Gooikse Pijl 2026 preview: route, startlist, and favorites

Gooikse Pijl 2026 sits in the September Belgian one-day block, offering rolling terrain west of Brussels that produces unpredictable outcomes. The recent winners list tells the story: Jasper Philipsen (2023) and Tim Merlier (2024) won from the sprint, while Oded Kogut (2025) found a different way.

The short climbs around Gooik fragment the field through attrition rather than a single knockout blow. Narrow roads amplify the positioning battles, and by the final kilometers the race can go either way depending on who has ridden the smartest race. Teams with both sprint and punch options have an advantage.