Pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) stormed to an unstoppable victory in the men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, attacking on the Muur van Geraardsbergen to solo 16km to the finish.
Riding Omloop for the first time in his career, the former world champion executed a flawless race during a crash-filled day, opening his 2026 account with a win on his first race day of the season – striking an ominous blow to the rest of the bunch at the start of the Spring Classics.
