As it happened: Season opener Omloop Het Nieuwsblad ends in a sprint

Thanks for joining us today for what was part 1 of Opening Weekend. Part 2 comes tomorrow, at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, a race more used to finishing in a sprint.  

Wærenskjold will be back for that one, to try for an unlikely double, as will Philipsen. But this time they'll have added sprinting competition from the likes of Olav Kooij, Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier. It promises to be a cracker!

This is the first time since 2021 that this race has been decided by a bunch sprint, on an occasion that Davide Ballerini won - another surprise winner.

For all his work and that of Visma-Lease a Bike, Wout van Aert had nothing in the final sprint, only managing 11th place.

There are plenty of unexpected names in that top ten, and many of the anticipated favourites missing.

Magnier was the young rider being hyped up before the race but he was beaten in the sprint by the Norwegian.

That's a huge win for Søren Wærenskjold, not least for claiming the scalp of Philipsen in the sprint.

Wærenskjold has onlt just realised. It was so close that he did not know he had won.

Søren Wærenskjold just about edges Magnier and Philipsen in the sprint.

No, it's Søren Wærenskjold!

Magnier seems to have won, but it's a photo finish...

Here's the sprint...

Soudal are leading the peloton for the sprint. Can Magnier win?

1KM TO GO

That's it, Küng is brought back, just as they enter the final kilometre.

The catch is about to be made.

This looks set to be yet another agonising miss in the career of Stefan Küng. With 2km to go, he has only 8 seconds.

EF are helping Alpecin and Visma with the chase. They've plenty of firepower - possibly too much firepower for Kung.

This could be agonising for Küng. With 3km to go, it's down to 13 seconds.

4km to go, still 16 seconds for Küng.

There are lots of riders who'd fancy their chances in a sprint - Van Aert, Philipsen, Magnier.

Visma have gotten this group more organised. Benoot was one of the riders to rejoin the group, and is helping Jorgenson with the pace-setting.

5KM TO GO

17 seconds for Küng. This is looking good for him!

The chase group aren't coordinated. Attacks keep being made only tobe brought back, thus slowing the pace.

Could this at last be the day Stefan Küng wins a classic? In his favour, the group behind aren't working well together. Against him, a headwind is making his life hard.

But can they catch Küng? His gap looks to be aout 15 seconds.

The chase group just got a lot bigger, as another large group caught up to it. Lots of riders are back in contention again.

Trentin has now set off in solo pursuit of Küng.

That duo has been caught by the group, being led by Jorgenson. But Kung still has a gap of a few seconds.

Tim Van Dijke and Abrahamson are chasing him.

10KM TO GO

Attack from Stefan Küng, and he's got a gap!

Jorgenson attacks as the pace slows over the top, but the rest are alert enough to close him down.

The lead group have made it to the top, and they're still together. 

Behind, Morgado and Pidcock have attacked to try to bridge the gap.

Vacek leads, but the 18 leaders are still together for now.

BOSBERG

Here' the final climb, the Bosberg. 

Jorgenson leads the group to bring Wellens back. Also here are Van Aert, Philipsen, Kung, Narváez, Trentin, Vacek

Wellens is the latest to attack.

Jorgenson attacks, but can't get a gap.

Philipsen has made it into the lead group. That's dangerous for everyone.

There are13 rider in this group, about to grow to 18.

Van Aert is on the front, upping the pace.

That group has caught the leading duo.

There's about 8 riders after them, including Van Aert, then a small gap.

Vacek and Wellens lead over the top, with a small gap.

Vacek's passed him and leads.

MUUR KAPELMUUR

Wellens accelerates.

Van Aert is 4th in line, Wellens 3rd.

Groupama FDJ's Askey leads the peloton.

Here we go!

They're on the lower slopes of the climb.

Mechanical for Jan Tratnik, just as they approach the climb. He won't be defending his title. 

It's heating up though. Alpecin and Intermarché - Wanty are leading, Lidl nearby.

Naesen is back in the peloton, which isn't yet up to full speed prior to the climb. 

20KM TO GO

We're nearly there. Big crowds are ready to meet them on the famous 'wall'.

Oliver Naesen's had a problem and needed to change. He's chasing back now.

