These top riders skip Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Paul Magnier, Jasper Philipsen, Tim Wellens... There are plenty of heavy hitters on the start list of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but some top riders are missing as well. This is either due to illness or because they have chosen a different program. In this article, we list the most important absentees.

Starting with the biggest name: Tadej Pogacar. It was never in question that the world champion would compete in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, yet we are talking about a two-time winner of the Tour of Flanders. So, he certainly wouldn’t be out of place on the Omloop start list. However, we still have to wait before seeing Pogacar in action again. The UAE Emirates XRG superstar kicks off his season next week with Strade Bianche.

Wout van Aert had planned to race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but on Thursday it was announced he will not participate after all. The Belgian fan favorite, who won the Omloop in 2022, had to withdraw due to illness. Furthermore, the Visma | Lease a Bike squad is missing Matteo Jorgenson. The American has been a mainstay in the cobbled classics lineup of the Dutch team over recent years, but this season he is focusing on hillier races.

Like Van Aert, Jasper Stuyven is also battling illness. For this reason, he has also withdrawn from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. This is a big blow for his new team Soudal Quick-Step, but The Wolfpack at least still field Dylan van Baarle and Paul Magnier. Decathlon CMA CGM has suffered an even bigger hit in this respect.

The French team will miss two key new riders: Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij. Benoot has undergone surgery for a hernia, while Kooij is struggling with a nasty virus. While the Belgian will definitely be out for the next few months, it is also uncertain if we will see the Dutchman in action this spring. Kooij will miss the Opening Weekend for sure. Tobias Lund Andresen is now Decathlon CMA CGM’s sprinter in charge.

Mads Pedersen was never on the Omloop start list for 2026, but the Danish former world champion also recently had a painful crash during the Tour de la Provence. He suffered a broken wrist and collarbone. Whether he will miss the entire spring season remains uncertain, but the outlook is not good. For Neilson Powless, the decision is already made. The former winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen is out with a knee injury. For the same reason, Tim Merlier is also currently sidelined.

Finally, we mention the absence of Italian Filippo Ganna. Skipping the Opening Weekend is a strategic choice for him because this spring there is one race marked in red: Milan-San Remo. “I’m building up to the big goals of the season,” he said in Algarve. “My form isn’t at its peak yet, but it doesn’t have to be until a month from now, and then I have to hold it for another month.”