to stay glued to your screen all day or enjoy the action live in a party-like Flanders with an unbelievable atmosphere.

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

• Alberto Bettiol - 2019
• Mathieu van der Poel - 2020, 2022, 2024
• Kasper Asgreen - 2021
• Tadej Pogačar - 2023, 2025

Twelve months ago, Tadej Pogačar struck the decisive blow on the slopes of the Oude Kwaremont, just as he had done in 2023, and soloed to victory in Oudenaarde. 

Meanwhile, Mads Pedersen sprinted to 2nd from a four-man group after being led out by teammate Jasper Stuyven, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert taking 3rd and 4th, respectively. 

Key information: 

• Date -  Sunday, April 5
• Distance - 278.2km
• Start Location - Antwerp
• Finish Location - Oudenaarde
• Start time (CET) - 10:20
• Expected finish (CET) - 16:31

Follow all the action via our live report!

The race is 278.2 km in length and kicks off in Antwerp, with the first 140 km of the parcours being flat. However, the final 140 km are filled with hills and bergs.

The first climb comes with 140 km to go: the Oude Kwaremont (2.1 km at 4.3%). After this, the hills follow each other in quick succession, and the riders no longer get a moment of rest. Up next, we get the Eikenberg (1.2 km at 5.1%), the hill where Van Aert went solo in Dwars door Vlaanderen, bridging across to Larsen, Grégoire, and Gachignard.

Next are the Wolvenberg (0.6 km at 5.5%) and the Molenberg (0.4 km at 6.9%), which is known for being a crucial point in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The Marlboroughstraat (1.9 km at 3%), the Berendries (0.9 km at 7.2%), the Valkenberg (0.5 km at 7.5%), Berg ten Houte (1.1 km at 5.2%), and the Nieuwe Kruisberg (2.6 km at 4.2%), where Van Aert was dropped in the final in 2023, follow.

In this part of the race, the race winning move is unlikely to be made, but it does put a huge amount of fatigue into the riders’ legs. This is also a good opportunity to anticipate; in the past, certain riders have been able to get very far that way.

At this point in the race, the peloton will likely already be heavily reduced. However, the final has not even begun yet. Up next is the Oude Kwaremont again, with 60 km to go, where things really kick off. Last year, only Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pedersen, and Jorgenson could follow Pogačar here. Then comes the Paterberg (0.4 km at 8.4%), peaking at almost 20%. At the foot of the climb, everything came back together last year. However, on this climb, the same five riders rode away again, with Stuyven joining them.

Next is the Koppenberg (0.6 km at 8.7%), peaking at over 20%. With the fatigue already in the riders’ legs at this point, these are gruesome efforts. After this, the Taaienberg (0.6 km at 6.7%) follows, not exactly an easy hill either. This is quickly followed by the Oude Kruisberg.

After that, the riders tackle the Oude Kwaremont–Paterberg duo one last time. In the most recent editions, this is where the race-winning move has been made. After the Paterberg, 12 km of flat roads follow, which often feel endless for the riders as they are completely empty at this point. However, due to the race being so selective, it rarely happens that a rider is caught after the Paterberg.

Despite one of the strongest start lists in modern times, there is one man who stands out as the rider to beat, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

The World Champion has won the Ronde in 2023 and 2025, riding away from the competition on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont on both occasions. It’s a climb that suits him down to the ground, and a moment where he can make a race-winning difference. 

The brutality of the Ronde with all the cobbles and hills means that Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates have the terrain to make the race as difficult as possible beforehand, which increases the Slovenian's odds of success.

With teammates such as Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who has been one of the standout riders on the cobbles this season and could lead a big team in his own right, Pogačar will be well supported in his bid for more success on Flemish soil.

Such is Pogačar’s confidence in his ability that he opted against making an earlier appearance on the cobbles in preparation for his tilt at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. 

What we do know is that Pogačar remains the same winning machine we have become accustomed to in this current era of the sport. Two starts, at Strade Bianche and Milan-Sanremo, and two victories. A perfect start to the season, extending his winning streak to six races dating back to his World Championship victory in Rwanda last September.

The nature of Pogačar’s victory at Sanremo served as a sharp reminder of just how difficult it is to stop him when his eyes are set on glory. It would take a nigh-on flawless performance to stop Pogačar, and even then, there’s no guarantee of victory, just ask Tom Pidcock…

Based on previous performances at the race, current form, and simply the fact that Pogačar is one of the greatest forces in sport, he is the man to beat on Sunday, and to stop him may take a career-best performance. 

The World Champion won’t have it all his own way, though, if Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) has anything to say about it.

Van der Poel’s record at the Tour of Flanders is remarkable. Since crashing but still securing 4th on a wild debut in 2019, Van der Poel has featured on the podium in six of his seven starts. 

With victories in 2020, 2022 and 2024, Van der Poel has the opportunity to stand alone in the record books as the greatest rider in the history of the race if he can win a fourth edition of the Ronde. 

After making a blistering start to the season by winning Omloop Nieuwsblad on debut and taking two impressive stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Dutchman looked well on track to be ready to try and make history in Flanders. 

