Preview: omloop Het Nieuwsblad women 2026 – will the favourites deliver this time?

As soon as the smell of Bicky Burgers and slightly stale beer mixes with the first hints of spring, we know what time it is. Memories of the sounds of bicycles rattling over cobblestones are replaced once again by the real action. Weeks of big life questions like: will Lotte Kopecky win Nokere Koerse again, and how is Rik Bossuyt doing these days? According to some, it’s nothing more than plain escapism. Usually non-cycling fans. The emptiness of those lives shocks me. And that is precisely why WielerFlits looks ahead to the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for women.

History

Since time immemorial, the end of winter or the beginning of spring has been a very significant moment. In the circle of life, spring stands for optimism, cheerfulness, a new beginning. That must, indeed, be celebrated. And that is done worldwide in many different ways. For example, in the Flemish city of Geraardsbergen, the Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand recently took place for the 643rd time—fascinating rituals that rightly belong on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Does that finally drive winter away for good? Maybe, yet many cycling fans prefer to say that spring has only really begun when the first rider passes the top of the Oudenberg, aka Kapelmuur. And thank goodness, that joyous moment is almost here again. The Omloop is much more than just another bike race from point A to B, as cynics might try to convince you. But you know better: the Omloop is above all a celebration of life.

Last edition

Course

The route to be followed has largely remained the same, but there are some noticeable changes. It’s as if the course is a duvet that needed airing and shaking out during the great spring cleaning. Still recognizable, but just a little different. For instance, the opening phase of the race takes a curve through Laarne and Wetteren toward Sint-Lievens-Houtem, instead of heading straight there.

Normally, the peloton would then head to Zottegem, but this location has been completely skipped. That means: no Paddestraat. Blasphemy! Fortunately, the Lange Munte is still on the route. In the place where the sacred Flemish spring reaches its absolute peak — Oudenaarde — the race traditionally really begins. The climbs and cobblestone sections come in quick succession from the crossing of the Scheldt.

The finale has seen some changes as well. After the Eikenberg, the Elverenberg-Vossenhol combination has been removed. This is compensated by a long stretch toward Geraardsbergen, where the race sometimes lulls, now enlivened by two extra climbs. Tenbosse and the Parikeberg present potential opportunities to break the race open, or will it once again come down to the traditional trio at the end?

The Kapelmuur, the Bosberg, and the long, original Flemish concrete stretch, joined together with bituminous filler towards Ninove, naturally belong together like fries and stew.

Major sections:

Lange Munte (2500 m) — after 37.2 km

Edelareberg (1525 m at 4.2%, max 7%) — after 75 km

Holleweg (1100 m) — after 77.1 km

Wolvenberg (645 m at 7.9%, max 17.3%) — after 79.7 km

Kerkgate (1400 m) — after 83.4 km

Jagerij (800 m) — after 89.5 km

Molenberg (463 m at 7%, max 14.2%) — after 92.2 km

Haaghoek (2000 m) — after 96.7 km

Leberg (950 m at 4.2%, max 13.8%) — after 99.7 km

Berendries (940 m at 7%, max 12.3%) — after 103.7 km

Tenbosse (500 m at 6.1%, max 8.7%)

Parikeberg (800 m at 4.4%, max 8.4%)

Muur-Kapelmuur (475 m, at 9.3%, max 19.8%) — after 122.2 km

Bosberg (980 m at 5.8%, max 11% - 400 m cobblestones) — after 126.1 km

Favorites

Not all teams have revealed their selection for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad yet. When the final start list is known, we will update and modify this preview accordingly.

Although their legs are seriously being sawed off, the Pavlovian reaction when it comes to predicting women’s races continues in 2026. Which riders will SD Worx-Protime start with? Well, four strong contenders. Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Mischa Bredewold, and Anna van der Breggen. The first and last of these are former Omloop winners, with Wiebes and Bredewold two names who would also be great additions to the honor roll. Who, oh who?

Of course, it remains a guessing game since races can never be fully predicted. But one theory is that Wiebes (as often) will be tasked with following as economically as possible, while the others can throw a wrench in the works. And the renewed Kopecky, who has already shown good form on the track, will no doubt be eager to show everyone on the road that she’s back at the top. Top favorite? Well, alright then.

Demi Vollering was best of the rest in 2025. That didn’t get her much further because her team also played the bluff poker game. And so: no first Omloop win yet. Now perhaps? And with even a victory from a sprint already under her belt, confidence should be high. The question: can she already challenge SD Worx-Protime’s top squad?

Ideally, she gets rid of everyone else on one of the climbs, because although she can beat Van der Breggen in a sprint, that’s highly uncertain against the other three names. But don’t underestimate the rest of FDJ United-Suez either. Those who focus only on Vollering might overlook someone like Elise Chabbey. And that could cost dearly.

If the 2025 season taught us anything, it is that riding reactively usually only holds you back. Go hard, then. Riders like Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) will be happy to hear that. They, too, have fast women in their ranks — Zoe Bäckstedt and Cat Ferguson — and if Ferguson comes over the climbs near the front, definitely take note. Still, they normally won’t match Wiebes.

Traditionally, it’s also worth watching what Lidl-Trek can do in this race. Shirin van Anrooij was among the best in 2024, but then, with a teammate, couldn’t match the dominance of Vos and Kopecky. However, it’s not unreasonable to think her peak may come later this spring. For Anna Henderson, the Omloop is not the main goal, but she has already shown good early form on the road. Can she keep that momentum or will backup sprinter Elisa Balsamo get her chance?

As usual, there are too many names to fit into a star ranking. Some things happily never change. On the start list, we still see women like Karlijn Swinkels — who seems ripe now for her big breakthrough — and her blazing fast UAE Team ADQ teammate Lara Gillespie, who could well grow into the world’s second fastest woman this year.

And Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) wants to be there from the very start. After an excellent comeback from suspension, she has already shown some nice things. Winning the Omloop will probably still be a tall order (there are simply many stronger riders), but a podium finish would certainly not surprise us.

Weather

On Saturday, February 28, the weather in Belgium will be partly variable, according to Weeronline. Riders will start the day dry with broad clearings and cloud fields. During the afternoon, cumulus clouds will develop and may produce a few showers. Between showers, the sun will shine regularly and temperatures will reach a maximum of 10 or 11 degrees Celsius. The southwest wind will be mostly moderate.