GP Jean-Pierre Monseré 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - Can Tim Merlier win his returning bunch sprint?
CyclingSaturday, 21 March 2026 at 19:04
The Belgian semi-classic will be held on the 22nd of March and is a day for the sprinters to perform. The GP Jean-Pierre Monseré is held in tribute to one of Belgium's greatest, and we take a look at its profile. The race is expected to start and finish at 11:35 and 15:50CET.
The first edition of the race was back in 2012, won by Frédéric Amorison. It is a race that has given freedom to classics specialists in the past and has changed categories over time, but most recently it were the sprinters to leave their mark.
Fabio Jakobsen, Tim Merlier, Arnaud de Lie and Gerben Thijssen left their mark; whilst in 2024 it was Jarne van de Paar taking a surprise win and in 2025 the breakaway held back the peloton and crowned Frenchman Alexys Brunel the winner.
Profile: Ichtegem - Roeselare
Ichtegem - Roeselare, 202.5 kilometers
The Belgian semi-classic is suited to the sprinters and a bunch sprint is always very hard to prevent. 202 kilometers on the menu and four laps of a long circuit which includes two cobbled sectors, one being the Lookhuisstrrat and the other being the Gitsberg. However, neither is long or steep enough to create real differences.
The narrow roads and potentially strong winds can always cause some chaos, but it is a race designed for the fast men.
Prediction GP Jean-Pierre Monseré 2026:
*** Dylan Groenewegen, Milan Fretin
** Tim Merlier, Matteo Moschetti
* Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Oded Kogut, Jason Tesson, Pascal Ackermann, Milan Menten, Gerben Thijssen, Timothy Dupont, David Dekker, Iuri Leitão
** Tim Merlier, Matteo Moschetti
* Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Oded Kogut, Jason Tesson, Pascal Ackermann, Milan Menten, Gerben Thijssen, Timothy Dupont, David Dekker, Iuri Leitão
Pick: Dylan Groenewegen
How: Regular bunch sprint
Original: Rúben Silva
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- Well done Wout , you are proper Rock n RollJezla21-03-2026
- I don't recall that. At 13:50 on the 20th of March 2026, Mou-Cro-HR is listed to have commented "I just don't know... I still don't see Pogi winning MS this year. UAE didn't have a single recon with the full team for SanRemo? Vermeersch and Pogi have been training alone for a week and Christen doesn't even know where the f*** Cipressa is. Does that sound like someone who wants to win a race so badly? When Christen and McNulty get lost a few km before the Cipressa, because they don't know where it is, who's fault will it be, Pogi's, UAE or Mou's?" So the answer is no.
Rafionain-Glas21-03-2026 - Red Bull have a crazy team. I think both Remco and Florian will be stronger after altitude (neither performed in the mountains before, but while Evenepoel had more success with 7 wins as opposed to Lipowitz's 1, that was down to his engine, not his climbing skills). Dani was great in Paris-Nice, and looks to be on his way to his 2024 form. Jai didn't go for GC at Tirreno-Adriatico but as a pure climber it's not what suits him, but he (unlike a teammate of his) worked and was visible so it wasn't a bad performance. He was similarly rubbish at Vuelta a Burgos but finished 4th at La Vuelta. Whether that group can take the challenge to Vingegaard is the questionRafionain-Glas21-03-2026
- Philosophers are often so caught up in the philosophical philosophy of philosophy that they don't think with common sense. MrMauMau posted a very long comment on Dylan Groenewegen's promotion to the podium in Clasíca de Almería but failed to realise that the image was distorted because otherwise riders closer to the camera would appear larger and more in front. A person can be both a philosopher and a "BS'er" though the latter is not as of yet defined in the Oxford Dictionary.Rafionain-Glas21-03-2026
- You are taking away from the huge significance Tadej's victory by saying he was crippled by the crash. It was a hugely impressive performance, but the impacts of the crash were the energy loss from having to come back. I've stated this before but I will do so again - putting too much emphasis on the impacts of minor and superficial injuries actually takes away from the achievement. You are saying that the achievement wouldn't be as great without the crash. Now that sounds obvious but if you were to imagine saying that it was extra impressive because of being 'battered and bruised' to Pogačar himself he'd most likely say that that aspect was minimal. I don't like comparing different eras but a comparison between Tadej and Merckx is only possible once Pogačar retires. Often we underestimate what the pros do, and how fine the balance is. No matter what Pogačar has done up to now, he could have a career ending training crash tomorrow and that'd be it. He'd not be discussed as the GOAT then and that's why such discussions only work after he retires.Rafionain-Glas21-03-2026
- Even a two time winner can’t control the race!! That’s what makes this the best monument of them all. It was beautiful to watch. Kudos to Tadej in showing resilience and determination to win.PogiFan2Day21-03-2026
- Yep Rez I thought Pidcock was going to get Pog in the sprint. Pog shut him off and a wee exceleration (lol is that the correct use of that word?) and Pidcock having to come the long way round and was beatenCyclingsbestfan21-03-2026
- Agreed but that was Pidcock's error - not to switch out sooner. It's clear he was closing down Pogacar rapidly in the final meters.Renz21-03-2026
- Now that made me laugh lol. The guy with 6080 likes dropping a bomb on my website. You don't have to be here you know.awp21-03-2026
- The fool Mistermaumau can argue with that. He thinks he's a philosopher... but he's only a BS'er.Mou-Cro-HR21-03-2026
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