The Tour of Flanders, aka De Ronde van Vlaanderen, aka the first cobbled Monument of 2026 and the first part of cycling’s Holy Week, takes place on Sunday 5th April. With both men’s and women’s pelotons acclimatising to Flanders’ cobbled climbs and sectors over the past month in races such as Omloop Nieuwsblad, the Ronde van Brugge, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen, and now it’s time for the big one.
The Classics have been closely contested this year, with Mathieu van der Poel the most common winner in the men’s category. As for the women, the victories have been spread around more fairly. FDJ United-Suez have picked up victories with Elise Chabbey and Demi Vollering, both set to compete here on Sunday, but they’re not alone. Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser all have Classics titles to their name in 2026.
Of course, we all know winning the warm-ups doesn’t guarantee a good performance in the Tour of Flanders, so we’ve rounded up all the favourites and some of the other riders to keep an eye on. So, which riders are going to light up the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg this Sunday?
Tour of Flanders 2026 men’s favourites
We’ll start with the men as they’re racing first.
The three biggest names in one-day racing will be on the start line. We’re talking, of course, about Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Together, Van der Poel and Pogačar have won 18 Monuments since 2020, with the former having won three of the past five editions of the Tour of Flanders and coming second in the other two.
Aside from the ‘big three’, we have nearly-man Mads Pedersen, who has thrice finished on the podium here, and debutant Remco Evenepoel. The bookmakers, however, unsurprisingly, back former winners Van der Poel and Pogačar for glory in Oudenaarde.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
No rider has ever been able to win Omloop Nieuwsblad and the Tour of Flanders in the same season. That could change on Sunday, as Mathieu van der Poel enters the Belgian race as one of the hotly tipped favourites.
The former world champion has won here on three occasions already. That said, he enters the Ronde in his most wobbly form in recent years. Besides his win at Omloop Nieuwsblad, a crash at Milan-San Remo forced him out of the podium fight, while attacks at E3 and In Flanders Fields saw the Dutchman appear vulnerable ahead of the big goal in Flanders. Yes, he won E3, but he was almost caught under the flamme rouge by a chase group of four.
On the other hand, he so often rises to the occasion in Monuments. He’s not finished outside the top ten at one of these races since 2020, and he’s been on the podium of the Tour of Flanders every year since his first victory in 2020. This is the perfect race for the Dutchman, in other words. That said, he was dethroned by Tadej Pogačar at this race in both 2023 and 2025. If the Slovenian smells blood, he won’t hold back.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Tadej Pogačar has become the unexpected roadblock to Mathieu van der Poel’s Tour of Flanders dominance. During the Slovenian’s three attempts at the Ronde, he has pushed his Dutch rival to the limit, beating him twice and almost dropping him on the one occasion Pogačar lost this event.
Pogačar has kicked 2026 off in unbeatable fashion. He claimed Strade Bianche then picked up Milan-San Remo a fortnight later, despite a crash before the all-important Cipressa. While his appearances haven’t been as frequent as many of the other favourites on this list, we can assume Pogačar still has the legs to distance the bulk of his rivals here.
He’s won twice before in bolstered Flanders company, so a third title is likely. If he does make it a hat-trick of Flanders wins, he’d equal Mathieu van der Poel, Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen on three race wins, the most achieved by any riders in history.
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Wout van Aert has won most Flemish Classics, but not this one. This year could be his best chance in years, given a recent bounce-back in form and bolstered team support.
His return to form was first indicated at Milan-San Remo, where a late attack saw him sail to a third place on the day, despite a crash earlier on. He performed well again at In Flanders Fields, where he and perennial rival Van der Poel launched a two-up move. He couldn’t pull off a podium there, but he had the fitness to follow Van der Poel’s moves on the Kemmelberg. Then there’s Dwaars door Vlaanderen, at which the Belgian came just metres away from a cathartic victory.
This is the best we’ve seen Wout van Aert since 2023. His team seem to be in good standing as well, with Per Strand Hagenes and Christophe Laporte in promising shape. Van Aert’s sprint could be a key to a strong result, but he’ll need to hang onto Van der Poel and Pogačar’s wheels for that to come into play.
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
After a storm of speculation about his participation over the off-season, Remco Evenepoel has done a 180 and will line up at the Tour of Flanders for the first time in his career.
Evenepoel has performed well in the few cobbled Classics he’s competed in. He won the Brabantse Pijl last year when up against Wout van Aert, and a second place at the World Championships in Rwanda shows that he could thrive on the punchy bergs of Belgium. His long-range attacks have often been the deciding factor for these big results, and the Ronde route offers some springboards for that, especially in the aftermath of some of the race’s big climbs.
Evenepoel’s team have been strong this Classics campaign, but they’ve been lacking a star rider to pierce the final podium. Given the Olympic Champion’s involvement here, I think Red Bull could be in a good position on Sunday, especially with the in-form Gianni Vermeersch, Laurence Pithie and Van Dijke brothers for support.
To my eyes, Evenepoel has the skillset to perform well at Flanders. He’s a good one-day rider if his head’s in the game, and he is no stranger to days with a high amount of elevation gain. The Belgian is a regular fixture on Monument podiums, and it’s about time he got to display his talent on a cobbled profile like this.
Outsiders
It’s unlikely that any rider defeats Van der Poel or Pogačar. Lord knows how Evenepoel will play his hand, but the race for third is still somewhat open.
Mads Pedersen has managed to sneak his way onto the podium on several occasions in recent years. He usually goes well in Flanders, but let-ups in form, plus injuries and illness, raise some concerns. Lidl-Trek haven’t been particularly strong in the Classics this year, so a big result will go a long way to lifting the morale.
