Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026: Pogacar and Van der Poel headline Antwerp-to-Oudenaarde

Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026 returns to its Antwerp-to-Oudenaarde script with the strongest rivalry in the cobbled spring still intact. Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are the clearest top-line names, but Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, and Tim Wellens give the Monument enough depth that one mistake in position or timing can flip the whole race.

The core truth of the Ronde does not change. The first cobbles begin the stress, but the decisive hierarchy still tends to emerge when the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg return late and the race finally stops tolerating passengers. Van der Poel remains the most proven answer to that sequence, while Pogacar is the rider most capable of turning the Monument into a harder climbing power test instead of a pure cobbled duel.

Van Aert and Pedersen matter because they are strong enough to benefit if Pogacar and Van der Poel lock onto one another too rigidly. Stuyven and Wellens add more tactical volatility for the teams that can attack from depth rather than wait for one perfect move. That is why this year’s preview should read less like a generic Monument setup and more like a direct fight between the two riders most likely to decide the race, with a second line fully capable of punishing hesitation.