Omloop Het Nieuwsblad opens the cobbled-classics season, the first big day of the Flemish spring. First run in 1945 as the Omloop Het Volk, it crosses the bergs of the Flemish Ardennes, the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg among them, with a fierce finish near Ghent. It sets the tone for the whole campaign, and a strong ride here marks a rider as a contender for Flanders and Roubaix. Several greats have won it, and Eddy Merckx took it in the 1970s. In 2026 Mathieu van der Poel powered clear of the opening weekend to win. After a long winter, it is the race that tells everyone where they stand.