You know the elite cycling season is gaining momentum when the list of attendees for the next event includes some of the biggest names in international competition – defending champion Tadej Pogacar, three-time winner Mathieu van der Poel and reigning Olympic gold-medalist Remco Evenepoel as a late addition to the roster.

Add in a lineup of talented challengers that features past world champion Mads Pedersen, multiple-discipline star Wout van Aert, cobblestone veteran Christophe Laporte and many more, and the second Monument of the 2026 season – the Tour of Flanders – goes from cobbled classic to instant classic.

This one-day race, which was held for the first time in 1913, is as rich with prestige and tradition as any other event on the calendar, and that’s supported by the fact that it’s included as one of the Flanders Classics and one of the five Monuments.  

The Tour of Flanders 2026 is set for April 5, and the day will feature a pair of races – one for men, and one for women.

The 2026 Tour of Flanders – Men will get underway at 4 a.m. Eastern and is expected to end at approximately 10:50 a.m. EDT. The 2026 Tour of Flanders – Women will kick off at 7:15 a.m. Eastern and conclude at 11:40 a.m. EDT.

Many of the competitors headed to the Tour of Flanders already have challenged themselves at the first two Flanders Classics of the season – In Flanders Fields (March 29) and Dwars door Vlaanderen (April 1) and have seen first-hand just what these races mean to the Belgian cyclists and fans. 

In fact, the Tour of Flanders, known locally as the Ronde van Vlaanderen, is considered by many to be an unofficial world championship. 

Others are coming from other races or just getting their 2026 seasons underway. 

Evenepoel, who is from Belgium and familiar with the area, waited until nearly the last possible minute to announce to the cycling world and his fellow competitors that he’d be making his debut at the Tour of Flanders, also marking his first major cobbled classic. 

Not long after making the announcement, he was out on the 278.2-kilometer course to prepare for the chaos ahead. 

The challenging 2026 route will begin in Antwerp and feature 16 cobbled climbs and seven flat cobbled sections, while the final 55 or so kilometers should be where this year’s champion is determined.

As the race winds down, the riders again will endure the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, two legendary climbs. 

Those who are able to pull ahead during the grueling day will face a flatter final 13 kilometers, where the winner in Oudenaarde in East Flanders could come from a breakaway group, a solo performance or a bunch sprint, as the terrain and winds can be as unpredictable as the outcome. 

In 2025, Pogacar collected his second win at the Tour of Flanders by soloing home a minute ahead of Pedersen and Van der Poel. Pogacar now will attempt to become the eighth three-time winner on the men’s side. 

The race was held for the first time in 1913 and will be celebrating its 110th edition in 2026, while the women’s race was added in 2004.

The 2026 women’s race will start and finish in in Oudenaarde, taking the riders on a 164.1-kilometer journey that will feature nine climbs and six cobbled sections. They also must face the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg combination and a flatter 13-kilometer run in to the finish. 

Among the women’s Tour of Flanders entries in 2026 will be defending champion Lotte Kopecky of Belgium, who has won three of the last four editions and became the first women to win three times. 

Kopecky also won in 2022 and 2023, and her record-setting victory in 2025 saw her outsprint Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Liane Lippert and Kasia Niewiadoma for the win. 

Other standouts include two-time Tour of Flanders winner Elisa Longo Borghini (2015, 2024), Marlen Reusser, who won the Dwars women’s race Sunday, 2026 Dwars runner-up Demi Vollering and 2026 In Flanders Fields champion Lorena Wiebes, who won that race for a third consecutive year. 

In the first 109 editions of the Tour of Flanders, the race was won by a Belgian rider 69 times, with the Netherlands next on the list with 13 victories. Seven riders have won the race three times, and another 12 have been victorious twice. Of those 19 riders, 14 are from Belgium.  

Van der Poel won the men’s Tour of Flanders in 2024, breaking free more than 40 kilometers from the finish. The victory made him the most recent three-time winner to go along with titles in 2020 and 2022.

See the complete routes and entry lists: Men | Women 

Schedule For Tour Of Flanders – Men 2026

The men’s race will begin at approximately 4 a.m. Eastern and finishing around 10:50 a.m. FloBikes coverage will start at 3:55 a.m. EDT.

How To Watch Tour Of Flanders – Men 2026

The Tour of Flanders – Men 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in the United States, U.S. territories and Canada. 

Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms. 

Schedule For Tour Of Flanders – Women 2026

The women’s race will begin at approximately 7:15 a.m. Eastern and finishing around 11:40 a.m. FloBikes coverage will start at 9:15 a.m. EDT.

How To Watch Tour Of Flanders – Women 2026

The Tour of Flanders – Men 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in the United States, U.S. territories and Canada. 

Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms. 

What Are The Races On The Flanders Classics Schedule?Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Men & Women; Saturday, Feb. 28)In Flanders Fields (formerly Gent-Wevelgem) (Men & Women; Sunday, March 29)Dwars door Vlaanderen (Men & Women; Wednesday, April 1)Tour of Flanders (Men & Women; Sunday, April 5)Scheldeprijs (Men & Women; Wednesday, April 8)Ronde van Limburg (Wednesday, April 15)De Brabantse Pijl (Men & Women; Friday, April 17)Amstel Gold Race (Sunday, April 19)Brussels Cycling Classic (Sunday, June 7)Vlaamse Druivenkoers Overijse (Wednesday, Aug. 26)What Are The Cycling Monuments?

These are the most prestigious one-day races on the annual cycling calendar. Each race features a journey between 240 and 300 kilometers.

These races are challenging and steeped in history and tradition.  

Milan – San RemoTour of FlandersParis-RoubaixLiège–Bastogne–Liège Giro di LombardiaEveryone’s Doubting Wout Van Aert… They Shouldn’t – Tour of Flanders 2026

Wout van Aert tests his form at Dwars door Vlaanderen ahead of Tour of Flanders 2026. 

Gregor Brown reports on-site from Belgium, from start to finish, to ask the cyclists, and Wout, is this year the home favorite wins De Ronde?

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