How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021: Live stream the first cobbled Classic of the season

The Classics are back, kicking off this weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - here’s how you can live stream the Flemish one-day race.

In 2020, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne were the only prestigious Classics races that went ahead before the global coronavirus pandemic put a halt to the cycling season.

This year, the much-anticipated Belgian events will kickstart the string of spring one-day races and we’ll see some big names competing.

The 2021 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad takes place on Saturday, February 27 with both the men and women racing.

This year we’ll see Annemiek van Vleuten return to defend her title, this time in Movistar colours, while Trek-Segafredo’s Lizzie Deignan will also be lining up.

In the men’s race, world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) will make his debut in the race, while Greg Van Avermaet (Ag2r-Citroën) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) will also be racing.

After some initial uncertainty around the broadcast rights for the race, particularly in the UK, there are now multiple options for watching the event.

Here are all the ways you can live stream Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021:

Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 in the UK

There was some concern for British cycling fans leading up to the first cobbled Classic of the year, as regular cycling broadcasters GCN and Eurosport had been unable to obtain rights to show the racing.

Luckily, just three days before the race, GCN and Eurosport announced they had been able to broker a last-minute deal with the race organiser to obtain the rights to show the race.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 will now be broadcast on both GCN and Eurosport on Saturday.

The women’s race will be live on GCN+ and Eurosport from 2.40pm to 4.40pm, while the men’s race will be shown from 1pm to 4.40pm.

To gain access to Eurosport coverage you can subscribe to the Eurosport Player app for £39.99 a year or £6.99 per month.

Access to the GCN Race Pass costs £39.99 a year, with a special launch offer of £19.99 for the year currently available.

Not at home for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021? No worries – just download and install a VPN and choose your location to watch live as if you were back home. Full instructions below.

You may find access to your favourite home broadcaster is restricted by location. Luckily there is a way you can keep watching anyway – downloading and installing a VPN, which allows you to trick your computer into thinking it’s back at home. This allows you to find your native broadcaster coverage without having to resort to an illegal steam, as long as you stick to the terms and conditions set out by the broadcaster.

Setting up a VPN is simple – just download, install, open the app and select your location.

Try out ExpressVPN  for its speed, security and simplicity to use. We also like that it’s compatible with so many devices and streaming services (e.g. Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PS4, etc).

There are other great options out there of course, but Express VPN gives you the added benefit of a 30-day money back guarantee and three months free with a yearly plan.

Live stream Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 from the USA, Canada and Australia

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will be available to watch in the USA, Canada and Australia thanks to FloBikes, which will have live coverage from both the men’s and women’s races.

Coverage from the men’s race will start at 8am EST and finish at around 10.30am, with the women’s race being shown from 10.37am EST and finishing around 11.40am.

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To watch Flo Bikes you’ll need a subscription to view (plans start from $12.50 a month).

Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 in Europe

If you’re a cycling fan living in mainland Europe, there are a few options available for you to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Firstly, GCN and Eurosport will have exclusive broadcast rights to the racing across most of Europe, except for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg where the racing will be live non-exclusively.

The action will also be shown live on Sporza and RTBF in Belgium, L’Equipe in France and NOS in the Netherlands.