Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

recurring sporting event

Key facts

Date: Late February
Region: Flanders , Belgium
Local name: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Dutch)
Nickname s: The Omloop , The Opening Classic
Discipline: Road
Competition: UCI World Tour , UCI Women's World Tour
Type: One-day
Organiser: Flanders Classics
Race director: Wim Van Herreweghe
Web site: www .omloophetnieuwsblad .be /en
First edition: 1945 ( 1945 )
Editions: 81 (as of 2026)
First winner

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Article

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe, and holds significant prestige because of it. Since 2017, the race has been part of the UCI World Tour, cycling's top-tier professional events.

The race starts in Ghent, Flanders, and finishes in Ninove, Flanders. The race route covers the hills in the Flemish Ardennes, marking the start of the cobbled classics season in Europe. Due to its early calendar date, it is characterized by often cold weather, coming as a contrast to the early-season stage races in the Middle East and Southern Europe. The day after the Omloop, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne completes the opening weekend. The race is named after the newspaper sponsoring the event – Het Volk from 1947 to 2009, and Het Nieuwsblad from 2009 to present.