CyclistNokere Koerse 2026 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start listsThe mens Nokere Koerse began during World War I as a fairground race with the likes of the Tour de France on pause. Its original name of the Grote Prijs Jules Lowie derives from the local rider who raced to fifth in the Tour in 1935 and won Paris-Nice in 1938. Lowie was born in Nokere, where the race starts, in 1913, and died at the age of 46 in the finish town of Deinze in 1960.World Champion Marcel Kint won the first edition in 1944 and Belgians have typically dominated the race, including Tim Merlier, who reigned victorious here from 2022 to 2024. A junior race for the men has been in the calendar since 2016, and a womens race was created in 2019. Lorena Wiebes claimed victory in that first edition and, with a second win in 2022, holds the most womens Nokere Koerse titles alongside teammate Lotte Kopecky.Last year, Nils Eekhoff (Picnic-PostNL) and Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime) won, both in a bunch sprint.Nokere Koerse 2026 key information Luc Claessen/Getty ImagesDate:Wednesday 18 March 2026Start:DeinzeFinish:NokereTotal distance:Mens 186.4km; Womens 133.3kmLive TV coverage:TNT Sports, Peacock, SBS, FloBikesMost wins:Mens Hendrik Van Dijck, Tim Merlier (three); Womens Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky (two)2025 winners:Mens Niels Eekhoff (Picnic-PostNL); Womens Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime)Nokere Koerse 2026 routesMens parcoursAs is customary for the Belgian semi-Classic, Nokere Koerse is full of cobbles. Perfect for its position of the calendar as we get further into Classics season. The mens race packs in 27 sectors of cobbles and 12 climbs occasionally at the same time over 186.4km. The race heads east towards the first cobbles in Paddestraat and the first cobbled climb of the Eikenberg (1.4km, 4.3%), which also features in the mens Omloop Nieuwsblad and hits just before 50km in the saddle.Despite combining all this with a short uphill finish in the Waregemsestraat that averages 4.5%, the race is typically one for the sprinters. Soudal-QuickSteps Tim Merlier enjoys the race, winning from 2022 to 2024. Last years edition was won by Nils Eekhoff for Picnic-PostNL in a hotly contested finish after a 19-man group came to the finish line.Womens parcoursThe womens race is 133.3km and takes the peloton over 22 sections of cobbles with ten climbs. The action begins early, the first climb of Lange Ast (0.6km, 4.3%) and cobbles (Hulseplein, 34m) coming in the opening 15km. A small loop follows before the race continues south past Oudenaarde and near the Scheldt river, turning north and heading over the likes of Hellestraat, Petegemberg and Nokereberg before another small loop around Lange Ast. The finish is again held after a short climb in Nokere and its no surprise the past three years have been won by SD Worx-Protime, with Lotte Kopecky winning in 2023 and 2024 followed by Marta Lach in 2026.Nokere Koerse 2026 favouritesA.S.O./Billy CeustersThree-time mens race winner Tim Merlier will not be here, instead pivoting to the Tour of Bruges (formerly Brugge-De Panne) to start his season after a knee injury. Defending champion Eekhoff also misses out following iliac artery surgery. Should the race follow tradition and end in a sprint finish, then you can be sure Alpecin-Premier Techs Jasper Philipsen will be there having crashed on the Nokereberg last year. Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe arrives in good form off the back of a win at the Ename Samyn Classic.Luk Kubi (Unibet-Rose Rockets) has been making a name for himself this season thanks to three second places at the Etoile de Bessges and fourth place overall. Max Kanter (XDS-Astana) grabbed his first win of the year at Paris-Nice, while hardy Portuguese rider Antnio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates XRG) has enjoyed plenty a strong finish in one-day races this season. Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello-Q36.5) always tends to be up there in a sprint finish and could podium.Two-time winner Lotte Kopecky leads the way for SD Worx-Protime in the womens race and is looking for her first win this season while sprinters like Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) and Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) will be hoping the bunch arrives together. Gillespie is one to watch, the Irishwoman second twice behind Lorena Wiebes on stages at the UAE Tour, before taking a breakthrough win at the Beobank Samyn Ladies. Elsewhere riders to watch include SD Worx wildcard Mischa Bredewold, AG Insurance-Soudals in-form Shari Bossuyt and the West Midlands own Josie Nelson, whos looking to take Picnic-PostNLs first victory of 2026.Cyclists ratingsMens race: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech): Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): , Hugo Hofstetter (NSN Cycling), Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Luk Kubi (Unibet-Rose Rockets), Matev Govekar (Bahrain Victorious): Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Tom Crabbe (Flanders-Baloise), Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello-Q36.5): Erlend Blikra (Uno X Mobility), Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Paul Penhot (Groupama-FDJ United), Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto-Intermarch), Max Kanter (XDS-Astana)Womens race: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime): Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime): Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech), Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek): Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal), Megan Jastrab (UAE Team ADQ), Josie Nelson (Picnic-PostNL): Caroline Andersson (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek), Kamilla Aaseb (Uno X Mobility), Arlenis Sierra (Movistar), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels)How to watch Nokere Koerse 2026Viewers in the UK and Ireland can watch Nokere Koerse on TV through TNT Sports via the premium 30.99 a month subscription. Live pictures will be on TNT Sports 2. To stream the race, you will have to access Discovery+, which comes included in the TNT Sports subscription. Those elsewhere in Europe can catch the action on Eurosport too. Viewers in Canada and the United States can catch the action on FloBikes, while SBS has the rights in Australia.If Nokere Koerse isnt being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your devices location to access content that is normally geo-blocked.Read more:Which countries can watch cycling for free in 2026Read more:How to watch cycling for less in the UKTV scheduleWomens raceTNT Sports 2: 11:1513:00Discovery+: 11:1513:00Mens raceTNT Sports 2: 14:0016:30Discovery+: 14:0016:30 Related Posts Milano-Torino 2026 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list 6 talking points from Opening Weekend Its time for UAE Team ADQ to kick things up a notch Cycling Spring Classics 2026: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Nokere Koerse 2026 start listsData powered by FirstCycling.comData powered by FirstCycling.comThe post Nokere Koerse 2026 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists appeared first on Cyclist.