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The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the traditional start to the European season, and it does it in a big way: with a Belgian classic that includes a climb up the mythical Kapelmuur. In addition, together with the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, they make up the Flemish Opening Weekend, the weekend that kicks off the flemish classics season. Although a month separates it from the rest of the WorldTour cobblestone classics, this 2021 the Omloop men's event will count for the combined cobblestone classification in Cycling Fantasy. The women's event, meanwhile, will not be part of the cobblestones combined classification, as it does not have a WWT category, although it will be the first race to count for the women's .Pro trophy. Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne will also score for the men's .Pro rankings.

Profiles
The men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad reaches its 76th edition this year, and it does so with a route of 200 kilometers that includes up to 14 climbs, 11 of them paved, the penultimate of which is the Kapelmuur of Geraardsbergen, one of the main cycling temples of the world. For the women's event, the route is reduced to 126 kilometers and 8 climbs, the final section being identical to that of the men. For its part, the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is 202 kilometers long, and will also pass several climbs, being the Oude Kwaremont the most famous of them all. The final part, however, includes 35 flat kilometers.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Men Favorites
When it comes to favorites, the local riders start with a lot of advantage, since of the 75 editions of the Omloop, the Belgians have taken 57. For this first WorldTour classic, the favorites include Jasper Stuyven (600) (winner in 2020), Alexandre Kristoff (800), Matteo Trentin (800), Sep Vanmarcke (400), Mads Pedersen (600), Nils Politt (400), Philippe Gilbert (600), Tim Wellens (600), Oliver Naesen (600) , Greg Van Avermaet (600), Tiesj Benoot (600), Romain Bardet (600) or Stefan Küng (600). However, all of them will have to deal with the wolves of the Deceuninck-Quick Step, who ride at home and start with an great classics team, formed by Julian Alaphilippe (1200), Yves Lampaert (600), Zdenek Stybar (600), Kasper Asgreen (800), Florian Senechal (400) and the tractor Tim Declerq (200).

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women Favorites
For the women's event, the favorites become the Dutch, who have taken nine of thirteen editions. Annemiek Van Vleuten (1200), Anna Van Der Breggen (1200), Chantal Blaak (600), Elizabeth Deignan (1000), Elisa Longo Borghini (1000), Lotte Kopecky (800), Marta Bastianelli (1000), Lucinda Brand (1000 ), Amy Pieters (1000), Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (1000), Ellen Van Dick (800) or Lisa Brennauer (1000) are usually the strongest in this field.

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Favorites
The favorites for the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne are a sum of classics riders with sprinters, as the last flat kilometers make it suitable for sprinters. Thus, to the favorites of the Omloop we must add the sprinters, among which Arnaud Demare (1000), Edward Theuns (400), Marc Sarreau (600), John Degenkolb (600), Iván García Cortina (600), Danny Van Poppel (400), Sonny Colbrelli (600), Tim Merlier (400) or Jakub Mareczko (400) stand out.