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Well that\u2019s 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<\/a>. During the d\u00e9part fictif<\/em>, the UAE Rider\u2019s De Ronde almost went sideways before it had even properly begun.<\/p>\n Oliveira, who will be working for defending champ Tadej Poga\u010dar, briefly clipped wheels and stumbled toward the roadside barriers. No damage done, but it was an awkward, slightly comic moment to open the day.<\/p>\n A Volta \u00e0 Flandres come\u00e7a mal para Rui Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG), com uma queda nos primeiros metros da zona neutra. #RVV26<\/a> \u2014 BikeBlz (@BikeBlz) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Meanwhile the race goes on. It\u2019s 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\u2026 and that\u2019s likely where Poga\u010dar and van der Poel go toe-to-toe. Hopefully Oliveira is OK as he will be working hard for the world champ.<\/p>\n Mads Pedersen looks in form, and although Wout van Aert has too, the Belgian has been playing down his chances of a dub<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n Two Canadians start: Nick Zukowsky, active in breakaways this season, and cobbles specialist Guillaume Boivin.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s 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\u2019s Cat Ferguson. Expect the race to ignite on the same climbs.<\/p>\n Canadians Maggie Coles-Lyster, Alison Jackson, and Emilie Fortin are all in the mix.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re out riding today, don\u2019t fret: Canadian Cycling Magazine will have reports on both races after.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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