Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the kickoff weekend for the spring classics, specifically the cobbled classics. At 200 kilometers long, Omloop is not as big a day in the saddle for the men as the Tour of Flanders, but Omloop asserts itself on the calendar in ways other than distance. 

The spring classics kick off Saturday, February 27th with a strong field of cobbled specialists headlining the men's field at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. 

Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert begins the "serious" part of his season starting with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on February 29. The race kicks off a string of one-day Cobbled Classics, ending with Paris-Roubaix in April.