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Wednesday, April 1, 2026
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Current racing:
- April 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
Upcoming racing:
- April 3: Classic Adélie de Vitré
- April 4: GP Miguel Indurain
- April 4: NXT Classic
- April 5: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Latest completed racing:
- March 31: Paris-Camembert
- March 23 - 29: Volta a Catalunya
- March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
- March 29: Gent-Wevelgem
- March 29: La Roue Tourangelle
- March 28: Classic Loire Atlantique
- March 27: E3 Saxo Classic
- March 25: Ronde Van Brugge - Tour of Bruges
- March 21: Milano-Sanremo
- March 20: Bredene Koksijde Classic
Here's the post from Florian Vermeersch's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
Dwars door Vlaanderen awaits UAE Team Emirates-XRG on Wednesday, with the midweek race the final test ahead of this weekend’s Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen). Coming hot off a great run of form, Florian Vermeersch will lead the team on Wednesday, 1 April.
The Belgian rider has recently claimed podium positions at both the Omloop Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Classic, before putting in another spirited performance at In Flanders Fields.
2025 Veneto Classic podium, from left: Florian Vermeersch (2nd), Sakarias Kollar Lølland (1st), & Diego Ulissi
Taking this confidence into Wednesday, Vermeersch will be hopeful of racing on the front foot once more. To this end, the rouleur will be helped by his powerful teammates, Nils Politt and António Morgado.
Both riders have shown their faces at the front of Classics racing over the past couple of weeks, and Dwars door Vlaanderen offers an opportunity to take another step forward. The same can be said for the pair’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, Mikkel Bjerg, Benoît Cosnefroy, Rune Herregodts, and Julius Johansen, all of whom will round out the seven-man squad on Wednesday.
The Emirati team, led by Sports Directors Fabio Baldato and Marco Marcato, will be faced with a route of over 180km, with twelve climbs and seven different sectors of cobbles.
Among those climbs lay notorious Flandrien bergs such as Berg ten Houte, the Eikenberg and the Nokereberg. The latter will feature twice in the finale, with the second and final ascent of 750m at 5.7% falling just 9.2km from the finish in Waregem.
Despite sometimes being overshadowed by the looming Tour of Flanders, which takes place on the Sunday following, Dwars door Vlaanderen has long proved a formidable test for the Classics specialists. Not since 2019 has a group of five riders or more come to the finish line, emphasising the attritional nature of this race.
Indeed, the last mass sprint at Dwars door Vlaanderen came some 10 years back, with Jens Debusschere coming up trumps for Lotto Soudal.
Last year, the race ended in a memorable victory for Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost last season, with the American getting the better of a trio of Visma-Lease a Bike riders for the honours. With the defending champion not taking to the start line this year, a new winner is waiting to be crowned in Waregem.
For the 80th edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will hope to be right in the fight for victory.
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Here's the Dwars door Vlaanderen preview from Arnaud De Lie's Team Lotto-Intermarché:
The focus shifts to one of Belgium’s most exciting midweek classics as our team lines up for Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday. With both the men’s and women’s squads eager to leave their mark, all eyes are on a race that traditionally delivers spectacle, intensity, and decisive racing on Flemish soil.
With a strong and motivated line-up, the team heads into Dwars door Vlaanderen with clear ambitions. The line-up features Arnaud De Lie, Cedric Beullens, Huub Artz, Jenno Berckmoes, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Sebastien Grignard, and Vito Braet.This group offers a blend of strength and versatility, allowing the team to anticipate moves, respond to attacks, and build towards a strong result in the finale.
Arnaud De Lie before the start of the 2026 Clasica de Almeria. Sirotti photo
Sports Director Pieter Vanspeybrouck sees opportunities in this approach: “We are again racing with Arnaud and Jenno as leaders, which gives us a lot of opportunities. During In Flanders Fields, they already showed us that it works well to have both riders as leaders.”
Looking ahead to how the race may unfold, Vanspeybrouck expects early action and highlights key moments on the course: “I am expecting that the race can open up quite early already on the small roads leading up to Berg Ten Houte, after 100 kilometers. It will be very important for our team to stay attentive and to be present there. At about 40 kilometers from the finish line, after the Eikenberg, there will be more cobbled sections. But I am convinced that with this line-up, we’ll be strongly represented.”
