Startlist Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 | Riders: Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Matthew Brennan, Soren Waerenskjold

Cycling
Friday, 27 February 2026 at 12:15
Mathieu van der Poel stares into the distance after a cyclocross race
The Opening Weekend of the European spring once again begins with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and while nothing is final just yet, the preliminary startlist for the 2026 edition already hints at a deep and intriguing race in waiting.
Traditionally the first real collision of the Classics specialists each year, Omloop has increasingly rewarded strength and initiative rather than patience alone, a trend that looks set to continue given both the route profile and the calibre of riders provisionally entered.
Download the startlist in A4 right here!

Recent history

Omloop’s recent editions underline how selective the race has become. Wout van Aert powered to victory in 2022, Dylan van Baarle won from a reduced group in 2023, and Jan Tratnik prevailed with a late attack in 2024.
Last season, Soren Waerenskjold sprinted to victory after surviving a hard, attritional race, reinforcing Omloop’s dual nature. It can still end fast, but only for riders who have already endured the climbs and cobbles.

Standout names on the preliminary startlist

Team Visma | Lease a Bike look set to anchor the race with young power rider Matthew Brennan also named in the squad, adding another dimension to their options if the race fragments late; whilst Wout van Aett fell ill.
At Decathlon CMA CGM Team, Tiesj Benoot stands out as a natural Omloop rider. Few are as reliable on this terrain, particularly when the race turns into a battle of attrition rather than a single decisive move.
Uno X Mobility’s line-up again features defending champion Soren Waerenskjold, whose presence alone forces teams to think carefully about allowing any sizeable group to reach the finish intact.
There is also significant interest around Tom Pidcock, listed for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Omloop has not always played to his strengths in the past, but a harder finale could suit his ability to attack repeatedly on steep ramps.
INEOS Grenadiers’ squad includes Ben Turner, a rider whose aggressive style and Classics background make him a logical candidate for early moves if the race opens up sooner than expected.
Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates - XRG appear ready to animate the race with both Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch named on the preliminary list, giving them proven options for both long-range pressure and late race disruption

Startlist Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026

Decathlon CMA CGM Team
Benoot, Tiesj
Bissegger, Stefan
Chamberlain, Oscar
Dewulf, Stan
Naesen, Oliver
Pedersen, Rasmus Søjberg
Pestel, Sander De
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Dijke, Mick van
Dijke, Tim van
Drizners, Jarrad
Meeus, Jordi
Pithie, Laurence
Poppel, Danny van
Vermeersch, Gianni
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
Haller, Marco
Kelemen, Petr
Küng, Stefan
Mikutis, Aivaras
Mozzato, Luca
Pluimers, Rick
Trentin, Matteo
Bahrain Victorious
Gradek, Kamil
Mechelen, Vlad Van
Miholjević, Fran
Miquel, Pau
Mohorič, Matej
Segaert, Alec
Valter, Attila
Uno-X Mobility
Abrahamsen, Jonas
Bévort, Carl-Frederik
Bystrøm, Sven Erik
Hoelgaard, Markus
Resell, Erik
Tiller, Rasmus
Wærenskjold, Søren
NSN Cycling Team
Asbroeck, Tom Van
Askey, Lewis
Boivin, Guillaume
Girmay, Biniam
Louvel, Matîs
Mullen, Ryan
Sheehan, Riley
Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
Frison, Frederik
Gendt, Aimé De
Meurisse, Xandro
Moer, Brent Van
Pidcock, Tom
Wright, Fred
Zukowsky, Nick
Lidl - Trek
Andersen, Søren Kragh
Skujiņš, Toms
Söderqvist, Jakob
Teutenberg, Tim Torn
Theuns, Edward
Vacek, Mathias
Vergaerde, Otto
Alpecin - Premier Tech
Bayer, Tobias
Belmans, Lennert
Geens, Jonas
Groves, Kaden
Philipsen, Jasper
Planckaert, Edward
Riesebeek, Oscar
Sénéchal, Florian
Team Jayco AlUla
Bondt, Dries De
Capiot, Amaury
Donaldson, Robert
Foldager, Anders
Krijnsen, Jelte
O'Brien, Kelland
Pooter, Dries De
Burgos Burpellet BH
Alleno, Clément
Alvarez, Rodrigo
Cavia, Daniel
De La Calle, Hugo
Fagúndez, Eric
Kmínek, Vojtěch
Macías, César
INEOS Grenadiers
Heiduk, Kim
Kwiatkowski, Michal
Sheffield, Magnus
Shmidt, Artem
Swift, Ben
Turner, Ben
Watson, Sam
Team Flanders - Baloise
Deweirdt, Siebe
Hemelen, Vincent Van
Lambrecht, Michiel
Lanhove, Milan
Maris, Elias
Vandenstorme, Dylan
Vanhoof, Ward
XDS Astana Team
Ballerini, Davide
Bettiol, Alberto
Fedorov, Yevgeniy
Gate, Aaron
Livyns, Arjen
Romele, Alessandro
Teunissen, Mike
EF Education - EasyPost
Albanese, Vincenzo
Asgreen, Kasper
Berg, Marijn van den
Hobbs, Noah
Honoré, Mikkel
Lamperti, Luke
Simmons, Colby
Team Picnic PostNL
Berg, Julius van den
Broek, Frank van den
Degenkolb, John
Flynn, Sean
Haquin, Henri-François
Jong, Timo de
Roosen, Timo
Lotto - Intermarché
Artz, Huub
Berckmoes, Jenno
Beullens, Cedric
Boven, Luca Van
Grignard, Sébastien
Lie, Arnaud De
Sintmaartensdijk, Roel van
Team Visma - Lease a Bike
Pietro Mattio
Affini, Edoardo
Brennan, Matthew
Hagenes, Per Strand
Kielich, Timo
Laporte, Christophe
Zingle, Axel
Soudal - Quick-Step
Baarle, Dylan van
Gestel, Dries Van
Lampaert, Yves
Magnier, Paul
Pedersen, Casper
Rex, Laurenz
Stuyven, Jasper
UAE Team Emirates XRG
Bjerg, Mikkel
Herregodts, Rune
Oliveira, Rui
Politt, Nils
Vermeersch, Florian
Wellens, Tim
Groupama - FDJ United
Barthe, Cyril
Gruel, Thibaud
Huens, Axel
Jacobs, Johan
Madouas, Valentin
Russo, Clément
Tronchon, Bastien
Cofidis
Allegaert, Piet
Aniołkowski, Stanisław
Biermans, Jenthe
Kirsch, Alex
Page, Hugo
Renard, Alexis
Teuns, Dylan
Movistar Team
Adrià, Roger
Aular, Orluis
Barrenetxea, Jon
Canal, Carlos
García Cortina, Iván
Maciejuk, Filip
Moro, Manlio
TotalEnergies
Brunel, Alexys
Dujardin, Sandy
Gachignard, Thomas
Leroux, Samuel
Manzin, Lorrenzo
Turgis, Anthony
Vadic, Baptiste
Unibet Rose Rockets
Bloem, Joren
Feldmann, Karsten Larsen
Kopecký, Tomáš
Kubiš, Lukáš
Larsen, Niklas
Rasenberg, Martijn
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