Mathieu van der Poel powered to victory in the Omloop het Nieuwsblad men’s race, while Dutch compatriot Demi Vollering was the women’s winner at an event that marks the start of the ‘cobbled classics’ season.
Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) was making his debut in the race and broke clear of a breakaway on a cobbled climb with just over 16km left of the 207.2km run, showing the legs to stay in front and win by 22 seconds in Belgium.
In rainy conditions, Dutchman Tim van Dijke (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) finished second after outsprinting Belgium’s Florian Vermeersch, who was third.
Van der Poel recently set a new record as he won his eighth world cyclo-cross title at Hulst in the Netherlands.
In Saturday’s race, Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock was two minutes and nine minutes adrift of the winner.
In the women’s race, Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) beat Poland’s Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon/Sram Zondacrypto) in a two-way sprint for the line.
It was Vollering’s first win in the event and she can add it to victories at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes and two wins at the Vuelta Femenina.
“It was a bit my own expectations that I would do it, but still to do it makes me proud,” said Vollering.
Lorena Wiebes of the Netherlands was third in the 137km race, while Great Britain’s Cat Ferguson was fourth and compatriot Millie Couzens was eighth.