Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026, February 28

[Netserk]

spring is here, the real season starts

some changes to the route compared to last year, but the most crucial climbs are the same. most importantly, rather than going over elverenberg/vossenhol directly after berendries like last year, they take the 2.5 km longer way to the muur over tenbosse and parikeberg.

the part from wolvenberg to molenberg is a little different than last years route. they get to mater from the opposite side, using kerkgate, a rising cobbled section. and no valkenberg before eikenberg

team presentation gets streamed : https://cycling.pickx.be/fr/?v1=shorturl&v6=Flanders-Classics-com

the field looks like it will be really good

i cant wait

 

[Tim Cahill]

The season ends here, it's been real.

Based entirely on feeling, without checking what form any of these guys are in, because I know someone will pop up to tell me one of these guys has actually been dead for 5 years;

*****Magnier, Van Aert
****Brennan, Wærenskjold, Philipsen, Laporte, Wellens, De Lie
***Skujins, Piddler, Abrahamsen, Vermeersch, Girmay
**,Turner, Watson, Pithie, Meeus, Vacek
*Mohoric, Kubis, Fred, IGC, Bissegger, Affini, Söderqvist, Ballerini, random QS rider
?Van Der Poel

Rabobank have the best team here, by quite a bit too.

 

[Netserk]

could go either way

teams with a sprint option dominate. visma in full strength with both brennan and laporte allowing for more passive posture

lidl trek without pedersen, and after stuyvens transfer, they dont seem threatening at all.

quickstep could actually be good for once.

wellens needs a hard race. i hope hell have morgado here too

 

[Tim Cahill]

could go either way

teams with a sprint option dominate. visma in full strength with both brennan and laporte allowing for more passive posture

lidl trek without pedersen, and after stuyvens transfer, they dont seem threatening at all.

quickstep could actually be good for once.

wellens needs a hard race. i hope hell have morgado here too

Is there a reason Lund Andresen isn’t here? Not like Decathlon have a galaxy of classics stars keeping him out.

 

[Netserk]

Is there a reason Lund Andresen isn’t here? Not like Decathlon have a galaxy of classics stars keeping him out.

only provisional startlist so far, so kooij was probably meant to be here instead

afaik, lund was not supposed to race the classics, full focus on stage races in the lead up to the giro

 

[Netserk]

ben turner has been ill after valenciana btw

so even if he is invisible here, i still think he can step up and regularly top-10 in march

 

[Netserk]

stuyven reportedly ill, didnt start in algarve today

 

[Potomac]

Thread title can drop "het"

meanwhile....EF is sending:

• 41 ASGREEN Kasper
• 42 ALBANESE Vincenzo
• 43 HOBBS Noah
• 44 HONORÉ Mikkel Frølich
• 45 LAMPERTI Luke
• 46 SIMMONS Colby
• 47 VAN DEN BERG Marijn

Did they get this race mixed up with KBK?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Nope, "het" should stay indefinitely.

 

[Salvarani]

Time for Het Volk, finally!

 

[staubsauger]

Again no Van der Poel?

 

[Netserk]

Again no Van der Poel?

i honestly hope not. would much rather see big phil smash van silver

 

[tobydawq]

only provisional startlist so far, so kooij was probably meant to be here instead

afaik, lund was not supposed to race the classics, full focus on stage races in the lead up to the giro

On the Veloropa podcast he said that a few classics might be added to his programme but he was not allowed to say which ones.

 

[tobydawq]

Thread title can drop "het"

meanwhile....EF is sending:

• 41 ASGREEN Kasper
• 42 ALBANESE Vincenzo
• 43 HOBBS Noah
• 44 HONORÉ Mikkel Frølich
• 45 LAMPERTI Luke
• 46 SIMMONS Colby
• 47 VAN DEN BERG Marijn

Did they get this race mixed up with KBK?

Why would you think that?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Gent-Ninove Classic has always been one to watch.

A Norwegian will finish second.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

My wishlist: favourable weather and especially wind conditions for once (because God knows this mediocre route needs them), and Van der Poel not deciding to add this race to his schedule at the last moment. If both of those go the right way, we could be in for a great Saturday.

 

[Potomac]

Why would you think that?

EF squad looks like their best sprint finishers, not their best classics riders. Doesn't KBK favor sprinters more than Omploop?

 

[tobydawq]

EF squad looks like their best sprint finishers, not their best classics riders. Doesn't KBK favor sprinters more than Omploop?

They have Asgreen and Honoré in the team.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

EF squad looks like their best sprint finishers, not their best classics riders. Doesn't KBK favor sprinters more than Omploop?

Ef don't have any good riders mate.

 

[Squire]

EF squad looks like their best sprint finishers, not their best classics riders. Doesn't KBK favor sprinters more than Omploop?

Last year Wærenskjold won in a sprint of 50 guys, and we've had other large-ish sprints too. And even when it has been won solo or in a small group, there is often a big sprint behind. They bring Lamperti, Asgreen and Honoré, so I don't quite see who they are missing even if it's not a sprint this time.

 

[Samamba]

ben turner has been ill after valenciana btw

so even if he is invisible here, i still think he can step up and regularly top-10 in march

Ah thanks for letting me know, out of my Wielermanager it is

 

[Samamba]

My wishlist: favourable weather and especially wind conditions for once (because God knows this mediocre route needs them), and Van der Poel not deciding to add this race to his schedule at the last moment. If both of those go the right way, we could be in for a great Saturday.

Right now it says SW wind. That's tail cross and tail in the final. basically whole next 2 weeks it's like SW and S.

Been a lot of rain in Flanders the past few days but it will get sunnier next week, right now chance at some rain at the end of next week, but not really significant and too early to know

 

[hayneplane]

That route profile is hilarious. Makes it look like a super tough medium mountain stage in a Giro or Tour not a classics race that could end in a 60 man group sprint.