Date | February 28, 2026 |
Distance | 137.6km |
Start location | Gent |
End location | Ninove |
Previous winner | Lotte Claes (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) |
Previous edition |
Fierce fight between Demi Vollering vs Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney ends in a maiden victory for European champion
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for the first time, out-sprinting Polish champion Kasia NIewiadoma-Phinney after the pair escaped on the Muur van Geraardsbergen.
A crash in the peloton just before the climb foiled the chase, and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-ProTime) had to settle for third in the sprint.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women Information
The Spring Classics kicks off annually at Belgium's 'Opening weekend' with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and this year, it takes place on Saturday, February 28.
Now in its 21st edition, the race was upgraded from UCI ProSeries level to the Women's WorldTour in 2023.
Organisers Flanders Classics currently oversees six of the most popular Spring Classics, beginning with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and continuing with Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Tour of Flanders, Scheldeprijs and Brabantse Pijl.
Lotte Claes (Arkea-B&B Hotels) won the 2025 women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, outsprinting Aurela Nerlo (Winspace Orange Seal) in the streets of Ninove after a day-long breakaway. She was a surprise but deserved winner.
Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) beat Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) in the sprint for third, three minutes behind Claes and just ahead of what remained of the peloton.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women History
Opening Weekend is a two-race weekend on the women's calendar beginning at the top-tier Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women, held on Saturday in Belgium and Omloop van het Hageland on the Sunday.
This year marks the 21st edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women. The inaugural winner was Suzanne de Goede in 2006, who won again in 2009.
The one-day race has seen a host of champions on the top step of the podium, including Mie Lacota, Kirsten Wild, Emma Johansson (twice), Loes Gunnewijk, Tiffany Cromwell, Amy Pieters, Anna van der Breggen (twice), Lizzie Deignan, Lucinda Brand, Christina Siggaard, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak and Annemiek van Vleuten (twice) and Lotte Kopecky.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women Route
This year's route for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women adds two climbs in the decisive second half of the race.
The women's peloton will start in the 't Kuipke velodrome in Gent then take on 137.6km across the challenging cobbles and bergs of Flanders for the finish in Ninove.
Check out the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women's route map and profile plus the list of all the climbs.
Omloop het Nieuwsblad Women 2026 start list
Data powered by FirstCycling
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Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women28 February 2026 | Gent | Women's WorldTour
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Lack of sprint power and 'stupid pain' foils Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney yet again in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
'It's hard to be again watching the winner just in front of me' says Polish rider, beaten to the line by Demi Vollering -
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Live streams, TV channels, schedule for today's race
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'I expect a real spectacle' – Harsh conditions on the weather forecast for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Wind and rain expected for Saturday's Belgian season opener
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'I hope I can make it to the finale' – 19-year-old Imogen Wolff sets sights high for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad debut
'We're curious to see where she stands now' says Visma-Lease a Bike directeur Jos van Emden -
'The team’s management ultimately felt it made sense to include her' – Lotte Claes will defend her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title after all
Belgian will wear the number one dossard on Saturday after initially being left out of six-rider squad -
'We make agreements' – How Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky divide the spoils as they head into the Spring Classics
"In the end, it's most important that the team wins; if it's Lotte or me, the most important thing is that we support each other" says Wiebes
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'I'm hungry to race again and hungry to win' – Lotte Kopecky says goodbye to Tour de France leadership and brings 'wildcard' energy back to the Spring Classics
'It was nice to improvise for one year, but now I want to get back to what I'm good at' says three-time Tour of Flanders winner and Paris-Roubaix champion
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Five ways to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – From the familiar formulas to ways to outwit the competition
Attack early or wait until the Bosberg? Go it alone or back yourself in a sprint? We take a closer look at some of the ways the opening spring Classic can be decided
