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2026-02-28T17:55:59.055Z
Thanks for joining us for the live coverage today, be sure to check out all our other coverage from this and all the other races going on this weekend.
While today was an excellent example of a leader finishing off a well exceuted tactical plan, it was also exciting and bodes well for the rest of the season.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) after winning the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T17:49:40.803Z
You can read our full race report here.
2026-02-28T17:39:33.225Z
There’s no Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne for women, but Opening Weekend continues with Omloop van het Hageland. A third tier, 1.1 race, most of the WorldTeams will field changed rosters and we’ll get to see some of the smaller Continental Teams take part.
2026-02-28T17:35:04.175Z
Another notable ride was that of Nina Berton (EF Education-Oatly) who followed Chabbey’s move then held onto the chasing group to take an excellent 9th place.
The 24-year-old Luxembourger has been highly rated for a while and is developing well, expect to see more of her in the Classics.
2026-02-28T17:21:58.774Z
Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ) attacks to form the late breakaway which proved so vital to the team’s tactical plan.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T17:17:44.975Z
People have grown used to SD Worx-Protime dominating the Classics, but times have changed. Anna van der Breggen doesn’t have the punch to follow on the Muur, while Wiebes isn’t yet enough of a climber.
Kopecky may have the attributes to challenge the Vollering move, but bad luck put her out of contention in only her first race of 2026. We’ll see how that develops as the season progresses.
2026-02-28T17:13:43.789Z
Behind Vollering, FDJ United-SUEZ executed a perfect race, placing Franziska Koch, Juliette Berthet and Elise Chabbey in the top 15.
Their tactics were spot on, Chabbey instigating the late break and Koch’s powerful move dropping Vollering in the perfect position to take the win.
2026-02-28T17:08:46.688Z
Only 19-years-old, Cat Ferguson (Movistar) was riding her first Omloop Het Nieuwsblad first, so will be encouraged by her fourth place. Finishing behind Wiebes in the sprint is no shame, and being able to compete in the final at such a young age is an achievement in itself.
2026-02-28T17:02:55.845Z
One of the riders expected to be at the sharp end of the race was Lotte 2023 winner, Lotte Kopecky. However, a damaged bike saw her out of contention before the race reached the Muur.
2026-02-28T17:00:40.837Z
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney) making the race winning move on the Muur-Kapelmuur (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T16:55:25.255Z
“It feels good, it was really nice to finish it off here today. I thought that I would do it, but still to do it makes me proud,” Vollering continued.
2026-02-28T16:52:22.992Z
“On the Muur it was the plan to do full gas,” said Vollering. “In the end we were a bit stuck… but then Franzi [Koch] came from the back and she did the first part of the Muur perfectly.”
2026-02-28T16:50:25.830Z
After least year’s aberration, the Kaplemuur-Bosberg one-two proved decisive. the winning move came there after which the strongest and smartest won.
2026-02-28T16:44:06.623Z
Vollering takes the victory
2026-02-28T16:24:05.815Z
A group of eight comes in fighting for second place, but Dutch champion, Wiebes is way too strong, easily winning the sprint for the final podium place.
2026-02-28T16:22:14.674Z
Vollering flicks the elbow at 500m but Niewiadoma doesn’t fall for it and stays on the wheel. Vollering is too strong though, sprinting from the front to take the win.
2026-02-28T16:20:50.325Z
It’s the flamme rouge for the final kilometre, Niewiadoma-Phinney comes through to the front, but Vollering leads out now.
2026-02-28T16:19:08.014Z
Just 2km now and the gap might be below 40 seconds but the two leaders are too good. There is some chat between Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney, but they unlikely to be caught.
The Polish champion looks like she’s struggling though.
2026-02-28T16:17:24.493Z
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) on the Bosberg. (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T16:15:12.461Z
5km to go. Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney have settled into their work. The chasing group are holding station, neither dropping back or closing in, this could be a done deal.
2026-02-28T16:12:58.639Z
We now have 8km to go and the gap is down, though only by a couple of seconds. The chasing group has some big engines in there, but there are some fast women too, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) all present.
2026-02-28T16:10:14.654Z
10km to go.
Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney are two of the best riders of this generation, they’ve both won the Tour de France Femes avec Zwift, it’ll be very hard for the chasers to bring back a 50 second lead, even if Van der Breggen is back leading the pusuit.
