GP Jean-Pierre Monseré 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - Can Tim Merlier win his returning bunch sprint?
Cycling
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.
Read also
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

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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