Startlist Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 | Riders: Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Matthew Brennan, Paul Magnier and more
Cycling
The Opening Weekend of the European spring once again begins with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and while nothing is final just yet, the 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!
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.
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
| Uno-X Mobility | |
| 1 | Wærenskjold, Søren |
| 2 | Abrahamsen, Jonas |
| 3 | Bévort, Carl-Frederik |
| 4 | Bystrøm, Sven Erik |
| 5 | Hoelgaard, Markus |
| 6 | Resell, Erik |
| 7 | Tiller, Rasmus |
| Alpecin - Premier Tech | |
| 11 | Philipsen, Jasper |
| 12 | Bayer, Tobias |
| 13 | Belmans, Lennert |
| 14 | Groves, Kaden |
| 15 | Planckaert, Edward |
| 16 | Poel, Mathieu van der |
| 17 | Sénéchal, Florian |
| Bahrain Victorious | |
| 21 | Mohorič, Matej |
| 22 | Gradek, Kamil |
| 23 | Miquel, Pau |
| 24 | Segaert, Alec |
| 25 | Stannard, Robert |
| 26 | Valter, Attila |
| 27 | Mechelen, Vlad Van |
| Decathlon CMA CGM Team | |
| 31 | Andresen, Tobias Lund |
| 32 | Bissegger, Stefan |
| 33 | Bol, Cees |
| 34 | Pestel, Sander De |
| 35 | Dewulf, Stan |
| 36 | Naesen, Oliver |
| 37 | Pedersen, Rasmus Søjberg |
| EF Education - EasyPost | |
| 41 | Asgreen, Kasper |
| 42 | Albanese, Vincenzo |
| 43 | Hobbs, Noah |
| 44 | Honoré, Mikkel |
| 45 | Lamperti, Luke |
| 46 | Simmons, Colby |
| 47 | Berg, Marijn van den |
| Groupama - FDJ United | |
| 51 | Madouas, Valentin |
| 52 | Barthe, Cyril |
| 53 | Gruel, Thibaud |
| 54 | Huens, Axel |
| 55 | Jacobs, Johan |
| 56 | Russo, Clément |
| 57 | Tronchon, Bastien |
| INEOS Grenadiers | |
| 61 | Kwiatkowski, Michal |
| 62 | Heiduk, Kim |
| 63 | Sheffield, Magnus |
| 64 | Shmidt, Artem |
| 65 | Swift, Ben |
| 66 | Turner, Ben |
| 67 | Watson, Sam |
| Lidl - Trek | |
| 71 | Andersen, Søren Kragh |
| 72 | Skujiņš, Toms |
| 73 | Withen Philipsen, Albert |
| 74 | Teutenberg, Tim Torn |
| 75 | Theuns, Edward |
| 76 | Vacek, Mathias |
| 77 | Vergaerde, Otto |
| Lotto - Intermarché | |
| 81 | Lie, Arnaud De |
| 82 | Braet, Vito |
| 83 | Berckmoes, Jenno |
| 84 | Beullens, Cedric |
| 85 | Grignard, Sébastien |
| 86 | Boven, Luca Van |
| 87 | Sintmaartensdijk, Roel van |
| Movistar Team | |
| 91 | Adrià, Roger |
| 92 | Aular, Orluis |
| 93 | Barrenetxea, Jon |
| 94 | Canal, Carlos |
| 95 | García Cortina, Iván |
| 96 | Maciejuk, Filip |
| 97 | Moro, Manlio |
| NSN Cycling Team | |
| 101 | Girmay, Biniam |
| 102 | Askey, Lewis |
| 103 | Boivin, Guillaume |
| 104 | Louvel, Matîs |
| 105 | Mullen, Ryan |
| 106 | Sheehan, Riley |
| 107 | Asbroeck, Tom Van |
| Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | |
| 111 | Meeus, Jordi |
| 112 | Drizners, Jarrad |
| 113 | Pithie, Laurence |
| 114 | Dijke, Mick van |
| 115 | Dijke, Tim van |