2026-02-28T16:07:55.152Z
Over the Bosberg and now Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney lead the chasers by a massive 40 seconds, with a tailwind to take them most of the way home. Van der Breggen’s effort is finished.
2026-02-28T16:06:28.326Z
Just as the road tips upwards ahead of the Bosberg the chasing group are caught by the Van der Breggen group. 11km to go now and the leaders are working hard on the cobbles of this deceptively tough climb.
2026-02-28T16:04:55.112Z
As we approach the Bosberg, the second group is being caught by another, slightly larger group, including SD Worx riders Lorena Wiebes and Anna van der Breggen.
2026-02-28T16:03:26.404Z
At the front Vollering is with Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) with a small lead on a group of five.
That’s a powerful leading duo, but there may well be some sort of regrouping.
Just 15km to go though.
2026-02-28T16:00:45.915Z
The leaders are caught by Koch’s group. They have Chabbey in there too. There’s only a small group at the front now, Vollering attacking on the steepest, roughest part.
2026-02-28T15:59:23.906Z
Through the centre of town and with the gap below 15 seconds and FDJ take to the front, German champions Franziska Koch putting in a huge effort with European champion and team mate Demi Vollering on her wheel.
2026-02-28T15:57:57.314Z
The final part of the race begins.
2026-02-28T15:57:32.012Z
The leaders have 30 seconds as they cross the river bridge in the centre of Geraardsbergen. There will be action.
2026-02-28T15:56:51.032Z
The crash was made worse by the wet roads, a touch of wheels taking down one rider and the chain reaction catching many others.
2026-02-28T15:55:48.769Z
20km to go and Gasparrini, Aasebø, Chabbey and Berton continue to lead, their advantage stable at 35 seconds. There’s be a huge crash though, maybe 20 women affected.
2026-02-28T15:54:09.011Z
Muur-Kapelmuur is a beast. After a long descent into the centre of Geraardsbergen, it climbs from the river in the middle of town. The cobbled part isn’t even half its distance. It’s always decisive, the top coming just over 15km from the finish in Ninove.
2026-02-28T15:51:39.278Z
Over the Parikeberg, the approach to Geraardsbergen and its famous Kapelmuur. AG Insurance-Soudal are now helping at the front and the peloton’s deficit is only 35 seconds.
2026-02-28T15:48:26.697Z
Parikeberg is next. Another tarmac climb, it’s 800m, but it’s the gateway to the race’s final and the two signature cobbled climbs.
The roads are wet, but the sun is out for the final 25km, the gap continues to be eroded.
2026-02-28T15:44:52.840Z
SD Worx-Protime are determined not get caught out like last year, the team are working very hard on the front of the peloton. And it’s working, as they reach Tenbosse the gap is down to 45 seconds.
2026-02-28T15:42:41.031Z
At only 19 years old, Aasebø is one of the youngest riders in the race.
However, her lead, and that of the break is now stable at just under one minute.
2026-02-28T15:38:08.610Z
Tenbosse is the next climb, it’s 500m in length but not too challenging, though this is all a wearing down process ahead of the final two punchy climbs, the Muur-Kapelmuur and Bosberg.
2026-02-28T15:34:17.340Z
We’re over the Berendries now, with 33km to go and Gasparrini, Aasebø, Chabbey and Berton lead by almost a minute. The bunch seem happy though, all together on the climb.
2026-02-28T15:31:32.324Z
Approaching the Leberg we have four women off the front, Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ), Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ), Nina Berton (EF Education-Oatly) and Kamilla Aasebø (UNO-X Mobility) lead by almost 40 seconds.
2026-02-28T15:24:00.080Z
Just ahead of the Haaghoek and there are some tentative attacks on the front. One of our pre-race favourites was Movistar’s Liane Lippert, but she’s suffered a mechanical. Any problem now is crucial.
2026-02-28T15:21:30.868Z
Finally, after 95km at the front Fortin and De Grave are caught.
But this is relentless, after the Molenberg it’s the cobbled Haaghoek sector, with the Leberg and its 13% gradients coming hot on its heels.
2026-02-28T15:18:04.367Z
The Molenberg is very narrow at the bottom, so it’s chaos at the bottom with riders jostling for position ahead of this challenging part of the parcours. but still Fortin and De Grave hold on!