However, Milan-Sanremo provided a setback when the Dutchman was involved in the same crash that involved Pogačar on the run-in to the Cipressa. Van der Poel was able to follow when the Slovenian split the race apart on the climb, but he was distanced from Pogačar and Pidcock on the Poggio, a rare moment of weakness. 

The aftermath revealed that the Dutchman had sustained a blow to his hand, and when he lined up for the E3 Saxo Classic just under a week later, there was an element of doubt as to how this would impact him. 

It turns out, not enough to stop Van der Poel from securing a third consecutive win with a 42.2km solo effort. Though victory, in his own words, cost the Dutchman “blood, sweat and tears” as he was almost caught by a strong chase group just under the flamme rouge. 

Over the final 90 minutes of the race, Van der Poel averaged a staggering 446 watts, the highest sustained output that the Dutchman had ever recorded over that length. 

Make no mistake about it, Van der Poel is in supreme shape, and to suggest otherwise would be risky. 

It’s just a question of whether that will be enough to match the levels of Pogačar, who also seems to continually raise the bar with each passing race, but with the record in his grasp, he will be in the hunt for glory.

Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) winning the Tour of Flanders would feel like Lionel Messi finally lifting the World Cup in 2022, or Rory McIlroy winning the Masters, something that has long felt destined, yet more elusive with each passing year.

Bad luck has plagued the Belgian over recent seasons, with injuries or illness causing him to miss Flanders in 2022 and 2024, for example. 

Van Aert has already suffered bad luck this year when he fractured his ankle in the cyclo-cross field in early January, but there is a clear grit and determination about him currently.

After a podium at Sanremo, Van Aert went clear with Van der Poel at Gent-Wevelgem, and although the duo were caught late, it was another positive step in the right direction.

Heartbreak followed this week at Dwars door Vlaanderen when he was caught and passed by Filippo Ganna around 100 metres from the finish, but that will only have fuelled his hunger further.

Christophe Laporte and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike) have been strong during this Classics campaign, with recent podium finishes at Gent-Wevelgem and E3, respectively. This gives Van Aert a strong foundation of support and options for Visma to try and play the numbers game earlier in the race. 

One of the biggest talking points is the long-awaited debut of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in Flanders. 

Though the news only broke on April 1, it had been in the works for a long time, as illustrated by a video posted to Evenepoel’s YouTube channel where he reconnoitred the course with Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in December. 

While we have no previous cobbled Classics to look at for guidance as to how Evenepoel will fare, the Olympic Champion wouldn’t be taking to the start in Antwerp if he didn’t think he could make a big impact on the race. 

In terms of how Evenepoel’s participation could impact the race dynamics, it’s likely that, along with UAE, Red Bull will be one of the key instigators in making the race difficult in the earlier stages, as a selective race could suit the Olympic Champion more than others.

With a lack of racing in the Flemish Classics, Evenepoel will lean on the support of his experienced teammates, and there aren't many better in the business to do so than Gianni Vermeersch. 

The experienced Vermeersch spent many years as a loyal lieutenant to Van der Poel before making the switch to Red Bull for 2026. He has enjoyed a strong Classics campaign so far, and alongside supporting Evenepoel, could be in the top 10 mix himself, just like he was in 2021, such is his current shape. Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has also impressed so far this Classics campaign.

Overall, Evenepoel's presence at the race can only add to the excitement of one of cycling's most prestigious races.

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is a warrior. In just under two months since fracturing his collarbone and wrist at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, Pedersen has returned to action and finished 4th in Sanremo, 9th at E3 and 10th at Dwars door Vlaanderen.

He has been impressively there or thereabouts in every race, despite his hindered preparations, though he has admitted that there is a “little spike missing.” The same spike that saw him finish runner-up behind Pogačar twelve months ago.

The attritional nature of Flanders has never seemingly fazed Pedersen previously, and considering the resilience that he has shown so far this season, the Dane is well equipped for one of the toughest days of the season.

Whether he will be able to find that spike that he needs to compete with the names previously mentioned in the finale remains to be seen, but he won't go down without a fight on Sunday.

Riders to watch for the top 10 include Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Kasper Asgreen and Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost), Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarché), Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Aimé De Gendt (Pinarello-Q36.5), Stan Dewulf and Oliver Naesen (Decathlon CMA CGM), Biniam Girmay (NSN), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United), Matej Mohorič and Alec Segaert (Bahrain-Victorious), Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step), Matteo Trentin (Tudor) and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies).

Riders lining up for the 2026 Ronde van Vlaanderen can expect a cool but manageable Sunday morning, with temperatures around 12°C as the peloton rolls out in Antwerp.

As the race intensifies through the afternoon, temperatures will rise to around 15°C by the time the iconic cobbled climbs come into play. Cloud cover will increase as the day progresses, and while a stray shower cannot be completely ruled out, the odds strongly favour dry roads across the Flemish Ardennes. The wind for the finale will be a tailwind for the most part.

All in all, solid racing conditions for a Monument.