Well that’s certainly not the best way to start a race. Portuguese star Rui Oliveira hit the deck in the neutral section of the Tour of Flanders. During the départ fictif, the UAE Rider’s De Ronde almost went sideways before it had even properly begun.
Oliveira, who will be working for defending champ Tadej Pogačar, briefly clipped wheels and stumbled toward the roadside barriers. No damage done, but it was an awkward, slightly comic moment to open the day.
A Volta à Flandres começa mal para Rui Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG), com uma queda nos primeiros metros da zona neutra. #RVV26
pic.twitter.com/Sq5Oj1YK3v— BikeBlz (@BikeBlz) April 5, 2026
Meanwhile the race goes on. It’s a long and brutal 270 km day with the real damage coming in the second half: 16 climbs and a stack of cobbled sectors. The race typically blows apart on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg… and that’s likely where Pogačar and van der Poel go toe-to-toe. Hopefully Oliveira is OK as he will be working hard for the world champ.
Mads Pedersen looks in form, and although Wout van Aert has too, the Belgian has been playing down his chances of a dub. Then again, who knows? Bike racing can be unpredictable and it would be awesome to see the Visma-Lease a Bike rider win on Sunday.
Two Canadians start: Nick Zukowsky, active in breakaways this season, and cobbles specialist Guillaume Boivin.
The women’s race is also going to be a helluva race. A stacked field lines up over 164 km, including Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes, Marlen Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Lotte Kopecky, plus Britain’s Cat Ferguson. Expect the race to ignite on the same climbs.
Canadians Maggie Coles-Lyster, Alison Jackson, and Emilie Fortin are all in the mix.
If you’re out riding today, don’t fret: Canadian Cycling Magazine will have reports on both races after.