Omloop van het Houtland 2026 preview: route, startlist, and favorites
Omloop van het Houtland returns on September 23 through the flat farmland of West Flanders. Tim Merlier defends his 2025 title on terrain where wind direction determines whether the race ends in a bunch sprint or an echelon battle.
Omloop van het Houtland 2026 offers a different kind of Belgian racing: no famous climbs, no cobblestones, just flat, exposed farmland where the wind makes all the decisions. Tim Merlier (2025), Max Walscheid (2024), and Gerben Thijssen (2023) all won from sprints, but the race can look completely different depending on weather conditions.
When crosswinds hit the Houtland, the peloton fractures into echelons and the race becomes a test of team strength and positioning. On calmer days, it stays together longer and rewards pure finishing speed. Either way, the winner is always a rider who read the conditions correctly and positioned accordingly.