It does look like this race is going to come down to its most famous climb, the iconic Muur-Kapelmuur, coming up in just a few kilometres. Can anyone get a big enough gap over it to make it to the finish?

EF's  Honoré is the latest rider to try an attack. He went with a Soudal rider, but they've been brought back too.

He's taken 6 riders with him, but they're not working together and will be brought back.

We were anticipating UAE lighting things up after their earlier work, and this is a first attack from one of their riders for a while.

Attack from Morgado.

It's a big peloton that's still together, and more are bridging up as we speak. There looks to be at least 60 riders still in it.

Despite that, De Lie looks in trouble. He's struggling out the back.

The pace has eased up now the catch has been made.

That's it, the catch has been made. The peloton is back together. 

At last, the Van Aert is making inroads. They're got the gap down to 10 seconds.

There are lots of UAE favourites with Van Aert including Morgado,  Narváez and Politt

The Van Aert group is 22 seconds behind the lead group. That turn from Benoot hasn't done much to eat into the gap.

30KM TO GO

Tarling has been caught, and quickly following him is the break. The Alpecin-led group is now leading the race. 

In the group behind, Benoot is setting the pace for Van Aert. He's causing spits behind. 

BERENDRIES

Tarling is being brought back now by the Alpecin group, who are fleying up the climb.

Turns out Visma aren't happy with this situation after all - they've put multiple riders to the front of the chase group for Van Aert.

It looks like there's between 30 - 40 riders in the Philipsen group.

Just four more climbs left to ride: Berendries, Elverenberg - Vossenhol, Muur - Kapelmuur and the Bosberg.

Still about 20 seconds between the two groups. It's Decathlon rather than Visma leading the chase - perhaps Visma are happy having Jorgenson up there.

LEBERG

The front peloton is on the Leberg now. Also with Philipsen and the leading Alpecins are Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson, among others. 

Decathlon are leading the Van Aert group on the climb. They're 20 seconds adrift. 

HAAGHOEK

Alpecin lead the peloton as they climb the Haaghoek for the third and final time today.

Van Aert is trying to take matters in his own hands, doing much of the chasing himself.

There are lots of Alpecin riders in the front peloton, including Philipsen. They're committed to this.

40KM TO GO

This could be a pivotal moment in the race. Van Aert and others are caught out, and the group ahead are pushing on.

There's a group of maybe about 40 riders that's gone off the front of the peloton. It's a fair few seconds ahead of the next group, which contains Van Aert. 

They're over the climb, and there's a few small splits Van Aert and De Lie are among those with ground to make up. 

The narrow roads have forced the peloton to string out, so that those at the back have ground to a literal standstill. Bettiol is among them at the back.

Alpecin-Deceuninck lead the peloton onto it.

MOLENBERG

The break are on the narrow, steep early slopes of the Molenberg, while there's a fight for position again in the peloton as they approach. 

Tarling is 40 seconds ahead of the peloton now, and 53 seconds behind the leaders. 

Soudal QuickStep's Gil Gelders has crashed at the back of the peloton. He's back up and riding, and was the only one to fall.

De Lie has been spotted towards the front of the peloton. He had a long chase to get back to the peloton and will have used up energy, but is back in contention. 

JAGERIJ

The peloton are on the Jagerij section, which is the one before the big one - the Molenberg.

Tarling has 15 seconds on the peloton. He's on his own, but as such a powerful time trialist, is in his element. 

50KM TO GO

Meanwhile all this action has seen the gap between the leaders and the peloton drop to 1-30.

Jhonatan Narváez had tried to go clear first but was brought back, but Tarling has a gap.

HOLLEWEG

Attack by Josh Tarling on the following section, Holleweg.

WOLVENBERG

Visma are back setting the pace on the Wolvenberg.

Those 3 haven't pressed on and have been caught.

We have our first move out of the peloton - Visma’s Matthew Brennan has gone clear on the climb with Tim van Dijke and Vito Braet.

Jordi Meeus has a problem, and is being dropped out of the peloton on the climb. He was considered an outside bet in the sprint.

Visma have 1 rider at the front setting the pace. 

EIKENBERG

Onto the Eikenberg swing the peloton.

