Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025: TOUR check on the favourites for the Classics opener

Thomas Goldmann

· 28.02.2025

Favourites for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025: Wout van Aert

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Photo: Getty Images/Tim De Waele

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025 is coming up and with it the starting signal for the spring classics. Nils Politt already sniffed victory there in 2024. The rider from Cologne is competing again this year. How will he fare against Wout van Aert and the other Classics stars? TOUR takes a look at the favourites and the start list.

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Omloop het Nieuwsblad 2025 - the most important facts in brief

Date: Saturday, 1 March, start 11:15, finish ~ 15:53
Distance: 197 kilometres
Start: Ghent, Target: Ninove
UCI category: World Tour
Track, TV coverage & live stream Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: route, TV coverage & live stream

Picking favourites for the first classic of the year is always a bit of a shot in the dark. Nevertheless, the previous preparatory races and the performance at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in recent years allow a rough assessment of the most promising candidates. The more stars a rider gets, the higher he can be rated.

The TOUR favourites by stars*

***** -

**** Wout van Aert, Arnaud De Lie, Thomas Pidcock, António Morgado

*** Tim Wellens, Nils Politt, Jhonatan Narvaéz, Matteo Jorgenson

** Jasper Philipsen, Oier Lazkano, Matej Mohorič, Paul Magnier

Jan Tratnik, Toms Skujiņš, Jordi Meeus, Jasper Stuyven, Stefan Küng, Matteo Trentin

Results 2024

2024:

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad ME: Ghent - Ninove

24/02/2024 | 202.2 km

Rnk.	Riders	Teams	Time
1	TRATNIK, Jan Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	04:31:28
2	POLITT, Nils UAE Team Emirates	UAE Team Emirates	+00:00:03
3	VAN AERT, Wout Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	+00:00:08
4	NAESEN, Oliver Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team	Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team	+00:00:08
5	LAPORTE, Christophe Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	Team Visma \| Lease a Bike	+00:00:08
6	REX, Laurenz Intermarché - Wanty	Intermarché - Wanty	+00:00:08

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Analysis of the favourites

**** Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Photo: Getty Images/Tim De WaeleWout van Aert

In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar, van Aert is the biggest name at the start and would have earned five stars purely on paper. However, given his results so far this season, he doesn't get them from us. In his first races, the Clásica Jaén and the Tour of the Algarve, the Belgian still had some sand in his gears. Although the 30-year-old confirmed his improving form with second place in the final time trial in the Algarve, he was far from the van Aert of days gone by, who won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022. Nevertheless, he should be in contention for victory on Saturday. With Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot, Team Visma | Lease a Bike also has two more trump cards at the start.

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**** Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)

Photo: Getty Images/Billy CeustersArnaud De Lie

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The Belgian champion is hoping for the big time in the classics this year. He has already clinched a win at the Etoile de Bessèges and most recently achieved two top 10 finishes at the Tour of the Algarve - he did not compete in the final stage due to an allergy. De Lie has similar strengths to van Aert, is strong on the hills and can also win bunch sprints. This makes him one of the top favourites for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

**** Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)

Photo: Getty Images/LOIC VENANCE/AFPThomas Pidcock

Unlike van Aert, Thomas Pidcock is already in impressive form. Following his move from INEOS Grenadiers to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, the Briton appears to have been liberated and has already notched up four victories this season. Firstly, the 25-year-old won two stages of the AlUla Tour and the overall classification, and just over three weeks later he struck on stage 2 of the Ruta del Sol. The Omloop is the only cobbled classic on the Olympic mountain bike champion's racing calendar. Although Pidcock was downbeat in the run-up to the race and said that it was not his favourite race, the all-rounder's current form should mean that he can do better than fifth place in 2023 - his best finish in the Omloop to date.

**** António Morgado (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)

Photo: Getty Images/Tim de WaeleAntónio Morgado

The 21-year-old is one of the most in-form riders of the still young season, which he impressively proved with his second success at the Figueira Classic in his home country of Portugal. With fifth place in the Tour of Flanders 2024, the youngster has also already proven that he can ride to the front in the Belgian classics. In an extremely strong UAE team, Morgado's form makes him the most promising candidate.

*** Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)

Photo: Getty Images/Szymon GruchalskiTim Wellens

The next UAE pro who could win the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. With five top 10 results in his first eight race days of 2025, Wellens has traditionally made a strong start to the season. The 33-year-old Belgian finished third on the Omloop podium once in 2019. Last year, he successfully formed a one-two with Nils Politt and finished in 12th place. The fact that Wellens has the most experience among the UAE pros and that the combination of Geraardsbergen's wall and Bosberg's explosiveness will suit him in the finale speaks in his favour.

*** Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)

Photo: Getty Images/Tim De WaeleNils Politt

Last year, the 30-year-old was only beaten by Jan Tratnik. There, the German proved his excellent racing instinct when he caught Tratnik's decisive attack a good nine kilometres before the finish and rode towards the finish together with the Slovenian. Whether Politt will be able to intervene so decisively in the race again this year will depend on the team's internal arrangements. In the TOUR interview the rider from Cologne recently described how well he and Wellens harmonised in the Classics in 2024. "At the Nieuwsblad (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, in which Politt finished second), he said: 'Watch out, I'm trying to prepare an attack here and if you get away, you get away'. Then in the next race I said: 'Watch out, yesterday was my day, today is your day'." Perhaps 2025 will be Politt's day again at the Omloop.

Nils Politt (left) finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2024, behind Jan Tratnik (centre) and ahead of Wout van Aert (right)

Photo: picture alliance / Roth / CVNils Politt (left) finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2024, behind Jan Tratnik (centre) and ahead of Wout van Aert (right)

*** Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)

Photo: Getty Images/Dario BelingheriJhonatan Narváez

We have added a third driver from UAE to the list of candidates with three stars: Jhonatan Narvaéz. The Ecuadorian joined from INEOS Grenadiers before the season and traditionally rides very strongly in the classics. The 27-year-old is also in extremely good form this season, as his overall victory at the Tour Down Under proves. Alongside Morgado, Wellens and Politt, his rivals will also have to watch out for him.

*** Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Photo: Getty Images/DAVID PINTENS/Belga/AFPMatteo Jorgenson

Alongside Wout van Aert, the American is Team Visma | Lease a Bike's second trump card. Last year, Jorgenson scored big in the spring, winning Paris-Nice, Quer durch Flandern and finishing fifth in the E3 Saxo Classic. Just like in 2024, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the 25-year-old's first race of the season this year.

** Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin - Deceuninck)

Photo: Getty Images/JASPER JACOBS/Belga/AFPJasper Philipsen

In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel, the captain's role at Alpecin belongs to Deceuninck Philipsen, whose best result this season was a second place in a stage at the UAE Tour. As a two-time runner-up in Paris-Roubaix, the 26-year-old has proven that he is good on the cobbles. His handicap is the Hellingen, the short, poisonous climbs in Flanders. He probably only has a chance of winning if the race slows down again after the Geraardsbergen wall and the Bosberg and there is a sprint by a large group.

** Oier Lazkano (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)

Photo: Getty Images/Tim De WaeleOier Lazkano

Although the Spanish newcomer from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has not yet achieved a top result this year, he rode a very strong classics campaign last year - including third place at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. His chances in the sprint of a large group are slim. Lazkano is an extremely tough rider who could be successful with an early attack.

** Matej Mohorič (Bahrain - Victorious)

Photo: Getty Images/Antonio BaixaulMatej Mohorič

The Slovenian leads the Bahrain - Victorious team and was recently in good form at the Tour de la Provence. There, the 2022 Milan-San Remo winner was only beaten by Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek) on stage 2. Mohorič has a very good racing instinct and must try to reach the finish line with a small group or alone if he wants to compete for victory.

** Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step)

Photo: Getty Images/Billy CeustersPaul Magnier

Will he be the next great classics rider from Soudal Quick-Step? Paul Magnier, 20 years old, is entering his second professional year and already has six victories to his name. His most recent victory came at the Etoile de Bessèges at the beginning of February. Now the French youngster wants to get off to a flying start in the classics. He is likely to spring a surprise at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - but he may still have to learn the hard way.

* The outsiders

There are a whole host of drivers who can spring a surprise, similar to Jan Tratnik last year. Whether the Slovenian, who is racing for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe this year and was a helper to Wout van Aert last year, will be able to pull off such a coup again is rather doubtful. Nevertheless, the competition should have him on their radar. Just like his team-mate Jordi Meeuswho would be a force to be reckoned with in a possible large group sprint. They will be joined by the 2024 World Championship runner-up Toms Skujiņš (Lidl - Trek) and his team-mate Jasper Stuyvenwho has already won the Omloop once in 2020, and the experienced classic hunters Stefan Küng (Groupama - FDJ), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Kasper Asgreen (EF Edcuation - EasyPost).

The Germans at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2025

A total of eight riders from Germany will be at the start. Nils Politt is likely to have the best chance of a top result. Also taking part are Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché - Wanty), Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers), Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl - Trek), Jasha Sütterlin (Team Jayco AlUla), John Degenkolb (Team Picnic PostNL), Jannik Steimle (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team).