34km
10:58
Watt monster Dillier
Silvan Dillier (Alpecin–Deceuninck) can now be seen at the front. He will try to get into the top group too. This is reminiscent of Milan-Sanremo: there, two weeks ago, Dillier drove tirelessly for hours in the wind. Does the team around favorite Mathieu van der Poel already feel called upon to control the pace? We’ll see if this idea works.
29km
10:53
Mads Pedersen
What role can Mads Pedersen and his Lidl-Trek team play today? With the German Max Walscheid as well as Teutenberg and Vacek, he has three extremely strong helpers around him. After his crash at the Tour of Valencia, Pedersen himself is happy to be there at all. In top condition he is definitely a candidate for the top 5. That is not to be expected today.
26km
10:51
attack
Tomáš Kopecký (Unibet Rose Rockets) makes a small attack. Two other drivers follow him. It won’t take long for them to catch up or subside.
24km
10:45
Peloton in Temse
Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), who had a strong spring season, highlights in the interview before the departure how strong the three riders Pogačar, van Aert and van der Poel are compared to the rest. Trentin himself has his sights set on a top 10 finish.
18km
10:34
Project Leading Group
The wildcard teams are Burgos Burpellet BH and Team Flanders–Baloise. Both are constantly trying to stay at the front and place riders in the breakaway group. In addition to van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL), Sam Welsford (INEOS Grenadiers), Colby Simmons (EF Education–EasyPost) and Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) were also seen there.
11km
10:30
Wind conditions
The riders currently still have a headwind, but there should be a tailwind on the last 13 kilometers, which are mostly flat. Accordingly, the drivers are currently interested in breaking away in a larger group. However, a clear picture is not yet emerging.
7km
10:21
Scan
The first ten drivers mostly belong to the debut teams, the so-called wildcards. The watchdogs of the big teams can already be seen behind them. Nils Politt takes on this role for the UAE Emirates XRG team. Drivers from the Alpecin–Deceuninck team can also be seen. You want to keep a close eye on who wants to hang out in a group here.
1km
10:08
Sharp start
Let’s go! The red flag is blowing in the wind, the 110th edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026 is hereby officially opened, the furling is complete. Happy Easter here. Buckle up and enjoy!
09:58
Neutralized start
The neutralized launch has just occurred. The professionals have set off in Antwerp and are rolling together through the city streets. Numerous fans are already lining the route and creating a great atmosphere as you roll in. Cycling fans who arrived by train in particular have already experienced a real highlight: the Antwerp-Centraal train station is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
09:39
Wout van Aert as the laughing fourth?
The big three or the big four? In addition to Pogačar, van der Poel and Evenepoel, the name Wout van Aert (Visma – Lease a Bike) also comes up. At the press conference, however, he made it clear that he would not classify himself there and even described the classification as a bit exaggerated. He himself sees the reigning world champion, Tadej Pogačar, as the absolute favorite due to his performances at Strade Bianche and Milan–San Remo. In addition, van Aert was able to make a strong impression at the Dwars door Vlaanderen that took place during the week, but was again unable to reward himself and ultimately came second.
09:38
The favorites
The biggest surprise is probably the participation of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe). There was a lot of media discussion about it, and Remco was spotted at Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont a few weeks ago. It is his first participation. In addition to Evenepoel, for many there can only be two winners: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin – Premier Tech) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE – Emirates – XRG). They have won five of the last six editions. Pogačar twice, van der Poel even three times.
09:36
Phase II and III
When you reach the halfway point of the race, the more selective part of the route begins. The first key climb is at the Oude Kwaremont. This will subsequently be used two more times, later in combination with the Paterberg. Here the race begins to become increasingly tough and the first favorites could reveal their cards.
The decisive phase of the race with the Koppenberg starts around 50 kilometers from the finish. This is followed again by Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, the combination that has often made the preliminary decision in recent years. From the last climb it is still about 13 kilometers to the finish in Oudenaarde. The announced tailwind on this section could play a tactically important role.
09:11
Route and phase I
Basically we just have to remember three names: Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg and Koppenberg. These are sometimes ridden two or three times and have decided the outcome of the race in recent years. In total there are six cobblestone sectors and 16 toxic climbs to tackle.
The first half of the race is mostly flat and has no significant climbs. Accordingly, outlier groups are likely to shape events. While the wildcard teams will use this phase to show their presence in the leading group, for the big teams it is primarily about controlling the race and strategically positioning the helpers.
08:53
Good morning and a warm welcome!
Good morning and a very warm welcome! This year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen runs a toxic 278.2 kilometers from Antwerp to Oudenaarde. The neutralized launch is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. with estimated arrival around 4:30 p.m.
