Preview: Tour of Flanders 2026 – does Mathieu van der Poel have an answer to Tadej Pogacar?
Finally, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar face off once again in Flanders’ Finest, the Tour of Flanders. Will we witness an exciting duel between these two gladiators, or will the world champion stand out? WielerFlits looks ahead.
History
Last Edition
Route
The Tour of Flanders alternates its start between Bruges and Antwerp. Last year we started in Bruges, so this year it’s Antwerp’s turn again. At 10:00 AM, the riders depart from the Grote Markt there. In what follows, we see a few minor changes compared to previous editions: Marlboroughstraat replaces Steenbeekdries, but there are still a total of 16 climbs.
In the first hundred kilometers of the race, the riders pass west of Koekenstad through Zwijndrecht, Kruibeke, Sint-Niklaas, Dendermonde, Temse, Erpe-Mere, and Herzele. The latter city is this year named the “Village of the Tour.” Shortly after, at 110 kilometers, the riders encounter the first cobbled sectors of Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat— the initial obstacles. Not long after, the first of three ascents of the Oude Kwaremont follows.
From that moment on, staying alert is key. At 120 kilometers from the finish, the climbs come rapidly one after another, including Eikenberg, Wolvenberg, Molenberg, Marlboroughstraat, Berendries, and the cobbles of Holleweg, Kerkgate, and Jagerij within a thirty-kilometer span. Sure, it’s still far out, but this zone is perfect for second-tier riders to anticipate and position themselves.
Especially since some smoother stretches follow afterwards. Around 85, 75, and 65 kilometers from the finish are respectively Valkenberg, Berg Ten Houte, and Hotond, but between them are flat stretches of roughly ten kilometers each. Except for Berg Ten Houte, these climbs have no cobbles. The top favorites will by then already have their minds focused on Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, the challenging cobbled climbs where the race passes again with 55 kilometers to go.
The passage over Paterberg always produces fireworks. This is largely because the Koppenberg follows soon after. The brutally steep Bult van Melden is the spot where the favorites will undoubtedly make their mark.
The quick arrival of Taaienberg afterward is just a bonus. After the Taaienberg comes Hotond, followed by approximately ten kilometers to the last ascent of Oude Kwaremont.
The final passage over the cobbles comes 16.7 kilometers from the finish. It’s expected that the main contenders will have already broken away by this point and will push each other fiercely for the penultimate time. The penultimate time because at 13.2 kilometers from the line, the Paterberg shows up once more. This hill, less than 400 meters long, suits explosive riders perfectly.
After cresting Paterberg, flat kilometers lead into Oudenaarde. Riding thirteen kilometers solo is no easy task, as the wind can often be strong there. If a large group is in front, tactics will become crucial here. If nothing happens, there will be a sprint on the wide Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.
All obstacles in the Tour of Flanders 2026
Climbs
1. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) - Around 13:30
2. Eikenberg (1,200 meters at 5.1%) - Around 13:50
3. Wolvenberg (645 meters at 7.9%) - Around 13:55
4. Molenberg (460 meters at 7%) - Around 14:15
5. Marlboroughstraat (2,040 meters at 3%) - Around 14:20
6. Berendries (940 meters at 7%) - Around 14:25
7. Valkenberg (540 meters at 8.1%) - Around 14:35
8. Berg Ten Houte (1,100 meters at 6%) - Around 14:50
9. Hotond/Nieuwe Kruisberg (2,500 meters at 5%) - Around 15:05
10. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) - Around 15:15
11. Paterberg (360 meters at 12.9%) - Around 15:20
12. Koppenberg (600 meters at 11.6%) - Around 15:30
13. Taaienberg (530 meters at 6.6%) - Around 15:40
14. Hotond/Oude Kruisberg (2,700 meters at 4%) - Around 15:15
15. Oude Kwaremont (2,200 meters at 4%) - Around 16:10
16. Paterberg (360 meters at 12.9%) - Around 16:15
Cobbled Sectors
1. Lippenhovestraat (1,300 meters) - Around 12:45
2. Paddestraat (1,500 meters) - Around 12:50
3. Holleweg (700 meters) - Around 13:50
4. Kerkgate (1,400 meters) - Around 14:00
5. Jagerij (800 meters) - Around 14:05
6. Mariaborrestraat (2,400 meters) - Around 15:35
Favorites
Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Wout van Aert better brace themselves: Remco Evenepoel is participating in the Tour of Flanders for the first time on Sunday. Evenepoel announced his participation via his social media. “Flanders, are you ready? See you Sunday,” he says. It is a striking turnaround, as starting in the Tour of Flanders was initially out of the question.
In the meantime, plans surrounding Evenepoel have changed. Thursday, the final reconnaissance for the Tour of Flanders was on the schedule for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, featuring Evenepoel. The double Olympic champion is the main attraction within the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe selection this coming weekend, but what can we expect from a debutant anyway?
Evenepoel knows the cobblestones of Flanders like the back of his hand by now, thanks to countless hours of training, but racing is something else entirely. The constant twisting, turning, and jostling before every cobblestone section and climb might not be his strongest point, but there is no one who can ride a bike that fast. If Evenepoel cranks up the engine roughly sixty kilometers from the finish line, who can and wants to follow him?
