Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the first European WorldTour race of the season and the highlight of the famous ‘Opening Weekend’ – two days that kick off the Spring Classics season that runs all the way up to Ardennes Week in late April.
Replete with bergs and cobbles, ‘Omloop’ as it is often abbreviated to, is a mini Tour of Flanders, giving riders and fans a taste of the biggest races still to come.
Quick guide to watching Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026
What to expect at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The women’s race features nine classified climbs, or ‘bergs’, and seven sectors of pavé over a distance of 137km (85 miles), while the men’s race is longer, with a 207km (128.6 miles) distance, 12 bergs and 13 cobbled sectors.
Numerous climbs on both routes have been made famous by the Tour of Flanders, with the Muur-Kapelmuur at Geraardsbergen, followed by the Bosberg, rounding the race off for both men and women, before a 10km time trial to the finish.
The men’s and women’s races were won last year by Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) and Lotte Claes (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), who are both returning this year – though Claes will now be wearing the colours of her new Fenix-Premier Tech team.
Can I watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for free?
Fans in Belgium can watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for free thanks to Sporza and VRT.
The public broadcaster in Flemish-speaking Belgium has loads of the Classics, most of which go out on TV, on the VRT Max streaming platform, and simply on the Sporza website.
It isn’t just free in Belgium either, with Dutch streaming service NOS also broadcasting the race.
Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you’re not in Belgium or the Netherlands right now then you’ll need a VPN to access the coverage — more on that below.
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad while abroad
If you’re abroad while Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is on, you’re unlikely to be able to watch your usual streaming channels due to geo-restrictions. However, thanks to VPN, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to watch the race.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
Unsure? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the UK
In the UK, the race will be shown on TV on TNT Sports 3 and can be streamed via Discovery. This will cost you £30.99 a month, although TNT Sports does come packaged in some TV deals.
If you happen to be abroad when Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is on, you can watch the race hassle-free with a VPN. Simply download a VPN, set the country to your home location and stream as usual – more details below.
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the US and Canada
Flobikes has a deal with race organiser Flanders Classics and will show Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in both the USA and Canada on Saturday. Subscriptions cost US$29.99 a month or CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans.
The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.
What time is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 on?
UK coverage of the first cobbled classic will begin on TNT Sports 3 and Discovery+ from 12pm GMT. Coverage of the women’s race begins at 3pm GMT.
In the US, the men’s race will be on from 7.40 EST on FloBikes, which will begin its coverage of the women’s race at 10.10 EST.
Who to watch at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026
The first cobbled classic of the season is attracting big names as ever with both Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) making their seasonal debuts.
The sprinters involved include Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché), and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling).
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