Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Opens 2026 Classics Season

The 81st edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the opening race of the 2026 UCI WorldTour Classics season, takes place on Saturday, February 28, in the Flemish region of Belgium. Riders in both the men's and women's fields will navigate a demanding 200-kilometer-plus course from Ghent to Ninove, featuring iconic cobbled climbs and sectors that test endurance and skill early in the European campaign.

The men's race covers 207.6 kilometers, incorporating 12 classified climbs and eight cobbled sectors. Changes to the route this year include the addition of two ascents of the Eikenberg and the removal of the Valkenberg, while the finale remains punishing with the Muur van Geraardsbergen, also known as the Kapelmuur, followed by the Bosberg. These late challenges, drawn from the Tour of Flanders playbook, precede an 11.8-kilometer flat run-in to the finish line. Organizers extended the distance by about 10 kilometers from last year to discourage a repeat of the mass sprint that decided the 2025 edition.

In the women's event, competitors face a 137.6-kilometer loop with nine climbs and seven cobbled sectors, including the same decisive Muur and Bosberg duo. The course has been slightly...