How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026: Free Streams TV Details

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (men) 2025 — (Image credit: Getty Images)

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Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the first European WorldTour race of the season and the highlight of the famous 'Opening Weekend' – two days that kick off the Spring Classics season that runs all the way up to Ardennes Week in late April.

Replete with bergs and cobbles, 'Omloop' as it is often abbreviated to, is a mini Tour of Flanders, giving riders and fans a taste of the biggest races still to come.

The men's race has decades of history having been inaugurated in 1945, and since 2006 there has been a women's race too. As usual, they will be held on the same day, with the women starting and finishing a couple of hours later than the men.

In this guide, Cycling Weekly brings you all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad wherever you are.

Quick guide to watching Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026

UK: TNT Sports / Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)
US: Flobikes ($150/year or $29.99/mon)
Canada: Flobikes ($39.99/mon)
Australia: N/A
Free Stream: VRT Max / Sporza (Belgium) / NOS (Netherlands)
Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPN

What to expect at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

The women's race features nine classified climbs, or 'bergs', and seven sectors of pavé over a distance of 137km (85 miles), while the men's race is longer, with a 207km (128.6 miles) distance, 12 bergs and 13 cobbled sectors.

Numerous climbs on both routes have been made famous by the Tour of Flanders, with the Muur-Kapelmuur at Geraardsbergen, followed by the Bosberg, rounding the race off for both men and women, before a 10km time trial to the finish.

The men's and women's races were won last year by Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) and Lotte Claes (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), who are both returning this year – though Claes will now be wearing the colours of her new Fenix-Premier Tech team.

Can I watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for free?

Fans in Belgium can watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for free thanks to Sporza and VRT.

The public broadcaster in Flemish-speaking Belgium has loads of the Classics, most of which go out on TV, on the VRT Max streaming platform, and simply on the Sporza website.

It isn't just free in Belgium either, with Dutch streaming service NOS also broadcasting the race.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in Belgium or the Netherlands right now then you'll need a VPN to access the coverage — more on that below.

How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad while abroad

If you're abroad while Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is on, you're unlikely to be able to watch your usual streaming channels due to geo-restrictions. However, thanks to VPN, that doesn't mean you won't be able to watch the race.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

Unsure? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the UK

In the UK, the race will be shown on TV on TNT Sports 3 and can be streamed via Discovery. This will cost you £30.99 a month, although TNT Sports does come packaged in some TV deals.

If you happen to be abroad when Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is on, you can watch the race hassle-free with a VPN. Simply download a VPN, set the country to your home location and stream as usual – more details below.

How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the US and Canada

Flobikes has a deal with race organiser Flanders Classics and will show Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in both the USA and Canada on Saturday. Subscriptions cost US$29.99 a month or CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans.

The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.

What time is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026 on?

UK coverage of the first cobbled classic will begin on TNT Sports 3 and Discovery+ from 12pm GMT. Coverage of the women's race begins at 3pm GMT.

In the US, the men's race will be on from 7.40 EST on FloBikes, which will begin its coverage of the women's race at 10.10 EST.

Who to watch at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026

The first cobbled classic of the season is attracting big names as ever with both Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) making their seasonal debuts.

The sprinters involved include Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché), and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling).

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields.

Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.

He has worked at a variety of races, from the Classics to the Giro d'Italia – and this year will be his seventh Tour de France.

A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.