| 116 | Marit, Arne |
| 117 | Vermeersch, Gianni |
| Soudal - Quick-Step | |
| 121 | Lampaert, Yves |
| 122 | Magnier, Paul |
| 123 | Pedersen, Casper |
| 124 | Reinderink, Pepijn |
| 125 | Vervenne, Jonathan |
| 126 | Baarle, Dylan van |
| 127 | Gestel, Dries Van |
| Team Jayco AlUla | |
| 131 | Capiot, Amaury |
| 132 | Bondt, Dries De |
| 133 | Pooter, Dries De |
| 134 | Donaldson, Robert |
| 135 | Foldager, Anders |
| 136 | Krijnsen, Jelte |
| 137 | O'Brien, Kelland |
| Team Picnic PostNL | |
| 141 | Degenkolb, John |
| 142 | Jong, Timo de |
| 143 | Flynn, Sean |
| 144 | Haquin, Henri-François |
| 145 | Roosen, Timo |
| 146 | Berg, Julius van den |
| 147 | Broek, Frank van den |
| Team Visma - Lease a Bike | |
| 151 | Mattio, Pietro |
| 152 | Affini, Edoardo |
| 153 | Brennan, Matthew |
| 154 | Hagenes, Per Strand |
| 155 | Kielich, Timo |
| 156 | Laporte, Christophe |
| 157 | Zingle, Axel |
| UAE Team Emirates XRG | |
| 161 | Wellens, Tim |
| 162 | Oliveira, Rui |
| 163 | Johansen, Julius |
| 164 | Herregodts, Rune |
| 165 | Molano, Sebastián |
| 166 | Politt, Nils |
| 167 | Vermeersch, Florian |
| XDS Astana Team | |
| 171 | Ballerini, Davide |
| 172 | Bettiol, Alberto |
| 173 | Gate, Aaron |
| 174 | Gonov, Lev |
| 175 | Livyns, Arjen |
| 176 | Romele, Alessandro |
| 177 | Teunissen, Mike |
| Cofidis | |
| 181 | Allegaert, Piet |
| 182 | Aniołkowski, Stanisław |
| 183 | Biermans, Jenthe |
| 184 | Kirsch, Alex |
| 185 | Page, Hugo |
| 186 | Renard, Alexis |
| 187 | Teuns, Dylan |
| Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | |
| 191 | Pidcock, Tom |
| 192 | Gendt, Aimé De |
| 193 | Frison, Frederik |
| 194 | Małecki, Kamil |
| 195 | Meurisse, Xandro |
| 196 | Moer, Brent Van |
| 197 | Wright, Fred |
| Burgos Burpellet BH | |
| 201 | Alleno, Clément |
| 202 | Bouglas, Georgios |
| 203 | Cavia, Daniel |
| 204 | Burnett, Josh |
| 205 | Mayer, Alexandre |
| 206 | Kmínek, Vojtěch |
| 207 | Macías, César |
| Tudor Pro Cycling Team | |
| 211 | Küng, Stefan |
| 212 | Haller, Marco |
| 213 | Kelemen, Petr |
| 214 | Mikutis, Aivaras |
| 215 | Mozzato, Luca |
| 216 | Pluimers, Rick |
| 217 | Trentin, Matteo |
| Team Flanders - Baloise | |
| 221 | Deweirdt, Siebe |
| 222 | Lambrecht, Michiel |
| 223 | Lanhove, Milan |
| 224 | Vercouillie, Victor |
| 225 | Hemelen, Vincent Van |
| 226 | Vandenstorme, Dylan |
| 227 | Vanhoof, Ward |
| TotalEnergies | |
| 231 | Brunel, Alexys |
| 232 | Dujardin, Sandy |
| 233 | Gachignard, Thomas |
| 234 | Leroux, Samuel |
| 235 | Bonnet, Thomas |
| 236 | Turgis, Anthony |
| 237 | Vadic, Baptiste |
| Unibet Rose Rockets | |
| 241 | Bloem, Joren |
| 242 | Feldmann, Karsten Larsen |
| 243 | Kopecký, Matyáš |
| 244 | Kopecký, Tomáš |
| 245 | Kubiš, Lukáš |
| 246 | Larsen, Niklas |
| 247 | Rasenberg, Martijn |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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