Visma | Lease a Bike arrive at Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 with a formidable line-up designed to settle unfinished business. The Dutch team won this race in two of the last three years through Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgenson, but last year’s defeat stung. In 2025, despite fielding three potential winners in Wout van Aert, Jorgenson, and Tiesj Benoot, a tactical gamble on the sprint backfired when Neilson Powless crossed first.
This time, Visma | Lease a Bike bring van Aert, Matthew Brennan, Laporte, and Per Strand Hagenes. The team’s depth reflects their intent. Brennan has built significant momentum in 2026 and ranks among the most intriguing young prospects in the race.
Also read: Where to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026
The Route: Climbs and Cobbles Separate Contenders
Dwars door Vlaanderen has evolved from a supporting race into a WorldTour fixture since 2017. The winners’ roll call since then—van der Poel, van Baarle, Laporte, Jorgenson—confirms its prestige.
The 2026 course retains its selective character with modest changes. The opening 50 kilometres flatten across Flanders before the climb zone arrives around 47.5 kilometres. The real test begins after 65 kilometres.
The Knokteberg—also known as the Trieu—sits at the race’s crux. At 1.1 kilometres long with a 7.7 percent average gradient, it reaches 21 percent ramps near the summit. Crucially, the Hotond follows immediately, offering no recovery after the day’s hardest effort.
Cobbled sections pepper the route. The Maria Borrestraat spans 2.4 kilometres post-Hotond descent. A new obstacle, the Onderbossenaarstraat, bridges to the second passage of Berg Ten Houte. Later, the Eikenberg delivers 1,200 metres of cobbles at gradients up to 9 percent. The closing sectors in Doorn, the Huisepontweg, Nokereberg, and Herlegemstraat maintain relentless selection through to Waregem’s uphill finish.
Contenders Beyond Visma | Lease a Bike
Soudal Quick-Step harbor genuine ambitions. Paul Magnier leads their charge, with Dylan van Baarle—the 2021 winner—as backup. Lidl-Trek field the returning Mads Pedersen, while Alpecin-Premier Tech (without Mathieu van der Poel) rely on Jasper Philipsen and Tibor Del Grosso.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG possess Florian Vermeersch, a consistently strong performer, plus António Morgado. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe deploy Mick van Dijke, Tim van Dijke, Laurence Pithie, and Jan Tratnik. Groupama-FDJ center on Romain Grégoire.
EF Education-EasyPost miss defending champion Powless, who sits out spring entirely. The team pivots to Kasper Asgreen, Mikkel Honoré, and Luke Lamperti. Lotto-Intermarché pair Arnaud De Lie with Jenno Berckmoes. INEOS Grenadiers field Magnus Sheffield and Filippo Ganna.
Attacking riders with rouleur credentials—Daan Hoole and Alec Segaert—may probe from distance. Jonas Abrahamsen at Uno-X Mobility seeks his breakthrough. Dries De Bondt remains ever-dangerous for Jayco AluUla.
Race Conditions and Broadcast Details
Temperatures will stay below 10 degrees Celsius with a light shower possible. Wind has eased, ruling out echelon formation.
The race starts at 12:09 PM local time with a finish expected around 4:30 PM. Eurosport 1 broadcasts from 1:45 p.m., while Sporza on VRT 1 begins at 1:30 p.m. HBO Max carries coverage from 1:45 p.m.
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