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And here's the Dwars door Vlaanderen news from Team Bahrain Victorious:
Following a thrilling finale at “In Flanders Fields,” where Alec Segaert’s strong late attack was only caught in the final few hundred metres by the chasing sprinters, Bahrain Victorious continues its Flemish campaign at Dwars door Vlaanderen, on Wednesday, April 1.
The 80th edition of the UCI WorldTour Classic will once again start in Roeselare, a fixed departure point since 2007, and finish on the traditional Verbindingsweg in Waregem. The 185 km course through the Flemish Ardennes features several updates alongside its well-known decisive sectors.
After an opening flat section, the first climbs come early with two new additions: Hellestraat (1.2 km at 5.2%, max 10%) and Onderbossenaarstraat (1.4 km at 5.3%, max 10.7%), positioned around 77 km from the finish.
As in previous editions, the race is expected to be shaped by the key sectors between km 90–115 and km 130–145. These include the double ascent of Berg Ten Houte (1.1 km at 6%, max 21%), Knokteberg–Trieu (1.1 km at 7%, max 11.8%), Hotond (1.2 km at 3.1%), and the cobbled stretch of Mariaborrestraat.
The route then continues via Eikenberg, Doorn, and Huisepontweg before entering the final circuits featuring Nokereberg and Herlegemstraat. The closing kilometres are mostly flat, leaving the door open for different scenarios, from late solo attacks to a reduced bunch sprint, favouring fast riders who can survive the earlier difficulties.
Sports Director Nikolas Maes shared his thoughts ahead of the race:
“Dwars door Vlaanderen is a slightly shorter race and, at 185 km, it brings a different mindset and dynamic in the peloton. It’s always a race with an unwritten-script, but I still expect it to be quite open.
"We have a well-performing Matej Mohorič and Alec Segaert, and they will be our leaders. A sprint option with Pau Miquel and Alessandro Borgo could also be possible, but first we need to make sure we come through the hardest sections with enough riders in front.
Alec Segaert wins the 2026 GP de Denain.
"The organisers have made some changes around the second passage of Berg Ten Houte, which I believe will be one of the key moments of the race. The key zone has changed compared to last year, so our focus will be on positioning our leaders well between km 103 and 113. For this, Daniel Skerl, Kamil Gradek and Zak Erzen will play an important supporting role.
"We will look for opportunities to move after the race splits. The goal is to fight for a result from a breakaway or in a sprint from a reduced group. Let’s see how the race evolves, but I believe Matej and Alec are both capable of fighting again for a top ten result.”
Alec Segaert added:
“Dwars door Vlaanderen is a race I’m really looking forward to after the Classics we’ve had so far. The feelings are good, and last year I already finished in the top ten. Hopefully this time I can do even better. I’m ready for it.”
Matej Mohorič concluded:
“We’ve had some ups and downs here in Belgium. E3 didn’t go as we hoped, but we raced well in Flanders Fields. The result was missing, but both Alec and I are feeling good. Hopefully we can give it another strong try and see what we can do.”
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The team sent me this schedule:
Dwars door Vlaanderen - APR 01
Joey van Rhee - Team Picnic PostNL coach
"Dwars door Vlaanderen is another important step in the Flemish classics, and we approach it with a positive and aggressive mindset. Without a clear designated finisher, it gives us the freedom to race openly and look for opportunities throughout the day. Our goal is to be present at the front of the race and involved in the key moves. After E3, where we didn’t quite reach our objectives, we are motivated to show a step forward here. If we race proactively as a team and commit to our plan, we believe we can be in the mix and make an impact on the race."
Line-up:
Frank van den Broek (NLD)
Dillon Corkery (IRL)
John Degenkolb (DEU)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Henri-François Haquin (FRA)
Bjorn Koerdt (GBR)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
John Degenkolb at the start of the 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen. Sirotti photo
Women's Dwars door Vlaanderen - APR 01
Davide Gani - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"With Dwars door Vlaanderen, we really enter the heart of the Flemish classics. It’s a beautiful race with iconic cobbled sectors and a high level of competition. Our main goal is to gain valuable experience on these roads and continue to grow as a group. We want to approach the race with an aggressive mindset, be present in the action, and stay in the race for as long as possible. It’s another important opportunity for the team to develop and learn at this level."
