GP de Wallonie 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - UAE look to win star-studden field on cobbled Namur climb
CyclingTuesday, 15 September 2026 at 13:52
On the 16th of September, the peloton will take on the GP de Wallonie. Taking place in Belgium, the race features the iconic finale up the cobbled Citadelle de Namur, which every year provides a thrilling finale close before the World Championships. We preview the race ahead, looking at its profile and favourites.
The race was first held in 1935, won by Gustaaf de Greef, only a few years before the start of World War II which would bring the race to a half for two years. After an inconsistent period, the race was not held from 1951 to 1970. Upon its comeback, the race - being held on holy cycling land - quickly gained a strong reputation.
Not only were many of Belgium's greatest winning and fighting for the victory - Eddy Merckx for example has raced, but never won it - but also names hailing from elsewhere. Stephen Roche, Marc Madiot and Luc Leblanc were only some of the names, whilst notable Axel Merckx and Patrick Evenepoel feature amongst the winners' list - something which their close and more widely known relatives have not managed to do until this day.
The punchy finale in Namur which became the traditional finish line of the race has always favoured puncheurs, or the sprinters who can climb in recent decades. Philippe Gilbert, Greg van Avermaert and Tim Wellens are amongst the winners. Both late attacks and sprints can equally succeed on the cobbled ascent, making it a winner's list with a lot of variety.
In 2022 Mathieu van der Poel took the win over Biniam Girmay, after the Eritrean had similarly defeated him at the Giro d'Italia - perhaps the modern GP de Wallonie's most iconic finale. Since, Spanish duo Gonzalo Serrano and Roger Adrià won; whilst Arnaud de Lie was crowned victor in 2025.
Mathieu van der Poel is a former winner of the GP de Wallonie
Preview GP de Wallonie 2026
The startlist is absolutely stacked, above many World Tour races that rival it. It is a classic fit for the puncheurs and classics specialists, whilst some sprinters may survive it as well. Some sprinters are present even though their chances of succeeding are very low, such as Soren Waerenskjold, Max Kanter and Milan Fretin.
Others, such as Biniam Girmay, Mike Teunissen, Danny van Poppel, or of course the defending champion Arnaud de Lie might be amongst those who can climb and then still sprint. The latter, continuously ill, might not be in his best form however.
Then we've got teams with serious depth, such as UAE with Benoît Cosnefroy, Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, António Morgado and Rui Oliveira. A team who might blow up the race fully on the longer climbs, has every reason and also the men to make the finale as hard as possible for Cosnefroy - whilst others might win from an attack.
Red Bull have a lot of depth with van Poppel for a softer sprint, Laurence Pithie for a harder sprint and Tim van Dijke to help both or be part of attacks. Pure puncheur wise the likes of Romain Grégoire, Jenno Berckmoes and Paul Lapeira are all very explosive and carrying good form into the race, whilst Riley Sheehan is as well and may carry the extra motivation from not having been selected to the World Championships and wanting to prove a point.
Even less explosive classics specialists such as Jonas Abrahamsen or Dylan Teuns can make the difference here, whilst the list of contenders extends on and on. Tibor del Grosso, Clément Venturini, Matteo Trentin, Fabio Christen, Roger Adrià, Natnael Tesfatsion... All riders who can realistically finish on the podium.
Prediction GP de Wallonie 2026:
*** Romain Grégoire, Benoît Cosnefroy, Laurence Pithie
** Biniam Girmay, Jenno Berckmoes, Riley Sheehan, Tim Wellens, Paul Lapeira
* Tibor del Grosso, Clément Venturini, Matteo Trentin, Jonas Abrahamsen, Mike Teunissen, Tim van Dijke, Danny van Poppel, Fabio Christen, Arnaud de Lie, Florian Vermeersch, Dylan Teuns, Roger Adrià, Natnael Tesfatsion
Pick: Benoît Cosnefroy
How: Reduced group sprint.
