Traditionally, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad marks the start of the classics season on the so-called "Opening Weekend", followed by Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (Omloop Van Het Hageland for the women). Cobblestones and short but steep climbs characterise Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The weather also plays an important role: temperatures in the single digits or just above freezing and rain are not uncommon.

Omloop Het Niewusblad 2025: The most important facts in brief

• Date: Saturday, 01 March 2025, the men start at 11:15 am (finish ~ 3:53 pm), the women at 1:20 pm (finish ~ 5:07 pm)
• DistanceMen 197 kilometres, women 137.9 kilometres
• Start: Ghent, Target: Ninove
• Premiere: Men 1945, women 2006
• UCI category: World Tour, Women's World Tour
• Favourites & start list Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025
• Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: route, TV coverage & live stream
• To the race report of the men's race
• To the race report of the women's race

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025: The route

The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025 does not break the 200-kilometre mark with 197 kilometres - in 2024 it was 202.2 kilometres. However, this does not make the race significantly easier. The first 100 kilometres or so are not very challenging. The Leberg, which is cycled three times in total, is just one of the eleven Hellingen on this section. Two of the cobblestone passages, the Kasseien, are ridden up to kilometre 101.

Then it's down to business. Climbs and cobbled sections alternate in the Ardennes between Oudenaarde and Zottegem. The finale begins with Molenberg, Leberg, Berendries and the Elverenberg-Vossenhol combination. The 1100 metre long and notorious wall of Geraardsbergen 16 kilometres before the finish with its up to 20 percent steep, cobbled ramps as well as the 1000 metres up the Bosberg four kilometres later will probably bring the preliminary decision again.

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For the women, 137.9 kilometres are on the programme, with the last 50 kilometres or so from Wolvenberg being identical to those of the men. The first 38 kilometres to Munkzwalm are also the same. The decision is also likely to be made here in the difficult finale with the wall of Geraardsbergen and Bosberg.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025 - the slipways

Men

• KM 52.5 - Leberg
• KM 120.9 - Leberg
• KM 128.8 - Valkenberg
• KM 141.4 - Eikenberg
• KM 144.5 - Wolvenberg
• KM 154.5 - Molenberg
• KM 162.0 - Leberg
• KM 166.0 - Berendries
• KM 168.5 - Elverenberg-Vossenhol
• KM 181.3 - Wall of Geraardsbergen
• KM 185.5 - Bosberg

Women

• KM 81.7 - Edelareberg
• KM 85.5 - Wolvenberg
• KM 95.4 - Molenberg
• KM 102.9 - Leberg
• KM 106.9 - Berendries
• KM 109.4 - Elverenberg-Vossenhol
• KM 122.2 - Wall of Geraardsbergen
• KM 126.1 - Bosberg

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - Kasseien 2025

Men

• KM 33.2 - Paddestraat
• KM 49.5 - Haaghoek
• KM 100.9 - Lange Munte
• KM 117.9 - Haaghoek
• KM 144.6 - Holleweg
• KM 145.8 - Karel Martelstraat
• KM 148.6 - Jagerij
• KM 159.0 - Haghoek

Women

• KM 33.1 - Paddestraat
• KM 41.3 - Lange Munte
• KM 85.5 - Holleweg
• KM 86.7 - Karel Martelstraat
• KM 89.5 - Jagerij
• KM 99.9 - Haaghoek

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: TV broadcast and live stream

The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025 can be seen on TV and live streamed in Germany. Eurosport 2 reports from 1:30 pm live from the races - first from the men, then from the women after the finish. Discovery Plus (for a fee) will be offering a live stream of the men's races from 13:30 and a stream of the women's competition from 16:00.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: History Wiki

The Omloop was originally created to compete with the Tour of Flanders and first took place in March 1945, immediately after the liberation of Belgium by the Allies. As is often the case in the history of cycling, daily newspapers were the driving force behind the organisation of the race. At its premiere, the race was called Omloop van Vlaanderen, but just one year later it was renamed Omloop Het Volk. This made it clear which medium was behind the event - whereas the Tour of Flanders was organised by Het Nieuwsblad at the time.

The race traditionally started in Ghent, and with a few exceptions, this remained the case. It was not until 1950 that the iconic climbs of the Flemish Ardennes were integrated into the route. For a long time, the race also returned to Ghent before Lokeren became the finish in the mid-1990s.

Renamed Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

In 2009, the race was renamed Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad bought out its rival paper. A year later, the renowned race organiser Flanders Classics took over the organisation of the event. Initially, little changed in terms of the route - it was not until 2018 that a significant change was made. After the Tour of Flanders moved its finish from Meerbeke-Ninove to Oudenaarde in 2012, the legendary climbs of the Muur of Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg became virtually available. In order to preserve these traditional passages in the cycling calendar, the Omloop integrated them into its finale and has since led all the way to Ninove.

Three cancellations of the race

The race has had to be cancelled three times in its history: in 1960 in protest against the UCI, as the organisers felt they had been treated unfairly, and in 1986 and 2004 due to impassable, snow-covered roads. This means that the 80th edition of the race will be held in 2025. For the women, who have been competing since 2006, it will be the 17th edition.

These are the record winners of the Omloop Nieuwsblad

Although the Omloop Nieuwsblad is 80 years old, no rider has yet managed to establish themselves as the absolute record winner. The challenges posed by the course and the constant need for a little bit of luck have prevented anyone from winning the race more than three times. The Belgians Ernest Sterckx (1952, 1953, 1956), Joseph Bruyere (1974, 197, 1980) and most recently Peter Van Petegem (1997, 1998, 2002) have each triumphed three times. The only German winner was Andreas Kappes in 1991, while Nils Poliit came very close to a second German victory in 2024. The man from Cologne came second behind Jan Tratnik.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - Results Men 2024

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - Women's results 2024

The record winners of the Omloop Nieuwsblad

In the comparatively young history of the women's race, several riders have already triumphed twice. Suzanne de Goede (2006, 2009), Emma Johansson (2010, 2011), Anna van der Breggen (2015, 2021) and Annemiek van Vleuten (2020, 2022) are at the top of the list of winners. So far, no German rider has won the race. The best placings were achieved by Angela Hennig with a second place in 2008 and Tanja Hennes (2006) and Trixi Worrack (2012), who both finished third.

All winners since 2013

Men

• 2024 Jan Tratnik (Slovenia)
• 2023 Dylan van Baarle (Netherlands)
• 2022 Wout van Aert (Belgium)
• 2021 Davide Ballerini (Italy)
• 2020 Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)
• 2019 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic)
• 2018 Michael Valgren (Denmark)
• 2017 Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium)
• 2016 Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium)
• 2015 Ian Stannard (Great Britain)
• 2014 Ian Stannard (Great Britain)
• 2013 Luca Paolini (Italy)

Women

• 2024 Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
• 2023 Lotte Kopecky (Belgium)
• 2022 Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands)
• 2021 Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands)
• 2020 Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands)
• 2019 Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)
• 2018 Christina Siggaard (Denmark)
• 2017 Lucinda Brand (Netherlands)
• 2016 Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain)
• 2015 Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands)
• 2014 Amy Pieters (Netherlands)
• 2013 Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)