Van der Poel to Launch Spring Campaign at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Mathieu van der Poel will begin his 2026 road season at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, marking his debut appearance in the opening cobbled Classic. The Alpecin-Premier Tech team confirmed the decision following a successful first training block after the Cyclo-cross World Championships Cyclingnews.

Van der Poel Confirms Spring Schedule

After completing a solid few weeks of training, Van der Poel felt race-ready to compete, according to a statement from Alpecin-Premier Tech. He will be joined by Jasper Philipsen in the race, which signals the start of the Belgian racing season. The full team selection is yet to be announced Cyclingnews.

The Dutchman’s spring campaign will largely mirror his 2025 goals. Following Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, he is scheduled to compete in Tirreno-Adriatico (March 9-15) and defend his title at Milan-San Remo on March 21 Cyclingnews.

He will then continue with the E3 Saxo Classic (March 27) and Middelkerke-Wevelgem (formerly Gent-Wevelgem, March 29), culminating in the Tour of Flanders on April 5 Cyclingnews.

Other Contenders for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Visma | Lease a Bike will field a strong lineup including Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte, and Matthew Brennan. UAE Emirates-XRG will feature Tim Wellens, Nils Politt, Florian Vermeersch, and Jhonatan Narváez cyclinguptodate.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will be competing with their entire spring core, including recent signings, whereas Decathlon AG2R has removed Olav Kooij from the startlist. Soudal Quick-Step will rely on Dylan van Baarle, Jasper Stuyven, and Paul Magnier cyclinguptodate.

The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is traditionally considered the first major test of form for specialists in cobbles and wind-exposed terrain cyclinguptodate.