As demonstrated at E3, In Flanders Fields and Dwaars door Vlaanderen though, the gap is closing to the bunch. Matteo Trentin has been in good form recently, as has Decathlon-CMA CGM sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen. Arnaud de Lie has shown great promise in the Classics, so he could be in contention if there’s a sprint for third. Otherwise, Bahrain Victorious’s new Classicsman Alec Segaert or even EF’s former winner Kasepr Asgreen might jump into the frame.
Tour of Flanders 2025 women’s favourites
Last year’s race was won from a select group of four, with Lotte Kopecky triumphant ahead of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Liane Lippert.
This year the reigning champion starts as co-favourite, but Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser appear to be in good form after two big Classics wins at Omloop Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen. Grand Tour winners Elisa Longo Borghini and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot join the fray as favourites, although they’re yet to pick up big Classics wins in 2026.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
After some hiccups in 2025, Lotte Kopecky is back in form. Two victories last month put her back in our minds, first at Nokere Koerse, then Milan-San Remo. At the latter, she played a smart race, letting it come down to a reduced sprint.
A three-time Tour of Flanders winner, Kopecky has what it takes to win Vlaanderens Mooiste. She can hold onto key moves on the bergs and easily rely on her sprint if it comes down to a small group, like at last year’s race. SD Worx’s squad also allows for multiple cards to be played. Lorena Wiebes will scare the bunch if she manages to emerge in similar form to In Flanders Fields, where she laid down the law on the Kemmelberg.
All in all, things look good for Kopecky. No woman has ever won this race on four occasions, but she might be Belgium’s best option if they want a reason to celebrate post-race on Sunday.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez)
After dodging this race last year, Demi Vollering returns to the Tour of Flanders as a big favourite.
While she’s only participated in two cobbled races this year, she’s finished in the top two spots at both. This first came at Omloop Nieuwsblad, where her team set up a crucial move over the Kapelmuur. At Dwaars door Vlaanderen however, she lost out in a sprint to Marlen Reusser, but she had the firepower to create moves earlier in the race. In all honesty, she was unlucky to lose that one.
Nevertheless, Vollering is in a great position to win her first Tour of Flanders. The form is there, and she’s got the tactical freedom to create attacks, which wasn’t the case at her previous SD Worx squad. FDJ United-Suez have looked formidable recently, with the in-form Elise Chabbey and Franziska Koch here as helping hands for the European champion.
She’ll need to find the watts to drop Lotte Kopecky on the bergs, but I reckon Vollering’s got that in her tank. She’s the best climber in the world, after all.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is swerving Paris-Roubaix this year after her impressive one-and-done, but she’s made the effort to come to the Tour of Flanders.
Similar to 2025, her race appearances have been few and far between. At Strade Bianche, her season debut, things didn’t go to plan as she suffered mechanical problems at a key point on the gravel. A poor result came, but it was understandable, given the circumstances on the road.
A month on, she’s returning to the Tour of Flanders in a bid to improve on her second place finish last year. Based on her one race day, it’s hard to judge where her form is at, but I reckon she’s in good enough shape if she’s decided to interrupt her training programme to make the visit to Belgium.
Like Vollering, the Frenchwoman brings the best of both worlds with her cobbles experience and climbing prowess. Visma’s Classics squad have been riding well this year, but crave a big result. Lieke Nooijen has been the most regular face at the head of affairs, but Marianne Vos’s experience should also come in handy on Sunday.
Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
Marlen Reusser has been getting better and better since leaving SD Worx-Protime in 2024. Last year, she climbed onto the Grand Tour podium at both the Giro and the Vuelta, and she won her first rainbow jersey against the clock in Rwanda.
This year, the Swiss rider suffered a crash at the UAE Tour in February, but that doesn’t seem to have slowed her down. Reusser’s return to racing on Wednesday was met with a Classics victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen, her first one-day win since leaving SD Worx in 2024.
Reusser is a time-triallist by trade, so she could pull off a solo move if she finds the time to launch a big attack. If it stays together though, she has the strength on the climbs and her recent sprint win at Dwars door Vlaanderen should fill her with confidence if she goes to the line with Vollering or Ferrand-Prévot.
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
It’s no surprise to find Elisa Longo Borghini on this list as a previous champion.
The former Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner is very capable on the cobbles, and her climbing prowess is well documented. Although she’s stripped back her cobbled calendar for 2026 with only Dwars door Vlaanderen, De Ronde and Paris-Roubaix on her schedule. However, I reckon she’s in good form if she’s managed to slip the cobbled Monuments into her calendar.
UAE Team ADQ have been in great form during the Spring Classics. Karlijn Swinkels has been there or thereabouts on the cobbles, with a Trofeo Binda victory to her name. Eleonora Gasparrini has also delivered big result after big result this spring, so she could be an influential figure in Longo Borghini’s Flanders jaunt.
Outsiders
In all likelihood, it’s hard to envision a situation where one of the aforementioned riders doesn’t win. However, the women’s peloton has been susceptible to some surprise results in recent years.
Like Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos has struggled to convert her greatness into consistent Tour of Flanders results recently. Yes, she has won this race before, but that came over a decade ago in 2013.
As mentioned, UAE Team ADQ have several leaders to play with. Gasparinni and Swinkels could easily feature in the top ranks on Sunday if there’s any let-up with Longo Borghini. Likewise, AG Insurance-Soudal have several cards to play with Shari Bossuyt incredibly consistent this spring, though Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Letizia Borghesi bring a little more experience given their Monument podiums last year.