Preview Omloop het Nieuwsblad 2026 - Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert battle on the Muur de Geraardsbergen

The riders take on the first cobbled classic of the season. For many, the 'start of the season', as the peloton arrives to Belgium to ride the Omloop het Nieuwsblad on the 28th of February. With just over a month left to the cobbled monuments, this will be the first true challenge of the spring for many. We preview the race, which is expected to start and finish at 11:15 and 15:50CET.

The race formerly known as Het Volk used to be an absolute benchmark in the spring classics; and although it's lost some of its importance in comparison with races such as Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders; it remains the first of the cobbled classics on the calendar; and kicks off the World Tour in Europe.

The race was first held in 1945 where Jean Bogaerts took the win. Roger de Vlaeminck, Eddy Merckx, Eddy Planckaerts, Jan Raas, Tom Steels, Peter van Petegem, Johan Buseeys, Frank Vandenbroucke... The list of presitigious winners goes on for days, and this is truly a race that only top riders can contest nowadays. It is a race for the pure specialists but also riders who can survive them and sprint well; which creates an interesting list of winners.

In recent decades we've also had Philippe Gilbert, Filippo Pozzatto, Thor Hushovd, Greg van van Avermaert and Wout van Aert amongst its winners. Whilst in 2023 and 2024 Visma took attacking wins with Dylan van Baarle and Jan Tratnik; 2025 saw a surprise with Soren Waerenskjold winning the race from a small bunch sprint.

208 kilometers on the menu for the first big cobbled classic of the season. Although not as big as the April challenges it's a big day on the bike, with a warm-up for the monuments. The first half of the day should be relatively calm with only a couple of sectors and bergs, but this will change shortly after.

From 58 to 34Km to go we find the second set of sectors, where attacks are expected, anticipating the run-up to Geraardsbergen. Here is where team depth will kick in, with many teams looking to put pressure over the rivals and distance themselves from the responsibility of working. Here there will be four cobbled sectors, four bergs and one sector which is both cobbled and uphill, all in quick succession. This year, the organizers have added the Tenbosse (500m, 6%, 26Km to go) and Parkeberg (800m, 5%, 23Km to go) before the Muur, making it harder and hence more difficult to put on an organized chase. This favours early attackers.

The final decisive sections come with the Muur de Geraardsbergen, summiting with 15.5 kilometers to go, needs no introduction, will be a place where any group ahead of the peloton will loose time as the leadout to the cobbles is always furious. The climb is 1.1 kilometers long at 7.3% but maxes out at almost 20% near the summit, with narrow roads that also make it more difficult.

Over the top gaps can be created, the Bosberg (900m, 6.3%, 10% maximum gradient) will follow quickly after with 11.5 kilometers to go, it’s also hard but to create gaps is much more complicated, unless if it’s a sprint over the top.

Things consolidate between the two sectors and the riders within a chance of winning are usually very evenly matched, and separated in the steep gradients. From there on it’s a fast, slight downhill approach to Ninove where the riders will finish the race in familiar roads. The same technical finale of previous year won't be present, but it will nonetheless be a flat finish just outside the city center.

Slight chances of rain, it shouldn't be anything dramatic but it is certainly possible that some water will fall and thus make the race more treacherous. However what is notable is the direction of the wind, coming from the southwest, not with a lot of force but making for a direct tailwind after the Bosberg. This is going to be the case almost all the way to the line, which may significantly aid any attacks.

Mathieu van der Poel - A late addition to the race but not an unexpected one. The Dutchman is simply having a nearly flawless run of health now for three years and he can essentially do what he pleases calendar wise. When it comes to someone like him or Tadej Pogacar it is not a matter of will he have the form, but rather where he will attack. The Dutchman is going to be the main favourite for this race, but that is not a major problem for those expecting spectacle.

Because it is a race where it is not easy to create the difference, he has to make it on the climbs but of course, we have an incredibly strong field and a route where the main favourites are unlikely to show themselves too much before Geraardsbergen. Alpecin also have Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves, so van der Poel might actually attack like crazy because he has nothing to lose and the team can play for a sprint.

Visma - Visma cannot be looked at as 'the team' who can rival Alpecin here, but name wise they will ultimately be in that position surely. But in all honesty, they show up almost just as strong. Matthew Brennan can sprint with the likes of Philipsen and Groves; whilst Christophe Laporte looked in good form at Andalucia and can both attack, sprint or be a leadout depending on the race scenario that plays out. I don't expect Wout van Aert to have great form, and we could see him attack from early too. He too, like Laporte, can attack or be a leadout for Brennan; or if necessary sprint for himself.

The race can become difficult for those who want to attack because of the sprint interests here. Let's not kid ourselves, with the exception of Pogacar and the injured Mads Pedersen, nearly every big figure is here. You'd imagine a Soudal - Quick-Step wanting to control the finale for Paul Magnier and having Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven to do the job; or INEOS' Ben Turner having the likes of Magnus Sheffield and Sam Watson reel it back in... Defending champions Uno-X want it for Soren Waerenskjold and also have Jonas Abrahamsen and Rasmus Tiller; NSN want it for Biniam Girmay; Decathlon want it for Tobias Lund Andresen; and of course Arnaud de Lie is the man who thrives in these exact climbs whilst packing a strong sprint... All of them are realistic winners in any scenario.

But in addition to them, the likes of Luke Lamperti, Jon Barrenetxea, Jordi Meeus, Anthony Turgis, Lukas Kubis... Whilst Tudor's team is incredibly strong with Luca Mozzato, Marco Haller, Rick Pluimers, Matteo Trentin and Stefan Küng all as cards to play.

When it comes to the teams that want to attack we certainly don't have as many, but still we have several individual riders who should have their freedom and can do quite a lot, besides those that have been previously mentioned already. UAE of course have none other than Tim Wellens, one of the men in form currently, as a rider who can certainly make the difference on the climbs; whilst the team also has Florian Vermeersch and Nils Politt. Then Tom Pidcock, who I'd argue doesn't fit well in this race, but has such great form that he may actually be able to outclimb the rest of the field...

Matej Mohoric, Kasper Asgreen, Valentin Madouas, Bastien Tronchon, Mathias Vacek, Toms Skujins, Roger Adrià, Gianni Vermeersch, Dries de Bondt and a whole array of Astana riders (Davide Ballerini, Alberto Bettiol, Arjen Livyns and Aaron Gate) are all potential cards to be played in that finale. So much quality that you can see why it may be difficult to destroy the peloton for anyone.

*** Mathieu van der Poel, Matthew Brennan, Paul Magnier
** Ben Turner, Tobias Lund Andresen, Arnaud de Lie
* Kaden Groves, Jasper Philipsen, Christophe Laporte, Wout van Aert, Dylan van Baarle, Biniam Girmay, Soren Waerenskjold, Anthony Turgis, Lukas Kubis, Tim Wellens, Tom Pidcock, Florian Vermeersch, Mathias Vacek

Pick: Paul Magnier

How: Small peloton sprint.