Line-up:
Megan Arens (NLD)
Mia Griffin (IRL)
Ella Heremans (BEL)
Daniela Hezinová (CZE)
Juliana Londoño (COL)
Gaia Masetti (ITA)
GP Miguel Indurain - APR 04
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"At GP Miguel Indurain, we want to race proactively and look for opportunities early in the day, especially by being present in breakaways and key moves. At the same time, we aim to build towards the final with a strong and cohesive team performance. The parcours is quite unique, which makes positioning crucial; especially in the descent leading into the final climb in the last kilometres. As a team, we’ll focus on staying well-organised and putting ourselves in the best possible position at the key moment, so we can fight for a strong result in the finale."
Line-up:
Matt Dinham (AUS)
Alexy Faure-Prost (FRA)
Mattia Gaffuri (ITA)
James Knox (GBR)
Juan Martinez (COL)
Matteo Vanhuffel (BEL)
NXT Classic - APR 04
Rudi Kemna - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"At the NXT Classic, our goal is to be involved in the race from start to finish. We line up with a strong and well-balanced team, combining riders from both our Men’s program and Development program. We want to make it a tough and selective race, taking the initiative where possible and being present in the key moments. With riders like Frits and Milan, we have strong options for the finale who can fight for a good result. If we execute our race as a team, we believe we can be in contention when it matters most."
Line-up:
Frits Biesterbos (NLD)
Jacob Bush (GBR)
Robbe Dhondt (BEL)
Milan de Ceuster (BEL)
Lennes Jacobs (BEL)
Alexandre Trouvain (FRA)
Ronde van Vlaanderen - APR 05
Roy Curvers - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"Ronde van Vlaanderen is one of the most iconic and demanding races of the spring, where the race naturally selects the strongest riders. It’s a day where you have to be fully committed from the start, and we want to race with that mindset: being involved and present throughout the entire race. Teamwork will play a crucial role, especially in positioning ourselves well ahead of the decisive moments. Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference on a course like this. Our aim is to anticipate the key phases of the race, stay proactive, and make sure we are part of the action when it really matters. From there, it will be about giving everything all the way to Oudenaarde and making the most of the opportunities that come our way to achieve the best possible result.”
Line-up:
Julius van den Berg (NLD)
Dillon Corkery (IRL)
Sean Flynn (GBR)
Henri-François Haquin (FRA)
Niklas Märkl (DEU)
Tim Naberman (NLD)
Oliver Peace (GBR)
Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen - APR 05
Callum Ferguson - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
"For Ronde van Vlaanderen, we will focus on Pfeiffer as our finisher. In recent weeks, she has shown that both her form and mindset are in a very good place, which gives us confidence heading into this race. We expect the race to unfold in a similar way to previous editions, with the key moments on the well-known climbs and sectors. Our goal will be to bring her into those decisive points in the best possible position. At the same time, we have seen good progression in our teamwork within the classics group in recent weeks, and we aim to continue that development in one of the biggest races of the season."
Line-up:
Robyn Clay (GBR)
Lucie Fityus (AUS)
Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR)
Daniela Hezinová (CZE)
Gaia Masetti (ITA)
Josie Nelson (GBR)
Itzulia Basque Country - APR 06 - APR 11
Phil West - Team Picnic PostNL coach:
During Itzulia, we will look to be active in breakaways with several riders throughout the week. It’s a race that offers opportunities on different terrains, and we want to make the most of those chances. On stages that suit a faster finish with a short climb towards the line, we will also look to riders like Bjorn to play a role. Overall, it’s a great opportunity for us to continue building our teamwork and execute our tactics at a high level over the course of the week."
Line-up:
Frank van den Broek (NLD)
Matt Dinham (AUS)
Alexy Faure-Prost (FRA)
Mattia Gaffuri (ITA)
James Knox (GBR)
Bjorn Koerdt (GBR)
Juan Martinez (COL)