Preview: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 – will Mathieu van der Poel participate or not?

In last year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, it didn’t take long before the early breakaway formed. After just a few of the total 197 kilometers, six riders were off the front. Among them were four Dutch riders: Julius van den Berg (Picnic-PostNL), Enzo Leijnse (Picnic-PostNL), Elmar Reinders (Jayco AlUla), and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets). They were accompanied by Belgian Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise) and Italian Giosuè Epis (Arkea B&B-Hotels). Shortly after, Siebe Deweirdt (Flanders-Baloise) joined, making it a group of seven at the front.

The attackers were given quite some freedom, about eight minutes. But with ninety kilometers to go, as they hit the cobbles of the Lange Munte, UAE Emirates XRG began to deliver the first probing attacks. Visma | Lease a Bike then took control and launched attacks with Matthew Brennan, Per Strand Hagenes, and Matteo Jorgenson. The breakaway was quickly caught after that.

Large group stays together on the Muur
In the finale, a large group was still together approaching the Muur van Geraardsbergen. On the climb, Tim Wellens took the initiative, followed by Mathias Vacek. The youngster from Lidl-Trek kept the pace high, but neither he nor anyone else really made a serious move. We reached the summit with fifteen to twenty riders still in contention. Stefan Küng then went solo in the kilometers after the Muur and quickly built a twenty-second lead.

Ultimately, everything came back together just before the last kilometer. This meant a sprint finish in Ninove. The men from INEOS Grenadiers led out after the final gentle curve, but several fast riders came from behind. Jasper Philipsen and Paul Magnier launched their sprints. However, it was someone else with the fastest legs: Søren Wærenskjold blasted to victory. Magnier finished second, Philipsen took third. Van Aert could only manage eleventh place.

Route

After the unofficial start and team presentation in the well-known Kuipke in Ghent, the official start signal will sound again in Merelbeke. The peloton will then cover a bit more than 200 kilometers. In the first 100 kilometers of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, riders will pass areas such as the Zwalm region, Zottegem, Nazareth, and Oudenaarde.

Only the cobbles of the Paddestraat and Lange Munte and the duo Haaghoek-Leberg are notable obstacles in the opening phase of the race. After just over 120 kilometers, the pre-final begins as riders must ride over the Haaghoek and Leberg again in quick succession.

At 74 kilometers from the finish, the finale truly begins. The newly renovated Eikenberg is on the agenda, three kilometers later followed by the Wolvenberg. That climb—without cobbles—is not too difficult itself, but immediately after, riders face the cobbles of the Kerkgate and Jagerij. Then comes the crucial ascent of the Molenberg. This tough test follows several cobbled sections with a challenging extension. This is where the best often manage to distinguish themselves.

Next, the famous triple climb Haaghoek-Leberg-Berendries awaits. At the summit of the very steep Berendries, there are still 34 kilometers remaining to the finish in Ninove. Normally, a quieter phase would follow after Berendries, but this year the organizers have made the route even tougher. With the climbs of Tenbosse and the Parikeberg at 181 and 184 kilometers, there is no longer any calm moment in the finale.

Just seven kilometers after the top of Parikeberg comes the iconic climb of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. From the summit, riders still have about sixteen kilometers to the finish. If the race isn’t decided after the Muur, there is still the Bosberg. After the Bosberg, only twelve kilometers remain to the finish in Ninove. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad finish line is located in Elisabethlaan, just as last year. This gives a slightly wider finish, which also inclines gently towards the end.