Profile GP de Wallonie: Seraing - Citadelle de Namur
Seraing - Citadelle de Namur, 195.5 kilometers
With 195 kilometers in length and 2500 climbing meters, the profile is notably more similar to the Ardennes classics than the Flandrien, taking place over the same region. Yet, the race has features from both traditions.
The steep climbs will be noted, mostly with 80 and 64 kilometers to go, as the peloton will tackle two different ascents with around 1.5 kilometers in length, and 10% average gradient.
The run-up to the finish is not as difficult, but is not easy by ay means. The Tienne aux Pierres climb with 11 kilometers to go is 3 kilometers long at 4.9%, warming things up for the final ascent.
The fight for positioning into the ascent to the Citadelle de Namur is often ferocious, prolonging the duration of the effort. The climb in itself, cobbled almost all the way to the line, is 3.1 kilometers long at 4.2%. Ideal for those who thrive on the shorter climbing efforts, whilst explosivity is always key for the race's decision.
List of winners GP de Wallonie
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2025 | Arnaud De Lie | Émilien Jeannière | Biniam Girmay |
| 2024 | Roger Adrià | Alex Aranburu | Clément Champoussin |
| 2023 | Gonzalo Serrano | Dylan Teuns | Jasper De Buyst |
| 2022 | Mathieu van der Poel | Biniam Girmay | Gonzalo Serrano |
| 2021 | Christophe Laporte | Warren Barguil | Tosh Van der Sande |
| 2020 | Not held | — | — |
| 2019 | Krists Neilands | Jasper Stuyven | Jasper De Buyst |
| 2018 | Jasper Stuyven | Dimitri Claeys | Warren Barguil |
| 2017 | Tim Wellens | Tony Gallopin | Julien Simon |
| 2016 | Tony Gallopin | Petr Vakoč | Jérôme Baugnies |
| 2015 | Jens Debusschere | Jan Bakelants | Christophe Laporte |
| 2014 | Greg Van Avermaet | Tony Gallopin | Jan Bakelants |
| 2013 | Jan Bakelants | Thomas Voeckler | Mathias Frank |
| 2012 | Julien Simon | Greg Van Avermaet | Björn Leukemans |
| 2011 | Philippe Gilbert | Julien Simon | Björn Leukemans |
| 2010 | Paul Martens | Riccardo Riccò | Cadel Evans |
| 2009 | Nick Nuyens | Allan Davis | Roy Sentjens |
| 2008 | Stefano Garzelli | Giovanni Visconti | Jérôme Pineau |
| 2007 | Bert De Waele | Cédric Vasseur | Thor Hushovd |
| 2006 | Philippe Gilbert | Nick Nuyens | William Bonnet |
| 2005 | Nick Nuyens | Björn Leukemans | Igor Abakoumov |
| 2004 | Nick Nuyens | Philippe Gilbert | Jérôme Pineau |
| 2003 | Dave Bruylandts | Marek Rutkiewicz | Mickaël Pichon |
| 2002 | Dave Bruylandts | Lennie Kristensen | Nicolas Fritsch |
| 2001 | Axel Merckx | Tom Stremersch | Scott Sunderland |
| 2000 | Alberto Elli | Didier Rous | Kurt Van De Wouwer |
| 1999 | Patrick Jonker | Léon van Bon | Koos Moerenhout |
| 1998 | Udo Bölts | Rik Verbrugghe | Stéphane Heulot |
| 1997 | Dimitri Konyshev | Laurent Madouas | Davide Casarotto |
| 1996 | Franco Ballerini | Bo Hamburger | Frank Corvers |
| 1995 | Andrea Chiurato | Maarten den Bakker | Fausto Dotti |
