Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2023 Men - Live coverage

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. 

Whether you’re the kind of fan who believes that this is when the road season really begins, or have been following the racing religiously in the early events that have been taking place across the globe these past couple of months, we can all surely agree one on thing: that Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is always one of the most exciting races of the spring. 

And they're off - the spring classics have officially begun!

An all-important question for any Het Nieuwsblad is: what’s the weather like? What with its February time slot, all manner of weather has affected it in the past, from torrential downpours to freezing cold snow But this year’s edition looks set to be mild, with the riders setting off under blue skies and a reasonable, albeit nippy, temperature. 

A group of seven has broken out of the peloton, among them former Paris-Tours and Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Jelle Wallays

193km remaining

The peloton seem content with the break, and have allowed them to gain over two minutes already

Here's the seven-man break in full:

Jelle Wallays (Cofidis), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar), Louis Blouwe (Bingoal WB), Adam de Vos (Human Powered Health), Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa Samsic), Alex Colman and Gilles De Wilde (both Team Flanders-Baloise)

It won’t be too long ‘till we hit our first cobbled sector of the day: Haaghoek, tackled 36.2km into the stage. That’s followed shortly by the day’s first climb, the Leberg, before a lengthy lull until the next one.

Here's a complete list of the day's climbs...

Leberg (39.2km) 

Kattenberg (108.7km) 

Leberg (118.3km) 

Hostellerie (135.3km) 

Valkenberg (143.2km) 

Wolvenberg (153.7km) 

Molenberg (166.1km) 

Leberg (173.6km) 

Berendries (177.7km) 

Elverenberg Vossenhol (180.1km) 

Muur-Kappelmuur (191.6km) 

Bosberg (195.5km) 

...and here are all of the cobbled sectors:

Haaghoek (36.2km) 

Lange Munte (93.2km) 

Holleweg (109.5km) 

Haaghoek (115.2km) 

Paddestraat (124.4km) 

Holleweg (151.1km) 

Kerkgate (157.3km) 

Jagerij (159.9km) 

Haaghoek (170.6km) 

So who’s going to win today? Wout van Aert triumphed at a canter twelve months ago, but he’s not riding today, and neither is his adversary Mathieu van der Poel. In their absence the race looks very open - have a read here to see who to look out for.

Two riders who certainly won't be winning today are Australians Luke Durbdirdge (Jayco-AlUla) and Tom Scully (EF Education-EasyPost). Both failed to make the start after falling ill.

175km

The peloton are still taking things very easily for now. The break's advantage has grown to around six minutes.

The leaders are now climbing for the first time, up the 1km-long Leberg

There have been a few abandonments already: Michael Schär (AG2R Citroën), Patrick Bevin (DSM), and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers). That’s a shame for the young Briton, who was an outside bet for victory today following his breakthrough spring campaign last year, and promising early season form recently.

It seems these riders were involved in a crash - an occupational hazzard of the spring classics, even in mild weather like today.

The weather may not quite be as accommodating as it appeared at the start of the day. There are dark patches of cloud in the sky, the wind has picked up, and most of the riders are wearing arm and leg warmers.

145KM REMAINING

While the riders make their way to the next cobbled sector, which is still another 30km from now, why not have a read of some of our features on this year’s Het Nieuwsblad?

Here we consider the positives and negatives of reaching form early for this race, for riders who are targeting the monument cobbled classics in the spring. Notoriously, the rider who wins Het Nieuwsblad never seems to go on to also win the Tour of Flanders in the same season.

Interestingly, the ending has moved for this year’s edition to Elisabethlaan. As a draggier, uphill finish, that would change the complexion of a sprint finish should the race end that way - which, given the likelihood of a headwind forcing itself upon any attackers in the finale, is certainly a possibility.

