Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) will not start Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday after falling ill, the team confirmed on Thursday. The Belgian was due to make his 2026 road season debut at the 81st edition of the Flemish opener, where he was widely regarded as the primary challenger to Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
"Sadly, Wout van Aert will not be able to start in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, as he has fallen ill," the team said. "The winner of the 2022 edition of the race will take his time to recover."
Van Aert said: "Obviously it's a big blow for me to miss out on my first race, having prepared for the classics season the whole winter. We had a good training camp at Sierra Nevada and I was feeling really strong. But unfortunately, it's also that time of the year where it's easy to fall ill."
He said he remained positive about his form despite the setback. "I remain positive about the feeling I had on training and am confident that I will be able to return to racing soon. Just not this Saturday."
The team has not specified the nature of the illness or given a return date.
Italian neo-pro Pietro Mattio (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) has been called up as Van Aert's replacement. The 21-year-old stepped up from the team's development squad to the WorldTeam for 2026. Christophe Laporte, the team's next most accomplished classics rider, is the likeliest protected option on a revised roster that also includes Axel Zingle, Matthew Brennan, Timo Kielich, Edoardo Affini and Per Strand Hagenes.
Van Aert's absence removes Visma's most versatile finisher from a race that has become harder to control. The 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad route covers 207.6km, 10km longer than last year, with twelve categorised climbs and eight cobbled sectors. Organisers have added the Tenbosse (26km to go) and Parikeberg (22.7km to go) to the finale, sharpening the run-in before the classic Muur-Kapelmuur and Bosberg combination.
Key finale climbs, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2026
Route finishes in Ninove
Climb | Type | Distance to finish (km) |
|---|---|---|
| Bosberg | ||
| Molenberg | ||
| Muur-Kapelmuur | ||
| Parikeberg | ||
| Tenbosse |
Defending champion Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) returns to the race in Van Aert's absence. Van der Poel enters as heavy favourite.
The illness is the latest disruption to Van Aert's preparation. He fractured his right ankle in a crash at the Zilvermeercross in Mol on January 2, requiring surgery in Herentals. The fracture typically needs six to eight weeks for full bone consolidation, but Van Aert made a swift return to training and completed a high-altitude camp at Sierra Nevada, although poor weather there forced several sessions indoors on rollers.
Van Aert had been pencilled in for the Ename Samyn Classic on March 3, but his participation now depends on recovery. His broader spring targets, including Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, remain on his calendar.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
