Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year's Spring Classics – Analysis

Just days before the curtain rose on the Spring Classics at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, in what now feels like a prophecy, Demi Vollering told the press that to win races this season, she and her FDJ United-SUEZ teammates would lean on their growing team cohesion, camaraderie, and a sense of unity.

Having joined the French team last year, Vollering and her teammates now have one season of racing together under their belts, and while they've already managed a lot of success, that shared experience is continuing to pay off in 2026. And in the block of racing as demanding as the Spring Classics, it is precisely that unity that will be as crucial as physical strength and technical skill.

There can be no clearer picture of FDJ United-SUEZ's cohesion than watching their masterclass at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, which saw Elise Chabbey in the breakaway, Franziska Koch guide the team into the Muur van Geraardsbergen, and Vollering launch her attack over the steepest part.

That teamwork was critical to the race's outcome, where Vollering sealed the victory by out-sprinting rival Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) to the line in Ninove.

While FDJ United-SUEZ delivered a flawless team performance at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the next day, Charlotte Kool – racing in her new colours of Fenix-Premier Tech – sprinted to the victory at the long-running Omloop van het Hageland in Tielt-Winge.

The contrast between the two events highlights the wide range of talent capable of winning during the Spring Classics. And it's that depth in the peloton that makes team cohesion an even more valuable asset for every squad on the start line.

A lot of the pre-season conversation may have been centred on how SD Worx-Protime teammates Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky would split the spoils across one-day races, both with similar targets.

Instead, their best place was third at Omloop, where Kopecky was delayed by a mechanical behind a late-race crash, and Wiebes won the chase group sprint, crossing the line 21 seconds behind the two leaders.

Elsewhere, Opening Weekend delivered some surprises. Movistar's rising talent Cat Ferguson finished fourth in Ninove, with UAE Team ADQ's Karlijn Swinkels sixth.

In Tielt-Winge, the latter's teammate Lara Gillespie was second behind Kool. These performances illustrate the peloton's growth and rising level, and the promise of more dynamic racing during the Spring Classics.

We can expect to see similar patterns across most of the major one-day races this season: Grand Tour champions like Vollering, Niewiadoma-Phinney, who struggled with knee pain after hitting her handlebars during Omloop het Nieuwsblad, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar), lining up against the top sprinters like Kool, Wiebes, and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), who had an unfortunate crash at Omloop van het Hageland, along with 'wildcards' like Kopecky, and everything in between.

Each type of rider will undoubtedly bring a different skillset to the same unforgiving racing terrain.

And isn't this the beauty of the Spring Classics?

At times, cycling's leading riders appear to swing between extremes, targeting major one-day races or Grand Tours. The Spring Classics, however, provide a stage where versatility can flourish and where athletes don't need to choose; they can excel at both.

From Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and Milan-San Remo in Italy to the famed cobbled roads of Flanders, the pavé of Paris-Roubaix, and the hills of the Ardennes Classics, the Spring Classic will offer racing dynamics we don't get to see anywhere else in the racing season.

And while no one wants to see the outcome of the races being decided by bad luck, there will be ample unpredictable variables – many already witnessed during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – from treacherous weather, mechanical setbacks, crashes and injuries (knock on wood), and even the odd untimely train crossing.

If Opening Weekend showed us a glimpse of what's in store for the Spring Classics, it highlighted the women's peloton's depth, from veteran champions to emerging talents and rising teams that are prepared to take on one of cycling's most demanding terrains, and the importance of strength, skill and versatility.

However, FDJ United-SUEZ demonstrated that team unity and their "connected minds" will be the biggest advantage during this season's Spring Classics.

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