The women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is also set to get underway shortly. Here’s our rundown of the riders to watch

125KM REMAINING

Team Jayco AlUla’s Chris Juul-Jensen has jumped out of the peloton, and is now a minute ahead. Quite what his plan is though is anyone’s guess - he’s still got over four minutes to make up on the break.

A reminer of the seven riders in the lead, as they approach the Lange Munte cobbled sector: Jelle Wallays (Cofidis), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar), Louis Blouwe (Bingoal WB), Adam de Vos (Human Powered Health), Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa Samsic), Alex Colman and Gilles De Wilde (both Team Flanders-Baloise)

A victory for one of the riders in the early breakaway may seem very remote, but it’s worth considering the career of Jelle Wallays. He has made a trademark of successful long-range attacks, winning the 2014 Paris-Tours from getting into the day’s first breakaway, and winning a stage of the 2018 Vuelta a Espana in much the same way.

Winning via a move like the one Chris Juul-Jensen has tried, however, really is impossible. And he seems to have realised this now, and has been reabsorbed by the peloton. 

117KM REMAINING

We're almost half-way into the race now, and the leading seven are about to hit the Lange Munte cobbles. 

The peloton are now on the Lange Munte cobbles, still over seven minutes adrift from the leaders.

Meanwhile, over in the middle-east, stage six of the UAE Tour has just concluded. To find out who won, see here

The race is on now, as Jumbo-Visma have picked up the pace in the peloton.

Jumbo-Visma’s pace has caused a split in the bunch, with their leaders Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle all at the forefront. The likes of Arnaud De Lie, Magnus Sheffield are also present.

Jumbo-Visma may be missing their main man Wout Van Aert, but as the names pushing on right now show,, there’s is a formidable classics line-up, further bolstered by the signing of Paris-Roubaix winner Van Baarle for this season.

Along with the 6 Jumbo-Visma riders (Laporte, Van Baarle, Benoot, Van Hooydonck and Van Dijke) are 8 others: Fred Wright, Arnaud De Lie, Pascal Ackermann, Marco Haller, Magnus Sheffield, Daan Hoole, Kelland O’Brien and Connor Swift.

90KM REMAINING

Six of those riders have now gone clear from the rest: Van Hooydonck, Tratnik, Wright, Haller, O’Brien and Swift. It seems the bigger names have deemed this too early to commit, with 90km still to ride.

All this action has seen the leading group’s advantage diminish to less than three minutes to the chase group, and about four minutes to the peloton.

80KM REMAINING

The gap between the leading seven and the chasing six is now 2-30, and four minutes between the leaders and the peloton

The peloton are bearing back down as Lotto-Dstny are forcing the pace on the current sector of cobbles.

The peloton is flying along now. They’ve reduced their deficit to the Tratnik group to 1 minute, and two minutes to the leaders, and there have been more splits further down the bunch.

The climbs are coming thick and fast now, as the leaders begin the Hostellerie. The riders still look pretty cold though, with arm warmers worn by many.

A crash in the peloton has seen Tim ‘the tractor’ Declercq hit the deck going round a tight corner. It’s taken him a while to remount, too. That’s a big blow for Soudal-QuickStep, who so often rely on the Belgian to control the pace in the peloton.

70KM REMAINING

The peloton are now just 20 seconds away from the half a dozen chasers, with Soudal-QuickStep setting the pace.

65KM REMAINING

The peloton is strung out in one long line, and have caught the six. Expect some action the Valkenberg, which the break are tackling now.

Now that group has been caught, the peloton has eased off a little, and are bunched together on the Valkenberg. No attacks were attempted, and the break’s lead is still 1-22.

60KM REMAINING

Lots of teams are massing at the front of the peloton, but it remains bunched with no team seizing control. The gap is now 1-40.

Still seven more climbs to go, starting with the Wolvenberg up next. When will the favourites make their move?

An intense battle for position for the tight right-hander leading into the Holleweg cobbled sector. The road narrows significantly, and some riders almost come to a complete halt, including Dylan Van Baarle.

