Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Will van der Poel Line Up?

With Omloop Het Nieuwsblad just around the corner, all eyes are on Mathieu van der Poel as cycling fans kibbitz over his participation in the Belgian season opener. As first reported by cyclinguptodate, the Dutch star has been pushing hard in Spain this week, notching up a long, tough outing on the Costa Blanca that could mean he’s getting ready to race.

A Strava file shared by training partner Freddy Ovett shows Van der Poel tackling roughly 157 km around the Denia region, climbing close to 2,700 m in nearly five hours in the saddle. A ride like that hints at serious preparation rather than a gentle warm‑up.

MvdP (road) season debut

Van der Poel has previously said any decision on Omloop would come late, and that window is now open. While that rough ride doesn’t confirm a start in Ghent, it suggests he’s sharpening form rather than winding down. Whether he ultimately lines up will be one of the biggest talking points heading into Opening Weekend. Because when van der Poel is there…it changes everything.

One person that will be there is long-time rival Wout van Aert. His condensed ‘cross season was going well, until it wasn’t. Namely at Zilvermeercross in Mol. Van Aert and van der Poel were duking it out–just like they have for a decade, before the Belgian went down. Hard. Van Aert hit the deck hard on a snowy corner.

“Of course I am very disappointed to have to end my cyclocross season like this,” Van Aert said after a trip to the hospital revealed a fractured ankle. “I was feeling better and better, including today in Mol. I was really looking forward to the race in Zonhoven and the Belgian championships. But my focus will now be on recovery and, later on, the preparation of the road season.”

But the good news was, he got back on the bike just a week or so after–which means he didn’t miss any training. His team confirmed he would be there for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad–and maybe Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, along with Le Samyn and Strade Bianche. During the 2025, van Aert took a memorable win at the “Strade Bianche”, when he outkicked Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates – XRG.)

There’s just one Canuck racing on Saturday–Guillaume Boivin, but a whole bunch of Canadian women.