| 1994 | Peter Farazijn | Udo Bölts | Jan Nevens |
| 1993 | Patrick Evenepoel | Raymond Meijs | Mario De Clercq |
| 1992 | Danny Nelissen | Marc Bouillon | Sammie Moreels |
| 1991 | Frank Van Den Abeele | Johan Bruyneel | Sammie Moreels |
| 1990 | Luc Leblanc | Michel Dernies | Johan Bruyneel |
| 1989 | Thomas Wegmüller | Robert Millar | Jos van Aert |
| 1988 | Claude Criquielion | Laurent Fignon* | Charly Mottet |
| 1987 | Pascal Poisson | Jan Nevens | No 3rd place |
| 1986 | Steven Rooks | Michel Dernies | Patrick Versluys |
| 1985 | Marc Madiot | Joop Zoetemelk | Claude Criquielion |
| 1984 | Frank Hoste | Claude Criquielion | Paul Sherwen |
| 1983 | Stephen Roche | Eric Vanderaerden | Phil Anderson |
| 1982 | Hennie Kuiper | Gerard Veldscholten | Jos Jacobs |
| 1981 | Walter Dalgal | Charly Jochums | Patrick Versluys |
| 1980 | Willy De Geest | Jacques Martin | Claude Criquielion |
| 1979 | Leo van Vliet | Jean-René Bernaudeau | Fedor den Hertog |
| 1978 | Willem Peeters | Albert Van Vlierberghe | Jacques Martin |
| 1977 | Walter Planckaert | Marc Demeyer | Willem Peeters |
| 1976 | Herman Van Springel | Freddy Maertens | Frans Verbeeck |
| 1975 | André Dierickx | Eddy Merckx | Ferdinand Bracke |
| 1974 | Frans Verbeeck | Freddy Maertens | Roger De Vlaeminck |
| 1973 | Albert Van Vlierberghe | Gérard Besnard | Walter Godefroot |
| 1972 | Emile Cambré | Jos van der Vleuten | Georges Barras |
| 1971 | Felice Gimondi | Walter Godefroot | Georges Pintens |
| 1970 | Ferdinand Bracke | Eddy Beugels | Georges Pintens |
| 1969 | Not held | — | — |
| 1968 | Not held | — | — |
| 1967 | Not held | — | — |
| 1966 | Not held | — | — |
| 1965 | Not held | — | — |
| 1964 | Not held | — | — |
| 1963 | Not held | — | — |
| 1962 | Not held | — | — |
| 1961 | Not held | — | — |
| 1960 | Not held | — | — |
| 1959 | Not held | — | — |
| 1958 | Not held | — | — |
| 1957 | Not held | — | — |
| 1956 | Not held | — | — |
| 1955 | Not held | — | — |
| 1954 | Not held | — | — |
| 1953 | Not held | — | — |
| 1952 | Not held | — | — |
| 1951 | Not held | — | — |
| 1950 | Joseph Veraert | Nello Sforacchi | Eduard Van Ende |
| 1949 | Jacques Geus | René Walschot | Jan Van Steen |
| 1948 | Not held | — | — |
| 1947 | Not held | — | — |
| 1946 | Not held | — | — |
| 1945 | Not held | — | — |
| 1944 | Joseph Somers | Eugeen Jacobs | Lode Poels |
| 1943 | Edward Van Dijck | Richard Depoorter | Albert Ritserveldt |
| 1942 | Maurice Van Herzele | Emiel Faignaert | Joseph Moerenhout |
| 1941 | Not held | — | — |
| 1940 | Not held | — | — |
| 1939 | Adolf Braeckeveldt | Adelin Van Simaeys | Georges Christiaens |
| 1938 | Adolf Braeckeveldt | Frans Demondt | Leopold Van den Bossche |
| 1937 | Karel Tersago | René Pedroli | Pierre Houbrechts |
| 1936 | Adolf Braeckeveldt | Antonio Fabris | Constant Struyven |
| 1935 | Gustaaf Degreef | Joseph Vanderhaegen | Gerard Leopold |
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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