55KM REMAINING

Jumbo-Visma lead the peloton on the cobbles, despite Van Baarle now being towards the back. The defecit to the leaders is down to 45 seconds, and the catch is surely imminent. 

Jan Tratnik and Fred Wright both accelerate on the Wolvenberg, joined by Lotto’s Florian Vermeersch. They’ve failed to get a gap, however. 

Arnaud De Lie has had a problem going round a corner, briefly hitting the deck. He got back up immediately and is chasing back up, but has had to have a bike change. The young Belgian is considered a favourite following his electric start to the season.

Bike change for Oliver Naesen. He’ll have to chase back on like De Lie, who himself is still working his way back up to the strung out bunch.

More problems for Lotto-Dstny as Jasper De Buyst is involved in a crash. Two other riders are down and sat on the curbside.

45KM REMAINING

Wallays, Norsgaard and Le Berre are now all that’s left of the breakaway, with the others having dropped back and drifting towards the peloton. They still have 30 seconds on the Jumbo-Visma lead peloton.

De Lie is back in the peloton, aided by an easing of the pace. 

Bit if a surprise now as Peter Sagan is dropped out the back, despite the lull in the pace. This will of course be the Slovak's last ever Omloop Het Nieuwsblad before he retires at the end of the year

Another crash round a corner, this time involving Anthony Turgis, one of the most impressive riders from the 2021 spring.

40KM REMAINING

A strong group is going away on the Molenberg cobbled climb. Laporte, Tim Wellens, Tom Pidcock and Stefan Kung are all there, and have been joined by a resurgent De Lie.

The final remaining trio of leaders were absorbed by that group on the Molenberg, and that group has swelled in a desperate scramble to stay in the race. 

38KM REMAINING

Dylan van Baarle has attacked from that group, with three riders following. Behind, a group of about 40 riders have come back together

With Van Baarle are Florian Vermeersch, Jonathan Milan and Mathis Le Berre. The four are working well together and have a lead of about 17 seconds. Jasper Stuyven and Kevin Geniets are between the leaders and the reduced peloton.

Geniets and Stuyven have been joined by another four riders: Jan Tratnik, Rui Oliveira, Brent Van Moer and Nils Eekhoff. They;re 45 seconds behind the leaders, but only ten seconds ahead of the peloton

35KM REMAINING

The leaders are on Berendries, one of the most significant climbs of the race

Van Baarle sets a fierce pace on the climb, and Milan is being dropped. Meanwhile the immortal Greg Van Avermaet is leading the peloton, and has brought back the chasing group

Van Baarle's pace has been enough to keep the leaders' advantage at about 50 seconds. It's been as especially good job from Le Berre to stay with him, considering he was in the original break. Milan seems to have been dropped for good

Tim Wellens accelerates up Elverenberg Vossenhol, but is surrounded by yellow Jumbo-Visma jerseys, marking the move for Van Baarle. Now Tom Pidcock tries, but meets the same fate of being marked by Jumbo-Visma

Vermeersch has also been dropped out front, meaning only Le Berre is left with Van Baarle. 

Jumbo-Visma are playing a blinder, spread out across the road at the front of the peloton and helping prevent an organised chase as well as marking any attacks.

25KM REMAINING

There's only 25km to go, but there's still two major climbs to come - the infamous Muur-Kappelmuur, followed by the Bosberg. Van Baarle and Le Berre's lead is 45 seconds It's going to be an exciting finale. 

Bahrain-Victorious are leading the chase in the peloton, with three riders present at the front, but the gap remains steady at between 40 - 45 seconds

Jan Tratnik's had to have a bike change. But it's been a good day's work for Jumbo-Visma's new signing, who's been very active at the front

Soudal-QuickStep also have numbers towards the front of the peloton, but are biding their time and leaving it to Bahrain-Victorious to set the pace

20KM REMAINING

The gap is still 40 seconds. It's significant, but could be obliterated in no time on a climb as hard as the Muur

Milan and Vermeersch are still between the leading duo and the peloton

Bahrain-Victorious are doing a great job on the run-in, and have reduced the gap to 30 seconds as Van Baarle and Le Berre begin the climb

Van Baarle drops Le Berre on the climb

Wellens attacks out of the peloton on the Muur, taking Mohoric with him. Vermeersch and Milan have been caught.