The years when E3 Saxo Classic and In Flanders Fields — historically better known as Gent-Wevelgem — served as perfect indicators for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are now some time behind us. The winner from last year, and top favorite for this Tour of Flanders, didn’t even compete in those two classics. But, by now, that is his proven recipe.
Does that mean we can draw no conclusions from last weekend’s WorldTour races? Not quite. We saw an extremely strong Mathieu van der Poel, who triumphed spectacularly at E3 Saxo Classic. But as Visma | Lease a Bike team director Maarten Wynants rightly points out: “The idea from Tirreno-Adriatico that there was nothing to be done against him this spring gives way to the fact that we were able to follow him on the Kemmelberg.”
Where do we rank Van der Poel? We still rate him very highly as a challenger to Pogacar. After all, Van der Poel trains all winter for the Monuments. At Milan-San Remo he crashed and had an off day. But don’t forget he rode his best-ever 90-minute effort in Harelbeke and dominated the race. He never went full gas towards Wevelgem and didn’t have the freshness he needed. We thus draw few conclusions from that race leading into the Tour.
Is it unjustified that Wynants sends his captain Wout van Aert to the start in Antwerp with confidence? Not at all. On one hand, there is a difference between a single passage over the Kemmelberg and surviving a Tour of Flanders with sixteen climbs and seven cobbled sectors. Van Aert hasn’t shown in recent years that he has that against the two best one-day riders in the world, but he is in top shape and can surpass himself.
We still haven’t discussed the top favorite. World champion Tadej Pogacar is the man everyone is looking forward to. For the first time since his impressive wins in Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, the Slovenian is back. This year, he really only chooses the world’s biggest races, as he also mixes combinations that aren’t so obvious.
But frankly, it doesn’t matter on which terrain you unleash the untouchable Pogacar. His power output is so far above the rest that he wears everyone down in the end and rides away solo. The last time Pogacar did this was in the Tour of Flanders on the final Oude Kwaremont, the climb that suits him best due to its length.
What gives us even more confidence in Pogacar’s chances is that he has an incredibly strong team. Possibly the strongest squad at the start. With Florian Vermeersch, one of the best riders of recent weeks, by his side. Vermeersch knows his own chances lie in Paris-Roubaix and will probably ride here entirely in support. Julius Johansen, Nils Politt, and Antonio Morgado are strong domestiques.
Van der Poel counters with a strong Florian Sénéchal, Jonas Geens, and Edward Planckaert, while Wout van Aert has Christophe Laporte, Matthew Brennan, and Per Strand Hagenes — the second at E3 Saxo Classic — around him. Although Laporte believes he is co-captain and Visma | Lease a Bike can deploy several tactics, he had to fade quickly at E3 Saxo Classic when Van der Poel attacked. This doesn’t inspire much confidence in the Frenchman on climbs, but he does have a solid sprint.
Tim van Dijke performed well for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at that moment. He’s one of the many riders who can finish top 5 on a good day, but honestly, the group of riders we rank at that level is quite large. In his own team alone, Van Dijke has brother Mick, Laurence Pithie, and, of course, Gianni Vermeersch, who is always strong in the Tour.
Another squad that produces many outsiders is Decathlon CMA CGM. They’re one of those teams that, by staying together, could influence In Flanders Fields in a new way. On the other hand, they miss their fast man Tobias Lund Andresen. At Soudal Quick-Step, Jasper Stuyven is in form, but like Dylan van Baarle and French rising star Paul Magnier, he has yet to seriously contend for wins. We give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
Mads Pedersen, however, surprised at Milan-San Remo. After months sidelined with a broken collarbone and wrist, he returned surprisingly strong on Italian soil. On the cobbles of E3 Saxo Classic, it was clear his engine isn’t 100% back yet, but with a longer distance in the Tour, the Dane will surely come into form. Moreover, his condition should improve further.
That will do Lidl-Trek good because Mathias Vacek has not yet made that extra step. The same goes for Arnaud De Lie at Lotto-Intermarché, but also for Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Dylan Teuns (Cofidis), Aimé De Gendt (Q36.5), Luca Mozzato (Tudor), and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies). But on a good day, any of them can surprise.
Some riders we believe in: let’s start with Romain Gregoire of Groupama-FDJ United. The Frenchman performs excellently in hilly classics and was even fourth in Strade Bianche. He has relatively little experience with cobbled races but is entered here and at E3 Saxo Classic nevertheless. Jayco AlUla has the exact same plan for their in-form Swiss rider Mauro Schmid in the Tour.
Other outside surprises for a top 5? Dwars door Vlaanderen main character Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Lukas Kubis and Mayias Kopecky (Unibet Rose Rockets), Luke Lamperti and Kasper Asgreen (EF Education EasyPost), Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Toon Aerts (Lotto-Intermarché), and of course strong rider Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious) are names to watch.
Weather
Ideal temperatures for racing are expected on Sunday. It’s cooler at the start but will rise up to 14 degrees Celsius later. The sun shines all day, and no rain is forecast. However, wind will blow at force 3 Beaufort from the southeast.
