Van der Poel Headlines Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as Van Aert Withdraws Through Illness

Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert clashed during the E3 Saxo Classic in March 2024

Mathieu van der Poel makes his explosive debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 after a dominant cyclo-cross season, stepping up as top favorite following Wout van Aert's last-minute illness withdrawal. The cobbled Classics kick off dramatically on February 28.

Another setback for Wout van Aert as illness rules him out of the 2026 Omloop opener, just after ankle recovery...

The legendary cobbled Classics season kicks off dramatically this weekend, with former world champion Mathieu van der Poel set to take the start at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, though his longtime rival Wout van Aert has unfortunately been ruled out due to illness.

This marks the traditional opener for the Flemish spring campaign, featuring the iconic bergs and cobbles that define these races. Van der Poel, fresh off his cyclo-cross exploits, lines up as a major favorite for Saturday's showdown on February 28, 2026

The cobbled classics season kicks off this weekend with a thrilling matchup between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Van der Poel, the former world champion, is making his season debut after a record-breaking eighth cyclocross world title win earlier this month. He's been taking it easy, skiing and relaxing, but is now ready to take on the road season.

Van der Poel's rivalry with Van Aert promises to make for an exciting contest, with both riders looking to make a statement in the season's first major cobbled classic. Van der Poel has a strong team behind him, including Jasper Philipsen, and will be looking to attack early and create opportunities. Unfortunately, Van Aert has withdrawn from the event due to illness, leaving Van der Poel as the top favorite.

The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad takes place on Saturday, February 28, covering 207.6km of challenging cobbled roads and climbs in Belgium. Other contenders include Tim Wellens, Tom Pidcock, and Søren Waerenskjold.

Mathieu van der Poel is finally breaking his season-long silence, with Alpecin-Premier Tech confirming he'll kick off his road campaign at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. The 31-year-old Dutchman will take on the challenging Belgian cobbles alongside top rivals like Wout van Aert, Tim Wellens, and Tom Pidcock.

Van der Poel's Alpecin-Premier Tech team is thrilled to have him back, with team boss Christoph Roodhooft admitting they were disappointed he skipped Omloop last season. This year's event promises to be a thriller, with Van der Poel looking to make a statement in the season's first major cobbled classic. 

The Opening Weekend double-header continues on Sunday with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, giving Van der Poel another crack at glory. His form will be under close scrutiny, especially after a stellar cyclocross season. 

Van der Poel's been keeping busy, trading ski slopes for sunny Spain to train. Team boss Christoph Roodhooft reckons this break's been vital for his work-life balance.

“He has found an incredibly good balance. Sport takes a prominent place in it,” Roodhooft told Wieler. “He is willing to make sacrifices, can hurt himself incredibly during training and has somehow come to embrace that feeling.”

For cycling fans, the real season kicks off now, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad marking the start of the action in Europe's cycling heartland. The past month's races in sunnier spots like Australia and Spain were just a warm-up.

This weekend's Omloop is often a battle against the elements, with freezing conditions and challenging cobbles awaiting the riders. Mathieu van der Poel and co. are in for a treat.

Monumental Showdown Ahead

Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar are set to clash at Milan-San Remo, one of cycling's five Monuments, in three weeks. Their battles are always thrilling, and fans can't wait.

The duo will likely face off at a few one-day classics this season, with Milan-San Remo being the first major test. Van der Poel's Omloop performance will give us a glimpse of his form heading into the big one.

Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar are tied 2-2 in their head-to-head battles on cobbled Monuments. Van der Poel took the wins in Flanders 2022 and Paris-Roubaix 2025, while Pogacar dominated  Flanders in 2023 and 2025.

🪨 The cobbled classics season is here! 😍

🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel is the undisputed king of the cobbles in the current peloton - but there is fierce competition for the title of crown prince. 👑👀 pic.twitter.com/zOZeJfOlmJ

— Prestigelisten.dk (@prestigelisten) February 27, 2026

Their next showdown could be epic, with Milan-San Remo just around the corner. Van der Poel's form is looking sharp after his recent cyclocross wins, and Pogacar's hungry for redemption after finishing third last year 

Mathieu van der Poel's got a slight edge at Milan-San Remo, winning three of their five meetings. The Dutchman is a two-time champ there, while Pogacar's still waiting for his first win.

Pogacar's made it clear: Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix are top priorities for him this year. He's missing those two Monuments from his trophy cabinet, and he's going all out to grab them.

Van der Poel knew who to call 😆🪨

Mathieu Van der Poel enlisted the support of Classics icon, Greg Van Avermaet, to help him scout out critical cobbled sectors ahead of his imminent spring races 💪🏽

📸 Greg Van Avermaet pic.twitter.com/4ZK7vMwGPO

— Velon CC (@VelonCC) February 27, 2026

Van Aert's Spring Revival

Wout van Aert's looking sharp and ready to take on Van der Poel and Pogacar this spring. He showed promising form in cyclocross before a broken ankle cut his winter short.

Van Aert's targeting Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix as his main goals. His only Monument win came at Milan-San Remo in 2020, and he's hungry for more.

Wout van Aert (front) battled Mathieu van der Poel during a cyclo-cross race in 

Van Aert's a master of the cobbled classics, with wins at Omloop, Kuurne, E3, and Gent-Wevelgem. He's chasing that elusive Monument win, having settled for second in Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

He's lined up for Omloop, a grueling 208km from Gent to Ninove, packed with tough hills and cobbled sections. This is his kind of race.

Tom Pidcock, Britain's Olympic mountain bike champ, is set to take on the cobbles, alongside last year's top three: Soren Waerenskjold, Paul Magnier, and Jasper Philipsen. Former winner Dylan van Baarle's also in the mix.

Kuurne's usually a sprint finish, and Italy's Jonathan Milan's the one to beat. But Biniam Girmay, Christophe Laporte, Jasper Philipsen, and Kasper Asgreen are all in contention.