2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

The 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was a road cycling one-day race that took place on 24 February 2024 in Belgium, starting in Gent and finishing in Ninove. It was the 79th edition of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the fourth event of the 2024 UCI World Tour. Jan Tratnik won the race from a two-man breakaway alongside Nils Politt. Tratnik's teammate Wout van Aert won the sprint for third from the chase group consisting of 32 riders.

Route
The 2024 edition marked the exhilarating start to the spring Classics season, featuring a 202.2km course commencing at the 't Kuipke velodrome in Ghent. The route, slightly shortened from the previous year, showcased 12 climbs and nine cobbled sectors, strategically placed in the latter half.

The race kicked off with challenges like the cobbles of Haaghoek and the Leberg climb within the first 50km. A 48km stretch without major obstacles followed, leading to the Lange Munte cobbles at the halfway point. As the peloton passed Oudenaarde at 99.7km, the intensity heightened with rapid successions of climbs, including Kattenberg, Leberg, Valkenberg, Wolvenberg, Molenberg, and Berendries.

The decisive phase unfolded after 186.5km, as riders faced the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen, followed by the Bosberg climb at 190.4km. The finish line in Ninove remained unchanged from the previous year, located on the wider, slightly uphill Elisabethlaan.

Teams
Twenty-five teams participated in the race, including all eighteen UCI WorldTeams and seven UCI ProTeams. In total, 175 riders started the race.

UCI WorldTeams



UCI ProSeries Teams



Summary
The 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad unfolded with all eyes on Wout van Aert and his dream team, including Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, and new addition Matteo Jorgenson. Contrary to expectations, the Dutch squad allowed a breakaway of nine riders to establish a lead of 4:40 before the cobbled sectors at Haaghoek.

As the race progressed, the team took control in the second hour, splitting the peloton and forming a decisive group of 30 riders. Matteo Jorgenson's relentless pace on the Wolvenberg dwindled the front group to six, featuring Van Aert, Laporte, Moscon, De Lie, Pidcock, and Skujiņš. Despite chasing efforts, the trio from maintained their lead, with Toms Skujiņš briefly attempting a solo move.

With 21km remaining, Matteo Jorgenson launched a decisive attack, creating a gap that ultimately secured the victory in Meerbeke. The team's strategic dominance, coupled with the falls of Kasper Asgreen and Julian Alaphilippe from, marked a thrilling start to the Classics season and showcased their formidable strength in the race. The unexpected twists and turns added an element of suspense, but the team navigated them masterfully, celebrating the triumph in the iconic race.