Last year, the wet and bitterly cold edition was won by Ian Stannard (Team Sky), who got the better of the arguably superior sprinter Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) simply by staying warmer.
The race, together with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is as much a test of toughness as it is fitness, and bad weather has forced the cancellation of both races in the past. But even when raced in good conditions, the difficulty of the distance and the parcours provides a platform for the ambitious to gain impressive early season results.
2014 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite | 2013 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite | 2012 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite | Race history
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Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite28 February 2015 | Belgium | 1.HC
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Boonen: We should have waited for the sprintAnother Omloop opportunity slips away for Etixx-QuickStep -
Lefevere laments Stannard’s tactics in Omloop Het NieuwsbladEtixx-QuickStep manager pleased with team performance -
Stannard: Everything aligned for me to win Het NieuwsbladSky man upsets Etixx-QuickStep to retain crown
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Van Avermaet: I didn’t do anything wrongBelgian linked to Dr. Mertens inquiry ahead of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad -
Start gallery: Omloop Het NieuwsbladVan Avermaet case casts shadow on start in Ghent
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Van Avermaet set to ride Omloop Het Nieuwsblad despite doping allegationsBMC rider set to give answers in Mertens doping case
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News shorts: Jalabert linked with Dr Ferrari once moreSagan looks for season's first win at Strade Bianche, Vaminolact found in Meeusen’s camper -
Winning all five Monuments remains a goal for GilbertBelgian will again forgo Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in 2015 -
Wiggins comes full circle at Omloop Het NieuwsbladSky man begins Paris-Roubaix countdown in Belgium
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Ellingworth plots Team Sky’s road to Classics successCan British squad end their Monuments hoodoo?
