Profile & Route Tour of Flanders 2026

The second monument of the season will take place on the 5th of April. That is the Tour of Flanders, the queen of the Flandrien classics and the one in which the riders go through the most big cobbled 'bergs' in the region. We take a look at its profile; with the race estimated to start and finish at 09:20 and 15:20CET.

The 'Ronde van Vlaanderen' was created in 1913 and won won by Paul Deman in its first edition. It is the greatest race in a region where cycling is king, marked by the cobbled climbs and traditional landscapes. Seven riders share a three-victory record, including top figures of multiple generations such as Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Mathieu van der Poel. But so many other top riders have won here...

Rik van Steenbergen, Rik van Looy, Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck, Jan Raas, Adrie van der Poel, Eddy Planckaerts, Michele Bartoli, Peter van Petegem, just to name a few... In the more modern cycling we've had Tom Boonen (2005, 2006 and 2012); Fabian Cancellara (2010, 2013 and 2014) and Mathieu van der Poel (2020, 2022 and 2024) win on three occasions... Between them legendary figures such as Stijn Devolder, Alexander Kristoff, Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Niki Terpstra, Alberto Bettiol, Kasper Asgreen... And the newest addition to the palmarès: Tadej Pogacar. In 2023 the Slovenian won with a solo attack over Mathieu van der Poel and in 2025 he did it once again in a race that featured a spectacular finale.

278..5 kilometers on the menu this year. The distance will make for a brutal race, the Tour of Flanders has always been a race for the riders who are capable of performing on a bike at top level for a large number of hours and this year that capacity will be put to the limit. The start in Antwerpen will then see just a bit over 135 kilometers that are mostly set to be calm, approximately half of the race. However in the second half everything changes, as the Oude Kwaremont will open things up with 136 kilometers to go.

From 130 to 80 kilometers to go there will be a long succession of bergs and cobbled sectors that will thin down the peloton. Usually, we will see tactical attacks by this point, lots as teams look to anticipate the main favourites of the race into the Kwaremont-Paterberg-Koppenberg combination where the race inevitably breaks up. In the peloton however, there will be a lot of flat roads and it will be early enough in the race that there will be some domestiques to keep the pace high.

The crucial section of the race starts with the second passage over the Oude Kwaremont. Kwaremont, Koppenberg and Paterberg come in quick succession and this trio of ascents will not only destroy the peloton, it will also provide opportunities to launch potentially decisive attacks. They come with 55.5, 51.5 and 45.5 kilometers to go. Not many riders will survive the peloton afterwards, and with a thinned down group decisive attacks can also come after as the chasing power will not be so meaningful.

The Koppenberg particularly is the most difficult climb in the race and one where the climbers can actually make an impact, as it is not an explosive effort. The 600 cobbled meters average 13% and max out at 21%, a gruesome anaerobic effort which has its hardest gradients close to the base.

Mariaborrestraat (40Km to go), Taaienberg (38.5Km to go) and Oude Kruisberg (26.5Km to go) follow afterwards and provide further launching pads for dangerous attacks. After a small descent the race will enter it’s final sectors.

For the third and last time, the Oude Kwaremont. A grueling berg with inconsistent gradients, it summits with 16.5Km to go.

And after a short section, the final berg of the race is always one that may see the differences, the Paterberg. Short but sharp, essentially a one-minute all-out effort after around 6:30h of hard racing where slipstreaming is not a factor. A climb most will know like the back of their hand but no-one can fake good legs in, it will summit with 13 kilometers to go.

As every year, the run-up to Oudenaarde then is quite excruciating. Pan-flat after the small descent from the Paterberg, it is a place where attacks can still happen, but whatever happens depends on what will happen over the ascents.