Van Aert's setback and Verenshold's stunning victory at Omloop. Highlights of the week in cycling.

Race of the Week

On the first day of spring, the season of spring classics kicked off in Belgium. Traditionally, it was opened by Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – the first in a series of Flemish one-day races. The conclusion was rather unexpected – with Soren Verenschold taking the victory.

It cannot be said that the race was dull. There were plenty of attacks, and the selection was quite serious. However, towards the end, after passing Bosberg, the pace in the leading group noticeably dropped, and the peloton began to see some stragglers. The finale turned into a mass sprint, where the Norwegian rider unexpectedly outpaced Jasper Philipsen himself.

This marks Verenschold's second victory of the current season: earlier in February, he won a stage of the French stage race Étoile de Bessèges. Overall, it can be said that the 24-year-old rider from UnoX delivered the most significant win for his team in its relatively short history.

The aforementioned Philipsen finished third. The Belgian didn’t appear very sharp or fast in the sprint – a logical continuation of the UAE Tour, where he had been overshadowed by Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to create a drama over Philipsen’s sprint performances. The rider from Alpecin Deceuninck had warned before Omloop that he was focusing on the classics this spring, which might affect his sprinting sharpness. Given how convincingly the Belgian tackled the hellingen, there’s reason to believe his words. If Jasper wins another Monument this season (let's remember he was the champion of Milan – San Remo last season), it can be asserted that all this effort was certainly not in vain.

French prodigy Paul Magnier finished in second place, showing a winning speed, but he had to fight his way from the back and broke through to open space too late. Like Verenschold, the 20-year-old rider from Soudal Quick Step also won a stage of Étoile de Bessèges earlier in February. It seems that a new super talent is emerging from the now ex-team of Patrick Lefevere, capable of becoming both a top sprinter and a star of the spring classics. Undoubtedly, Magnier is one of those riders who will be incredibly interesting to follow this spring.

The race did not go well for current Belgian champion Arnaud De Lie. He faced bike issues, and the rider from Lotto had to expend considerable effort to return to the peloton. However, with 27 km to go, De Lie hit a severe crisis and literally fell out of the main group on the flat. This situation is either due to lack of food or poor form – such a collapse cannot be explained merely by chasing the peloton after a mechanical issue. De Lie was adequately supported by his teammate Brent Van Moer, who finished fourth.

Wout Van Aert also had a disappointing race. The star Belgian was a key bet for Visma Lease a Bike, with Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot working for him. However, Wout only finished 11th: in the final sprint, he faced issues with both positioning and pure speed.

Earlier in the race, Van Aert also did not impress. About 40 km from the finish, the peloton split into two parts, and Wout found himself in the second group. After the groups merged on the decisive section of the hills of Muur van Geraardsbergen/Bosberg, the Belgian remained passive, giving the impression that he was operating at the limit of his capabilities. It seems that Van Aert’s return to peak form following a long and challenging period of setbacks in his career will not be as swift and easy as he would hope.

For some time, it seemed that everything would conclude not with a mass sprint but with a solo victory for Stefan Küng. The Swiss rider attacked about 10 km from the finish, taking advantage of the leadership crisis in the peloton and extending his lead to almost 20 seconds. In classics, such a situation often becomes a death sentence for the main group. However, this time, the peloton managed to organize itself in time and caught up with Küng. Frankly speaking, if the rider from Groupama FDJ had been even slightly fresher, the peloton would have faced significant problems.

Immediately after Küng, Matteo Trentin launched a solo counterattack. This move from the Italian veteran was rather strange, considering that the rider from Tudor Cycling is quite a decent sprinter, especially in the context of fatigue. Trentin was caught much quicker than Küng, and he ultimately finished in 12th place.

Approximately 50 km from the finish, Joshua Tarling attacked from the peloton. The Brit spent a long time hanging between the breakaway and the main group and ultimately achieved nothing with his attack. His young teammate, Samuel Watson, finished fifth.

Last year's winner, Jan Tratnik, did not fare well in the race. With 17 km to go, the Slovenian rider from Red Bull Bora suffered a puncture. A very unfortunate moment, considering that the peloton was just preparing for the assault on Muur van Geraardsbergen – the speed was very high, and there was no chance of returning to the group. As a result – 57th place with a deficit of 1 minute and 56 seconds.

Next Week

Next Saturday, March 8, one of the most prestigious one-day races of the season – Strade Bianche – will take place in Italy. On Sunday, March 9, the famous French stage race Paris – Nice will start. Look for separate previews for each of these races on the champion.

News Digest

– One of the key riders of Lidl Trek, Soren Kragh Andersen, underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor. The start of the season for the Danish rider has been postponed to April, most likely to its second half.

– The organizers of the Tour de France officially announced that in 2026 the race will start in Barcelona. The first two stages will take place in Catalonia, each finishing on the climb near the Olympic Stadium of Montjuïc. The first stage will be a team time trial of 19.7 km. This format will appear in the route of the Grande Boucle for the first time since 2019.

– There are also active rumors in the media that in 2027 the Tour de France will begin in Leeds. The race last started in England in 2014.

– Rabobank will return to the world of cycling this summer after nearly 13 years of absence. The Dutch bank will once again sponsor the team Visma Lease a Bike, of which Rabobank was the title sponsor from 1996 until the end of 2012. How much additional funding this partnership will bring to the team is currently unknown.

– Tadej Pogačar continues to fuel rumors about his possible debut at Paris – Roubaix. "When I got to know the route, I saw that I could do it," said the Slovenian rider from UAE Emirates.