2026-02-28T15:08:43.852Z
Over the Jagerij and Fortin and De Grave are clinging on into the final 50km, they lead by 20 seconds, but next up is the Molenberg. Cobbled, this short climb has ramps of 14%.
2026-02-28T15:03:24.129Z
What a ride for both Fortin and De Grave, it’s the first race of the year for both women, but they’re almost caught, taking only 20 seconds onto the cobbled Kerkgate and Jagerij sectors.
2026-02-28T14:58:11.521Z
On the Wolvenberg Fortin and De Grave are hanging on, they lead by 20 seconds, but for how long?
2026-02-28T14:57:19.617Z
Straight after the Holleweg comes the Wolvenberg, at 650m it’s short, but it’s hard, with slopes of 17% gradient.
2026-02-28T14:55:05.970Z
The final 60km – cobbles and climbs
2026-02-28T14:53:10.707Z
Over the top De Grave and Fortin have only 20 seconds’ lead, but the Holleweg cobbled sector comes in only 1500m. Here comes the action.
2026-02-28T14:50:20.677Z
On the climb the break has split, De Grave and Fortin forging on alone, though the bunch is closing in.
2026-02-28T14:46:52.307Z
The Edelareberg is tarmacced, not cobbled, and is just over 1500m in length with an average gradient of 4.2% and a maximum of 7%.
The lead for Teutenberg, De Grave, Van den Eijnden and Fortin is down to only 43 seconds as we hit the bottom of the climb.
2026-02-28T14:41:40.074Z
Overcast skies, some wind and a little rain, but the weather is yet to stamp its mark on the race (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T14:38:02.631Z
Last year’s winner Lotte Claes took advantage of a stand off between the bigger teams. None of them wanted to work and the break built a lead of 13 minutes. This year they’ve left less to chance, the breakaway’s maximum lead has only reached 3.30 and it’s already on the way down.
2026-02-28T14:33:34.356Z
We’ve now got 10km until the Edelareberg after which the cobbles and climbs come thick and fast. Unless the favourites’ teams look to each other as they did last year, expect the deficit to the breakaway to start to drop.
2026-02-28T14:25:58.750Z
UAE Team ADQ have a stacked squad for today’s race, here Megan Jastrab is working for the team. (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T14:18:23.021Z
Since its WorldTour debut in 2023, we’ve had victories from Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and last year the race was won by Lotte Claes, the Belgian emerging from the day’s breakaway.
2026-02-28T14:10:22.606Z
With 85km to go Teutenberg, De Grave, Van den Eijnden and Fortin have an increased lead of of 3.15 on the bunch. The race has settled, though not for long.
2026-02-28T14:06:24.267Z
After the Edelareberg the race really kicks off, which cobbled sectors and climbs providing a relentless challenge for the bunch. Will the break stay away, or is it one for the big names?
2026-02-28T13:59:56.379Z
The race rose to 1.Pro in 2021, when Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) took the honours, also in the world champion’s rainbow jersey.
2026-02-28T13:58:10.144Z
The peloton on the Lange Munte, the first cobbled sector of the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women Elite (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T13:51:47.399Z
It’s quite a long way to the next obstacle on the course, the Edelaareberg coming with 75km done. It’s not one of the day’s cobbled climbs, but it might draw out some attackers.
2026-02-28T13:48:27.737Z
The four leaders have now been allowed their heads, they’ve completed the Lange Munte with a lead of almost two minutes.
Lea Lin Teutenberg (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies), Britt de Grave, Jony van den Eijnden (both Citymesh-Customm) and Emilie Fortin (Minimax) make up the day’s breakaway.
2026-02-28T13:46:35.475Z
The race stayed at 1.2 level until 2016 when it was promoted to 1.1, then the second level of women’s racing. The recently retired Lizzie Deignan (then Armitstead) won the race wearing the World Champion’s rainbow jersey.
2026-02-28T13:40:52.793Z
Lange Munte – the season’s first cobbles
2026-02-28T13:38:49.995Z
Lange Munte looks flat, but it’s slightly uphill and, at 2.5km it’ll be a bit of a shock to the system for some. As the break hit the cobbles Alison Avoine (Ma Petite Enterprise) is chasing, but the gap from the leaders to the peloton is less than 30 seconds.
