Mathieu van der Poel claimed victory in the Omloop het Nieuwsblad men's race, marking a dominant start to the cobbled classics season. The Dutch rider, competing for Alpecin-Deceuninck, launched a decisive attack on a cobbled climb with 16km remaining in the 207.2km event in Belgium. Van der Poel crossed the finish line 22 seconds ahead of the chasing pack.

Tim van Dijke of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe secured second place after outsprinting Belgian rider Florian Vermeersch for the podium spot. The victory comes as van der Poel continues his stellar form following his record-breaking eighth world cyclo-cross title in Hulst. British rider Tom Pidcock finished over two minutes behind the winner, highlighting the Dutchman's superior performance.

In the women's race, Demi Vollering of FDJ-Suez won her first Omloop title after outsprinting Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma in a two-way sprint finish. The 137km race saw Vollering add to her impressive palmarès, which already includes the 2023 Tour de France Femmes and two Vuelta Femenina victories. Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes took third place, while British riders Cat Ferguson and Millie Couzens finished fourth and eighth respectively.