Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today to see the men’s and women’s WorldTour pelotons in action at the first one-day Classic of the season, with all the details here on live streams and TV channels wherever you are in the world.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Key information
► Date: February 28, 2026
► Finish times: 3:45pm CET (men), 5:15pm CET (women)
► UK: TNT Sports / Discovery+
► US & Canada: Flobikes
► Free stream: Sporza (Belgium)
► Watch from anywhere: Get 70% off NordVPN
Mathieu van der Poel (Fenix-Premier Tech) headlines the men’s field, with the eight-time Monument winner making his debut at the race, though there’ll be no clash with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) who’s out through illness.
The SD Worx-Protime duo of Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes form a strong partnership in the women’s field, which includes former Tour de France winner Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ).
The men will race 207.6km and the women 137.6km on similar courses running from Gent to Ninove, on many of the same roads that feature in the Tour of Flanders, with the cobbled climbs of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg forming the finale.
There are broadcast options in the UK, USA and Canada, as well as free live streaming options in Belgium and the Netherlands. Read on for all the details on how to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad online, on TV, and from anywhere.
Can I watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for free?
The 2026 edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will have free-to-air coverage for viewers in the host country of Belgium via Flemish broadcaster Sporza / VRT.
TV viewers can watch the action from both the men’s and women’s races on VRT 1 while those looking to stream Omloop Het Nieuwsblad online can watch through the VRT Max streaming platform, or simply on the Sporza website through a browser player that does not require registration.
Over the border in the Netherlands, public broadcaster NOS has the rights to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, which will be streamed on the NPO Start platform.
If you are based in Belgium or the Netherlands but currently abroad, then you can still tune in by using a virtual private network (VPN) – more on that below.
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad from anywhere
If you’re outside your usual country when Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is on, you might think you can’t watch the race due to geo-restrictions, but you’d be wrong.
There are loads of great VPN options out there, but for a VPN that’s brilliant at streaming and is also TechRadar’s pick for overall best VPN in the world, we’d recommend NordVPN.
Where can I watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the UK?
Fans in the UK can watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on TNT Sports 3 and Discovery+.
Coverage of the men’s race starts at 12pm GMT and runs through to 3:15pm GMT, when it will switch to the women’s race.
Both races are streaming live on the Discovery+ platform, where subscriptions cost £30.99 per month.
Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the USA and Canada?
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will have live coverage on the cycling streaming service FloBikes in both the USA and Canada.
Coverage is set to fire up at 7:40am ET for the men’s race and 10:10 ET for the women’s race.
A subscription to Flobikes costs $39.99 a month, but you’ll save big in the long run if you go for an annual plan.
Why can’t I watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Australia?
Unfortunately for cycling fans in Australia, they will not have a live broadcast for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this year. SBS aren’t showing the race this year, and the streaming distribution service Staylive does not have road cycling coverage this season.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Schedule & Timings
|
Race |
Start |
Finish (approx) |
|
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Men |
11:05 CET |
15:52 CET |
|
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women |
13:35 CET |
17:17 CET |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad mini-preview
Last year Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with a massive sprint ahead of Paul Magnier and Jasper Philipsen, and the trio returns. Both Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) were to make season debuts on Saturday, but now only the Dutchman will be there for his first effort at the Belgian race, Van Aert pulling out due to illness.
In the first European race of the Women’s WorldTour, with Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes in action for SD Worx-Protime against Demi Vollering (FDJ-United-Suez) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). They will look to unseat last year’s surprise winner Lotte Claes, now with Fenix-Premier Tech.
The men will race from Ghent to Ninove will run slightly longer than last year at 207.6km, with eight cobbled sectors and 12 hills. A noticeable change will be the removal of the Valkenberg and the addition of two ascents of the Eikenberg, while the final one-two punch of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg remain.
The women have the same start and finish, but will ride 137.6km across the cobbles and bergs of Flanders, facing Geraardsbergen and the decisive ascents of the Muur and Bosberg before flat finish of 11.8km into Ninove.
Full list of broadcasters for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- Sporza / VRT & RTL Play – Belgium
- NOS – Netherlands
- La chaîne L’Equipe – France
- FloBikes – USA & Canada
- TV2 Sport (men’s race only) – Denmark
- SuperSport variety 4 (men’s race only) – Africa
- HBO Max, Discovery+, Eurosport – Europe and Asia
- Disney+ (men’s race only) – Latin America
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