Alex MacQuoid
Mathieu van der Poel has officially committed to his 2026 road debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this Saturday. The announcement marks the first time the Dutchman will contest the opening cobbled Classic of the season. Alpecin-Premier Tech confirmed the decision via social media after the rider completed his initial post-Cyclo-cross World Championships training block.
The squad previously withheld confirmation until Van der Poel felt race-ready following several weeks of preparation. This season opener places him in a high-caliber field featuring Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike and Tom Pidcock representing Pinarello-Q36.5. Other major contenders include Arnaud De Lie for Lotto-Intermarché and Biniam Girmay leadings NSN Pro Cycling. Alpecin-Premier Tech hunts their first victory in this specific event while Søren Wærenskjold of Uno-X Mobility returns to defend his title.
Read also: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 Odds
Complete 2026 Spring Classics Program
The remainder of the schedule follows a familiar path aimed at peak performance for the Monuments. After the Belgian opener, Van der Poel will utilize Tirreno-Adriatico as his primary conditioning race for Milano-Sanremo. His April campaign centers on the heaviest stones in professional cycling.
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- Tirreno-Adriatico (Preparation)
- Milano-Sanremo
- E3 Saxo Classic
- Middelkerke-Wevelgem
- Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Paris-Roubaix
MvdP spring campaign locked in. After a few solid weeks on the bike, he feels race-ready and will line up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The primary objectives for Alpecin-Premier Tech remain the defense of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix titles. Van der Poel leads a dual-threat roster alongside Jasper Philipsen to combat the collective strength of rivals like Soudal-QuickStep. Follow TipsGG for continuous updates as the cobbled season begins in Flanders.