Le Samyn - Mathieu van der Poel won it in 2025; Wout van Aert might race it in 2026

Wout van Aert has suffered an ankle fracture on the 2nd of January but has been steadily recovering and gaining form through a higher training load and now also an altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider is set to start his season at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, but he might add another Belgian classic to his schedule before travelling to Italy before Strade Bianche.

This could be Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, which he has won in the past; or it could be Le Samyn, the race used by Mathieu van der Poel last sprint to make his season debut, and also take his first win in a more low-pressure environment with a more modest field. Visma have not been present in the Belgian race over the past few years, but they will in the space of three weeks.

"We want to ride that race primarily for our young riders. Think of guys like Niklas Behrens and Per Strand Hagenes. I've never ridden the race myself, but I think it's a great race," team DS Grischa Niermann said to Wielerflits. "But we still have to decide". Van Aert could use this race to further prepare his spring campaign, with an extra day of racing that is usually decided on an slight uphill sprint - a perfect setup for him - but most importantly perhaps, to give him better chances of taking a win into his big goals.

The decision on whether Van Aert is going to be present or not will be made in the following weeks, but what we know is that after Mathieu van der Poel, the Belgian 1.1 race may feature a superstar on its startlist for a second year in a row. "For now, as far as Wout is concerned, only the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is set. After that, we'll decide whether to add another race before Strade Bianche. And whether that will be Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne or Le Samyn."