60KM TO GO

The Eikenberg is up next, the first of 10 sectors crammed into just 27.5km. This will be where the race realy gets going, and the attacks start to be made.

UAE Team Emirates have won that battle, and lead the peloton.

A big battle for space in the peloton as they approach a right corner onto a narrow road. 

More problems for De Lie, as he has to fix a problem with his chain.

De Lie is having to make his way back on the Valkenberg after what was a slow change. Thankfully for him, the pace in the peloton is slow and the racing isn’t yet on.

VALKENBERG

The peloton is climbing the Valkenberg. 

As now will Arnaud De Lie, who is having to change his bike. 

Campanaerts is back in the peloton now. These kind of earlier stressors are never a good sign in a classics like this - he'll have used up lots of energy already.

70KM TO GO

A slight lull in-between climbs, but not long now till the next, the Valkenberg.

Campanaerts is having more problems. He's had a mechanical on the climb.

LEBERG

The peloton are off the Haaghoek and almost immediatley onto the Leberg climb. There's no attack yet in the manner that UAE tried earlier.

Uno-X Mobility lead the peloton onto the Haaghoek.

Behind, Küng is still making his way through the cars. 

Visma’s Victor Campanaerts has just rejoined the peloton. A mark on his jersey suggests he might have been one of the few riders to fall in the crash.

HAAGHOEK

First up is the Haaghoek, which the break is on now and the peloton is approaching. 

80KM TO GO

The gap is 4-30, as we approach the part of the race where the climbs start to come thick and fast.

That's a bad time to get held up, as the pace is up again in the peloton as they approach the Haaghoek for the second time. 

There’s a crash in the peloton, but only a minor one. Mikkel Bjerg was held up, as was Stefan Küng.

Here's UAE Team Emirates attacking on the Lange Munte. It was a coordinated effort, their train of riders moving to the front in unison to lay down the hammer.

Everything’s quiet again in the peloton. Several riders are using the opportunity to take comfort breaks.

UAE Team Emirates have knocked it off now they’re off the cobbles, but that was a real statement of intent. Clearly that team wants to make the most of their strength in numbers - and compensate for their lack of a sprinter - by making this a very hard race.

90KM TO GO

The gap is decreasing as a result of this action, to around five minutes.

The peloton is all strung out as a result of his acceleration. The Lange Munte isn’t even one of the harder sectors, but UAE Team Emirates are treating it as if it were one.

UAE are really laying the hammer down, it looks like they're trying to force splits already!

The peloton are on the cobbles, and UAE Team Emirates are attacking them.

The breakaway riders have completed it, while the peloton approaches it. UAE Team Emirates is the team pulling.

LANGE MUNTE

We’re back on the cobbles, for the Lange Munte sector. 

100KM TO GO

The gap's at 6 minutes, as we enter the final 100km of racing. 

Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe are staying near the front of the peloton and boast one of the strongest line-ups here. They have defending champion Jan Tratnik leading, and is backed up by the likes of Oier Lazkano, plus a sprint option in Jordi Meeus.

While we’re talking about UAE Team Emirates, Tadej Pogačar has teased us more about a potential surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance this spring. He’s not confirming it - but neither is he ruling it out.

UAE Team Emirates have shared some of the work at the front of the peloton, and given the strength of their line-up, it’s easy to see why. From Nils Politt to Jhonatan Narváez to Tim Wellens, you could make a case for literally any one of their 7-man roster as a potential winner of the race.

Look out for them to fire multiple riders up the road come the climbs later, to put Visma and other teams under pressure.

110KM TO GO

The gap is as big as it's been all day, growing up to 7-40. There's no sense of urgency in the peloton for now. 

2018 Omloop winner Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) says he has a free role in today's race.

"I'm super excited, I think I'm back to top shape, the best I've been in a few years, so hopefully we can do something nice."

"It's going to be difficult, of course, but I have a free role today to follow the moves, but we also have two leaders of our own, Marijn [van den Berg] and Kasper [Asgreen]. So it's a nice opportunity and I'll grab it if the legs are there."

"It doesn't matter if it's me, Mikkel [Honoré], Marijn or Kasper, when we get to the Eikenberg with 80 kilometres to go, we have to shoot with everything we have. The more numbers we have the better, when I won back in 2018 I had two teammates. We are maybe not the strongest but we have a strong collective group."