Van Baarle reaches the top, Wellens and Mohoric are in pursuit De Lie a few seconds behind

Many riders further down the climb have resroted to walking up the climb

15KM REMAINING

Wellens, Mohoric and De Lie have joined together on the descent - but, crucially, have been joined by Van Baarle's teammate Laporte. 

Van Baarle's lead is still 15 seconds ahead of this quartet. The presence of Laporte will frustrate the other three, as he has a licence to sit on and do no work

A big group have formed behind the chasing quartet, but don't look at all organised

Now Van Baarle is on the Bosgerg. Can the chasers catch him?

Van Baarle is over the top and still has a lead of 15 seconds, and is out of sight. It's looking good for the Dutchman

10KM REMAINING

Van Baarle's lead is 17 seconds over the chasers, and 35 over the peloton. It will take an organised chase to bring him back

There are still about 25 riders in the peloton, so there are still numbers if they work together. Magnus Sheffield is currently leading, helping teammate Tom Pidcock

There are quick finishers still in the reduced peloton, including former winner Davide Ballerini, and Alexander Kristoff.

7km to go, Van Baarle still has 17 seconds on the chasers, and 40 seconds on the peloton

EF EducationEasyPost have four riders in the peloton, and have taken over the chase

5KM REMAINING

Van Baarle still looking good, and his lead over the chasers has increased to 25 seconds. But can he hold on as he turns into a headwind?

It's not very windy out there, and Van Baarle doesn't seem to be having much problem maintaining his advantage

3KM REMAINING

Just 3km to go and Van Baarle now has 30 seconds over the chasers and 43 seconds over the peloton. It looks like he's going to do it...

Van Baarle is peering over his shoulder as he passess under the 2km to go banner, and he's seeing daylight - the chasers are still 30 seconds adrift

Into the last kilometre now, and he knows he's won it

Dylan van Baarle wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad!

And the chasers are set to be caught just before the line...

De Lie still has enough to take second though

And Laporte finished third, meaning there will be two Jumbo-Visma riders on the podium - apt reward after the blinder they played today

That was Van Baarle's first race in Jumbo-Visma colours, and his first spring classic since the career-defining Paris-Roubaix triumph of last year.

While De Lie and Laporte were rewarded for their effors by making the podium, Wellens and Mohoric faded into the bunch on the finishing straight. 

The racing here in Belgium isn't done yet for today - don't forget to follow the women's Het Nieuwsblad, which is now into its final 45km

This was ultimatley Van Baarle's day, but Arnaud De Lie certainly lived up the hype. To still have the legs to sprint for second, having committed so much to the chase beforehand, and having crashed earlier in the day, was seriously impressive from the 20-year-old. It seems Belgium has another a star on their hands. 

Dylan van Baarle takes solo victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

1 Dylan van Baarle

2 Arnaud De Lie at 0-20

3 Christophe Laporte

4 Alexander Kristoff

5 Tom Pidcock

6 Davide Ballerini

7 Nils Politt

8 Andrea Pasqualon

9 Rui Oliveira

10 Sep Vanmarcke all st

Ineos Grenaiders and Soudal-Quick Step managed to place riders in the top six, but it's fair to say they both totally outclassed by Jumbo-Visma today. It seems a changing of the guard has taken place, with the Dutch team now the strongest on the cobbles. And to think, Wout Van Aert wasn't even riding today. They will be difficult to stop this spring.

Thanks for joining us today. Be sure to tune in again tomorrow for part two of Opening Weekend: Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.