2026-02-28T13:31:22.305Z
Nowhere near as old as the men’s race, the first edition was way back in 2006 and was won by Dutch woman Debby Mansveld of the Vlaanderen-Capri Sonne-T-Interim team.
Back then the race was ranked as a UCI 1.2 event, what was then the third tier of women’s racing, below the .1 level and World Cup.
2026-02-28T13:28:01.416Z
And with 10km to go until the Lange Munte, Schweinberger and Latimier are caught and Teutenberg, De Grave, Van den Eijnden and Fortin are only 20 seconds ahead of the bunch, though their gap is growing again.
2026-02-28T13:20:15.688Z
After some initial suggestions she wouldn’t ride, Claes is racing today, wearing the number one dossard and leading the Fenix-Premier Tech team she joined over the winter. You can read about the change of strategy below.
2026-02-28T13:18:14.581Z
We now have two riders in pursuit of the leading quartet.
Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health) and Clémence Latimier (Ma Petite Enterprise) are 44 seconds behind the break, with the peloton a further 10 seconds back.
2026-02-28T13:14:59.253Z
One of the pre-race favourites, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) gets a bike change after a mechanical issue. (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T13:12:22.851Z
It’s a fast race so far, the average for the opening 17km is almost 43km/h, despite that, our four leaders’ advantage is now just over one minute.
20km until we reach the Lange Munte cobbles.
2026-02-28T13:06:53.498Z
Along with Claes we have three other winners in the race today, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) won in 2015 and 2021, while her team mate Lotte Kopecky was victorious in 2023. Tiffany Cromwell won way back in 2023 and you can read our interview with her here.
2026-02-28T13:05:01.824Z
The gap is coming down again though, maybe the bunch is not too happy about this group of four.
The first cobbled sector in Lange Munte which comes after 37.2km, though that’s more than 20km away.
2026-02-28T13:00:11.479Z
We have a breakaway, Lea Lin Teutenberg (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies), Britt de Grave, Jony van den Eijnden (both Citymesh-Customm), and Emilie Fortin (Minimax) have around 30 seconds on the peloton.
2026-02-28T12:50:52.231Z
As soon as the flag dropped we have some attacks at the front of the race three riders are trying to get away
2026-02-28T12:50:12.182Z
With so many key points along the route we’re likely to have some unpredictable racing and last year was the perfect example of that, Lotte Claes emerging from the day’s breakaway as the day’s winner.
2026-02-28T12:48:26.740Z
There are 10 climbs too, and of those Eikenberg, Molenberg, Muur-Kapelmuur and Bosberg are also cobbled. Kapelmuur and Bosberg are likely to to be decisive as they’re steep too and come 15.7 and 11.8km from the finish.
2026-02-28T12:46:45.767Z
The official start is given
2026-02-28T12:45:15.586Z
As this is the start of the cobbled Classics season you’d expect some pavé sectors and we have five of them, starting after 37km with Lange Munte then Holleweg, Kerkgate, Jagerij and Haaghoek.
2026-02-28T12:42:50.499Z
The weather always has an impact in these early season races, and the wind is blowing and could cause splits. It’s also been raining and due to start again, making the cobbles a different challenge!
2026-02-28T12:38:06.091Z
Today’s 137.2km route is 800m shorter than 2025, but once again starts in Gent and finishes in Ninove. After the presentation we’ll have 5.6km of neutral before the official start in Merelbeke-Melle, just outside the city.
2026-02-28T12:32:07.338Z
European champion, Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) is one of the favourites (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T12:23:48.216Z
Elynor Backstedt (UAE Team ADQ) meets the press before the race. (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T12:20:52.090Z
While the men will be racing Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne tomorrow, the second race of the women’s Opening Weekend is the Fenix-Ekoi Omloop van het Haageland.
2026-02-28T12:18:54.634Z
UNO-X Mobility line up with Susanne Andersen, Teuntje Beekhuis, Kamilla Aasebo, Laura Tomasi, Alessia Vigilia and Linda Zanetti. (Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-02-28T12:13:58.657Z
There’s always a huge sense of occasion at this first Belgian race of the year, and it has one of the best team presentations of them all, at the legendary T’Kuipke velodrome in Gent.
2026-02-26T13:16:32.302Z
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the 21st edition of Omloop Nieuwsblad Women Elite. We’ll bring you all the action blow by blow, stay with us!
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