Veteran Italian Matteo Trentin (Tudor) has raced 13 Omloop Het Nieuwsblads, and although his feelings about it are logically more measured with time, he's still very much up for testing his legs in another Opening Weekend.

"When you're younger you're more excited about it, now it's kind of a tradition, but it's always nice to be back here and see thousands of people here in the velodrome."

"The course has changed, the route is different, I'm part of the older generation that are going out, but that's cycling."

Five or six times in the top ten, "this race is all about position and timing, being in the best shape possible and that doesn't change. It looks like there's not much wind, but I wouldn't expect anything less than a hard race. And it'll all be really tough from 80 kilometres out. But I don't think the new version of the Eikenberg will change much."

Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Wanty) is in a team lacking its team leader Biniam Girmay, who had to head home because his partner is about to give birth to their baby, but as he says "it's nice to race here in Omloop where we actually have some spectators, not like in the UAE Tour."

Riding his eleventh Omloop "I almost know every road, every berg, it's nice to be here with the young riders in the team, and" - in the absence of Girmay - "we'll be racing for Laurenz Rex."

"We have some wind, 35 kmh, and after the Bosberg it's a headwind, so it'll be maybe a group of 20 guys. But for sure some teams want to make the  race hard, and I think on the Eikenberg and Wolvenberg, it'll be hard."

With the lack of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) changes things up to a point for the rivals, as Petit says, "that's true, but Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is here, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) is here, you lose some guys but you have some other guys that are strong."

While we wait for the action to really get going, here's what some of the riders were talking about at the start today. 

120KM TO GO

The lead's gone out a bit, to 5-20.

Up-and-coming Catalan pro Roger Adria (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has already won in Belgium at the GP Wallonie last autumn, but the 26-year-old has never raced a cobbled Classic. At Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, he'll be working for defending champion Jan Tratnik and as he told Cyclingnews at the start, "it's a really impressive atmosphere."

"Training is going well, I've been training well over the cobbles here, it's been wonderful going over so many historic climbs, like the Mur de Bosberg."

"I was just telling my teammates, I've raced lots of events from Liege to the Worlds to Il Lombardia, but I've never seen a cycling start like this one at Ghent, the atmosphere is amazing."

"I'm a lot more nervous than I would be normally, it's a really epic kind of vibe to it all, very different to what I've seen before. I'm a lot more nervous but really motivated as well."

"We've got a lot of strong riders here in Red Bull, so we'll do our best to win. It's really good having a guy like Jan [Tratnik] here for me because I don't know the race as well, he's giving me a lot of advice."

As for his condition, Adriá says "My feelings are very good, I've just come off altitude training just now. In principle I'm just doing this race, my main goals are the Ardennes, but we'll see."

It was both the team's and his decision to try out things out at the cobbled Classics. "More and more you see climbers coming across to races like Flanders, so we thought it'd be good to give it a go. We'll give it a try."

One of the in-form riders going into the race was Tom Pidcock. The Brit has won four times already this year, and, though he professes to find this race harder than the other classics, still has a good record in this race having finished 8th last year and 5th in 2023.

130KM TO GO

Over a third of the way into the into the race now.

One outside bet for the win today is Paul Magnier. He’s only 20, and doesn’t have much experience on the cobbles, but he’s such a talent that he can’t be written off in the event of a sprint finish. And neither is he playing down his chances - “Why not?” he answered when asked if he could win.

There’s a lengthy section now of about 40km until the next cobbled section, Lange Munte, before they loop back to do both Haaghoek and the Leberg, which will initiate the start of the race’s more hectic, climbing-intense second half.

140KM TO GO

There’s a brief split in the peloton, but everything is back together while the leaders remain nearly 5 minutes out front.

It's Visma-Lease a Bike who have been leading the peloton, embracing their status as favourites for the day with Wout van Aert as their leader.

LEBERG

Now the peloton are on the Haaghoek cobbles, while the break are five minutes ahead climbing the Leberg.

HAAGHOEK

The seven leaders are on the cobbles again now, for the second sector of the day.

150KM TO GO

Things are still calm in the peloton, with the gap remaining at about five minutes, but we'll be on the cobbles again soon.

