How to watch Omloop Nieuwsblad 2026 – TV and live stream schedule, start times, riders to watch as Mathieu van der Poel makes debut
Updated 27/02/2026 at 14:34 GMT
The 2026 edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad is here, with plenty of cycling's most exciting stars gunning for glory. Mathieu van der Poel and Demi Vollering are among the big names in with a shout on opening weekend. Here's all you need to know about the event, plus how to watch live on TV and streaming via TNT Sports and discovery+. Who will conquer the first Spring Classic?
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With spring coming in hot, the cycling season is also preparing to get officially underway and opening weekend is now upon us.
Continuing on with the traditional double-header of cobbled classics, Omloop Nieuwsblad brings you the first major weekend of cycling in 2026.
In the centre of cycling paradise in Flanders, Belgium, Omloop is the first top-level World Tour classics race of the year and with it, it can bring an early form guide ahead of massive, cobbled races to come: Paris-Roubaix and the nearby Tour of Flanders.
This year it takes place on Saturday, February 28, with both the men's and women's races on the same day and covering much of the same route.
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, another major cobbled race but a tier below Omloop, follows on Sunday, March 1 and is also live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The two Belgian races wind through punchy hills and challenging cobbled sections, which include some of the most famous and historic climbs in cycling.
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Last year saw Uno-X Mobility’s Soeren Waerenskjold take the men’s race by a whisker as a barrage of riders came to the finish line in one cluster, while in the women’s race, Belgian Lotte Claes held on to defeat Aurela Nerlo of Poland, with Demi Vollering finishing third.
Those results mean that still nobody has successfully defended their Omloop title on either the men's or women's side since Greg van Avermaet in 2017.
It is, as ever, sure to be a fascinating proper start to the 2026 cycling season and we have all the information you could possibly need for the race.
When is Omloop Nieuwsblad 2026?
Omloop Nieuwsblad takes place on Saturday, February 28, with both the men's and women's races taking place on the same day.
How to watch Omloop Nieuwsblad 2026
You can watch all the action at Omloop Nieuwsblad live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The men's race will be live on TNT Sports 3 and discovery+ from 12:00 GMT, while coverage of the women's race begins at 15:15 GMT.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Who is riding in the Omloop Nieuwsblad men's race?
While some of the biggest names in cycling - including Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – are not in action this weekend, there are plenty of other massive stars who are involved.
However, one of those will not be Wout van Aert, after the former winner was ruled out due to illness, with Britain's Matthew Brennan now shouldering the hopes of Visma-Lease a Bike.
Defending champion Soeren Waerenskjold will once again lead the Uni-X Mobility team, while Matthieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) makes his debut at the race.
The Dutchman has won Paris-Roubaix in each of the last three years and has also finished in the top three of the Tour of Flanders dating back to 2020, coming out on top in 2020, 2022 and 2024, so he is likely to take to the race very well indeed, having previously swerved it due to his intense cyclo-cross commitments.
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Pogacar, Van der Poel, Pedersen - Best finishes from 2025
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He will race alongside team-mate Jasper Philipsen, who finished third last year and is a former Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix winner, so can be expected to challenge again.
Last year’s runner-up Paul Magnier goes again with Soudal Quick-Step, joined by 2020 runner-up, Belgian Yves Lampaert and 2023 winner Dylan van Baarle.
In terms of British interest aside from Brennan, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) is always one to watch in these races, but only has a fifth-placed finish in 2023 to show for his efforts in Omloop thus far, so will hope he can go better than that this time around.
Look out for youngster Lewis Askey (NSN) too, after he finished 10th last season.
Who is riding in the Omloop Nieuwsblad women's race?
The women’s race is missing icon Marianne Vos, with the rider taking on the race in 2024, and subsequently not racing it again.
We were also expecting reigning champion Lotte Claes (Arkea–B&B Hotels Women) to be missing, but she was a late addition to the start list after a U-turn from the team.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner, will be looking to finally win the race after finishing second in 2022 and third last year.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), the winner in 2023, is also back. She is a three-time Tour of Flanders champion, including last season, and so she could well be a frontrunner to take her second Omloop title.
Other contenders include Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) and Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93).
Liane Lippert (Movistar) won her third Giro stage last year and is a Tour de France Femmes stage winner previously too, while also finishing third in the Tour of Flanders, making her a potential threat.
Watch and stream the 2026 cycling season - including the Tour de France in July - live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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