The 110th edition of the Tour of Flanders takes place on Sunday 5 April 2026, with the men’s peloton racing 278.2 kilometres from Antwerp to Oudenaarde across the cobbled climbs of Flanders. One of cycling’s five Monuments and arguably the most prestigious one-day race on the calendar, De Ronde is a defining contest of the spring classics season. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar heads the start list alongside Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenepoel in what promises to be one of the great modern editions.
What is the Tour of Flanders?
The Tour of Flanders, known in Dutch as the Ronde van Vlaanderen or simply De Ronde, is a professional one-day road cycling race held annually in the Flanders region of Belgium. It is one of the five Monuments of cycling, the most prestigious category of one-day races alongside Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Il Lombardia.
The race forms the centrepiece of the cobbled classics season, which dominates the professional calendar each spring. Riders face a gruelling combination of narrow roads, steep cobbled climbs (known as hellingen), and flat cobblestone sectors that demand a rare blend of power, endurance, and tactical intelligence. The 2026 men’s route features 16 hellingen and six flat cobbled sections, with the racing typically decided on the final ascents before a flat run-in to the finish line.
A women’s elite race also takes place on the same day, covering 164.1 kilometres with nine hills and 11 cobbled sectors. Lotte Kopecky is the defending champion in the women’s race, having won a record third title in 2025.
When is the Tour of Flanders 2026?
The 2026 Tour of Flanders takes place on Sunday 5 April 2026. The men’s elite race starts at 10:00 CET (09:00 BST / 04:00 ET) from Ernest van Dijckkaai in Antwerp, with the finish in Oudenaarde expected at approximately 16:20 CET (15:20 BST / 10:20 ET). The women’s elite race starts from Oudenaarde at 13:25 CET (12:25 BST / 07:25 ET).
Where is the Tour of Flanders?
The men’s race starts in Antwerp, Belgium’s second-largest city, and finishes in the town of Oudenaarde in the Flemish Ardennes, approximately 278 kilometres to the south-west. The route winds through the rolling hills and narrow lanes of East and West Flanders, passing through some of the most iconic terrain in professional cycling.
The decisive sections of the race are concentrated in the final 55 kilometres. The Koppenberg (600m at 11.6% average gradient), the Oude Kwaremont (2,200m at 4.0%), and the Paterberg (360m at 12.9%) are the climbs that have defined modern editions of the race. The Kwaremont and Paterberg combination, tackled for the final time with roughly 17 kilometres remaining, is where the race is typically won and lost. From the summit of the Paterberg, a flat 13-kilometre run-in leads to the finish line on the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde, close to the town’s central Markt square.
Key Contenders
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) is the defending champion and the overwhelming favourite for a third consecutive Monument victory on Flemish roads. The Slovenian soloed to victory in 2025 after attacking on the Oude Kwaremont, finishing more than a minute clear of his pursuers. He has entered the 2026 spring classics in imperious form, having already won Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo this season. His 2025 edition was the fastest in the race’s history, completed at an average speed of 45 km/h.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is a three-time winner of De Ronde (2020, 2022, 2024) and remains one of the most dangerous riders on cobbled terrain. The Dutchman finished third in 2025 and will be determined to reclaim the race he has made his own in recent years. His explosive acceleration on the hellingen makes him the rider most capable of matching Pogacar move for move.
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is a perennial contender in the Flemish classics who has finished on the podium multiple times without yet claiming the victory that his talent deserves. The Belgian all-rounder remains one of the strongest riders on the cobbles and will have significant home crowd support.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) adds further depth to an exceptional start list. Magnus Sheffield and Romain Gregoire both impressed at Dwars door Vlaanderen and could animate the finale, while Mads Pedersen, the 2025 runner-up, will be aiming for another strong result.
How to Watch
The Tour of Flanders is broadcast widely across the globe. In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports carries the race live on television, with streaming available via the HBO Max platform (subscription from £30.99 per month). In the United States and Canada, FloBikes provides live coverage, with subscriptions available at $39.99 per month or $203.88 annually.
In Belgium, VRT and RTL offer free-to-air coverage of the national classic. Across much of continental Europe, Eurosport broadcasts the race, available through the Discovery+ or HBO Max streaming platforms depending on the territory. The Netherlands has free coverage on NOS, France on France Televisions, Switzerland on SRG SSR, and Denmark on TV2.
Australian viewers can watch for free on SBS, with FloBikes also available as a streaming option. In Latin America, ESPN carries the race, while SuperSport provides coverage across Africa. J Sports broadcasts in Japan, and Eurosport 1 International covers much of Asia.
History and Records
The Tour of Flanders was first held on 25 May 1913, conceived by sports journalist Karel Van Wijnendaele and organised by the newspaper Sportwereld. The inaugural 324-kilometre edition, starting from the Korenmarkt in Ghent, was won by Paul Deman in a five-man sprint. Van Wijnendaele created the race to run entirely on Flemish soil, and it quickly became a symbol of Flemish cultural identity as much as a sporting event.
The record for most victories in the men’s race is shared by seven riders with three wins each: Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, and Mathieu van der Poel. Belgium is the most successful nation, with 69 victories, followed by the Netherlands (13) and Italy (11). Briek Schotte holds the record for most participations with 20 consecutive starts between 1940 and 1959, while American George Hincapie holds the record for most finishes with 17.
The largest winning margin in the race’s history belongs to Henri Van Lerberghe, who won the 1919 edition by 14 minutes. At the other end of the spectrum, several recent editions have been decided by tiny margins on the flat run-in from the Paterberg. Pogacar’s 2025 victory, achieved at a record average speed of 45 km/h, marked him as only the second rider alongside Eddy Merckx to have won both the Tour de France and De Ronde more than once.
Tickets and Attendance
The Tour of Flanders is a free-to-attend public sporting event along the vast majority of its 278-kilometre route. Hundreds of thousands of spectators line the roads each year, with the largest crowds gathering on the iconic climbs of the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont, and Paterberg. The finish area in Oudenaarde features a dedicated fan zone on the Minderbroedersstraat, open from 13:00 to 19:00, with big screens, food, and live entertainment.
For those seeking a more premium experience, the official Tour of Flanders organisation offers hospitality packages through the event website at rondevanvlaanderen.be. The free Official Fan Guide, available for download on the website, includes the race timetable, route map, and mobility information to help spectators plan their day. Public transport is strongly recommended, as road closures affect much of the route throughout the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Tour of Flanders 2026 start?
The men’s elite race starts at 10:00 CET on Sunday 5 April 2026 from Antwerp, with the finish in Oudenaarde expected around 16:20 CET. The women’s race begins at 13:25 CET from Oudenaarde.
Where is the Tour of Flanders held?
The men’s race runs from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, covering 278.2 kilometres through the Flanders region of Belgium. The women’s race starts and finishes in Oudenaarde.
How can I watch the Tour of Flanders?
In the UK, the race is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max. In the US and Canada, FloBikes has the broadcast rights. SBS provides free-to-air coverage in Australia, while Eurosport covers most of continental Europe.
Who won the Tour of Flanders last year?
Tadej Pogacar won the 2025 men’s race with a solo attack on the Oude Kwaremont, finishing over a minute ahead of Mads Pedersen. Lotte Kopecky won the women’s race for a record third time, beating Pauline Ferrand-Prevot in a four-rider sprint.