Like Philipsen, Arnaud De Lie is another top favourite hoping for a sprint finish, though he’s proven in past editions of this race that he can also go up the road in an attack, too.

De Lie suggested that the reintroduction of the recobbled Eikenberg climb, which has been recobbled for this year, could have a massive impact on the race and make it much  harder.

By contrast, Philipsen was less sure of its impact. “It's hard to say, every year is tough here."

Jasper Philipsen is another star name appearing today, starting a full spring classics campaign having finished last year’s on the high of second-place at Paris-Roubaix.

 "I'm feeling good," he said at the start, "looking forward to the race, it's my first big Classics test of the season so that's good."

He’ll likely need the race to finish in a sprint finish, but word of a headwind from the final climb of the Bosberg to the finish in Ninove should play into his favour. "It's good for the sprinters to have a bigger group at the final."

Regarding his own condition, he was cautious: "Let's see, it's a good test but it's early days here. We have to see where we can get, of course I'm hoping for a result, but there's a lot of big names here."

While the race remains in its calm-before-the-storm phase, let’s consider some of the favourites for the win.

The headline name is Wout van Aert, competing here while his great rival Mathieu van der Poel delays his return to the road. In truth Van Aert hasn’t looked his best yet, but reported himself happy with his shape, and will still be the man everyone in the peloton is watching.

160KM TO GO

No change in the race, with the seven leaders holding onto a healthy lead at the front. There isn't a cobbled sector to negotiate for another 10km or so.

We’ve had our first crash of the day, sadly an occupational hazard in these kinds of races. Everyone is back up and racing, thankfully. 

PADDESTRAAT

The pace did indeed increase as they approached the Paddestraat, bringing the gap down to 4-45. They break are on the cobbles now.

170KM TO GO

It's now about 5-40 for the seven leaders up the road. The race is calm for now, but there will be some more urgency as they approach the first cobbled sector of the day, Paddestraat, in about 5km.

Here’s a full list of everyone in the break:

Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets)

Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders - Baloise)

Julius van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL)

Enzo Leijnse (Team Picnic PostNL)

Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco AlUla)

Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders - Baloise)

Giosuè Epis (Arkéa - B&B Hotels)

It turns out Deweirdt wasn’t alone in that chase. He’s also joined by Giosuè Epis (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Enzo Leijnse (Team Picnic PostNL), making it a seven-man group in the lead.

Deweirdt is with the leaders now, making it a five-man group at the front. They should remain at the front of the race for a while.

180KM TO GO

Over six minutes now between the breakaway and the peloton. Meanwhile Deweirdt is getting closer, but still with 20 seconds to make up. He should join the leaders eventually.

Unsurprisingly, what with this being Belgium and only a day into March, it’s bitingly cold out there - as you can tell from how Van Aert, Stuyven and Pidcock were dressed at the start.

Deweirdt hasn't joined them yet though, and still has 45 seconds to make up. You'd expect the other four would be happy to have the extra manpower, especially now the peloton have indicated they’re happy for them to stay up the road.

190KM TO GO

The peloton is happy with the make-up of this group. They've sat up, allowing them over two minutes already.

Vercouillie's Flanders-Baolose teammate Siebe Deweirdt is chasing to join them, about 12 seconds behind.

There are four riders up the road - Elmar Reinders, Julius van den Berg, Hartthijs de Vries and Victor Vercouillie.

There are attacks out from the peloton pretty much immediately. 

197KM TO GO

And they're off! The classics season is underway.

Anticipation is building, as the riders travel through the neutralised section. We’ll be underway soon.

One thing Het Nieuwsblad is definitely the start of is the cobbled classics season, for many the most exciting phase of the calendar. The terrain (and weather) is very different from what the riders will have experienced in places like the Middle-East and Southern Europe last month, with rough cobbled roads and cold conditions set to give the peloton a rude awakening and pose new tests and challenges. 

Of course, there has already been an abundance of racing this past month or so, from around the world and of all kinds. But there’s something about Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - perhaps its Belgian setting, its history, its prestige - that makes it feel different, like the first ‘proper’ race of the season.

It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for - Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, aka the first leg of Opening Weekend, aka, the ‘real’ start of the cycling season.

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the elite men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.