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<\/p>\nClassics king Van der Poel finally takes on one of the rare Belgian one-day races he has never won. Who can stop him?<\/p>\n
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Van der Poel debuts at Omloop, a rare Belgian classic he’s never won. (Photo: ELIAS ROM \/ Belga \/ AFP))<\/p>\n
Published February 27, 2026 11:55AM<\/p>\n
Mathieu van der Poel<\/a> watched Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for years from the couch. Missing the Belgian one-day always left him with a tinge of regret.<\/p>\n All that changes Saturday as he rolls to the start line for the first time in his history-busting career.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I watched Omloop on TV, I often felt it was a pity not to be there,\u201d Van der Poel said Friday.<\/p>\n After closing out his cyclocross campaign in Hulst with a record eighth rainbow jersey, he took a ski holiday and needed reassurance that the engine was still there.<\/p>\n A few hard sessions on Spain\u2019s Costa Blanca revved up the engine but the decision to race was only locked in on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that short period you obviously don\u2019t lose all your condition, but to be honest, it was a bit disappointing at first,\u201d he said of his first touch with the pedals.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to see how I responded to my first training block. By now, I feel my level is good enough to start in Omloop.\u201d<\/p>\n No elite male has ever won Omloop and gone on to win the Tour of Flanders in the same season.<\/p>\n So maybe MVDP never wanted to jinx himself.<\/p>\n One of MVDP\u2019s few missing trophies<\/p>\n For a rider who\u2019s dominated the northern classics, Omloop is a curious blank line on his glittering palmar\u00e8s.<\/p>\n After chasing CX \u00a0history during much of the past decade, Omloop usually came too early after the mud and muck.<\/p>\n This year is different, and Van der Poel wants to open up what could be an equally record-breaking monument season<\/a>.<\/p>\n At 207km, Omloop is the symbolic Belgian kickstarter to the cobbled campaign. Some of cycling\u2019s biggest names have hoisted the trophy.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I were ever able to win it, it would definitely be a beautiful race to add to my palmar\u00e8s,\u201d Van der Poel said Friday. \u201cAnd an extra race day heading into the coming weeks and months is never a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n