Belgium 10 Jun 2026 Class 1.Pro – 1 day – UCI ProSeries
Website circuitfrancobelge.com/
One Day Race
The full official startlist for the 2026 Circuit Franco-Belge (1.Pro):
| Bib | Rider | Team |
| 1 | ABRAHAMSEN Jonas | Uno-X Mobility |
| 2 | BEVORT Carl-Frederik | Uno-X Mobility |
| 3 | PEDERSEN Henrik | Uno-X Mobility |
| 4 | HVIDEBERG Jonas Hem | Uno-X Mobility |
| 5 | KAMP Alexander | Uno-X Mobility |
| 6 | RESELL Erik Nordsaeter | Uno-X Mobility |
| 7 | TILLER Rasmus | Uno-X Mobility |
| 11 | DE LIE Arnaud | Lotto Intermarché |
| 12 | AERTS Toon | Lotto Intermarché |
| 13 | BERCKMOES Jenno | Lotto Intermarché |
| 14 | GRISEL Matys | Lotto Intermarché |
| 15 | ORINS Robin | Lotto Intermarché |
| 16 | ROTA Lorenzo | Lotto Intermarché |
| 17 | VAN BOVEN Luca | Lotto Intermarché |
| 21 | BARRE Louis | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 22 | VAN BELLE Loe | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 23 | FIORELLI Filippo | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 24 | HUISING Menno | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 25 | KELDERMAN Wilco | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 26 | ZINGLE Axel | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 27 | BRENNAN Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 31 | BALLERSTEDT Maurice | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 33 | DE VYLDER Lindsay | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 34 | DOCKX Aaron | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 35 | SENECHAL Florian | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 36 | HAVERDINGS David | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 37 | WYSEURE Joran | Alpecin Premier Tech |
| 41 | MAGNIER Paul | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 42 | GELDERS Gil | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 43 | RACCAGNI NOVIERO Andrea | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 44 | VAN DEN BOSSCHE Fabio | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 45 | DE CLERCQ Mathijs | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 46 | BASTIAENS Ayco | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 47 | VAN TRICHT Stan | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 51 | SIMMONS Colby | EF Education – EasyPost |
| 52 | VAN DEN BERG Marijn | EF Education – EasyPost |
| 54 | HOBBS Noah | EF Education – EasyPost |
| 56 | ALBANESE Vincenzo | EF Education – EasyPost |
| 57 | SCHWARZBACHER Matthias | EF Education – EasyPost |
| 61 | BARTHE Cyril | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 62 | BOWER Lewis | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 63 | FONTAINE Titouan | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 65 | HUENS Axel | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 66 | LE GAC Olivier | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 67 | JACOBS Johan | Groupama – FDJ United |
| 71 | CONCA Filippo | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 72 | DE BONDT Dries | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 74 | FOLDAGER Anders | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 75 | KRIJNSEN Jelte | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 76 | SAMBINELLO Mattia | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 77 | VERBRUGGE Jasper | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 81 | VAN DEN BERG Julius | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 82 | VAN UDEN Casper | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 83 | EEKHOFF Nils | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 84 | MOLENAAR Ko | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 85 | ROOSEN Timo | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 86 | VAN REES Christiaan | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 91 | KRETSCHY Moritz | NSN Cycling Team |
| 92 | MARRIAGE Zac | NSN Cycling Team |
| 93 | SCHULTZ Nick | NSN Cycling Team |
| 94 | SHEEHAN Riley | NSN Cycling Team |
| 95 | VAN ASBROECK Tom | NSN Cycling Team |
| 96 | VAN TRICHT Floris | NSN Cycling Team |
| 97 | STRONG Corbin | NSN Cycling Team |
| 101 | KOLZE CHANGIZI Sebastian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 102 | KELEMEN Petr | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 103 | DE KLEIJN Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 104 | KLUCKERS Arthur | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 105 | GUILLEMETTE Mathias | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 106 | VAN DEN BOER Seppe | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 107 | PLUIMERS Rick | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 111 | MONIQUET Sylvain | Cofidis |
| 112 | CHARRET Camille | Cofidis |
| 113 | RENARD Alexis | Cofidis |
| 114 | ARANBURU Alex | Cofidis |
| 115 | IZQUIERDO Clement | Cofidis |
| 116 | TEUNS Dylan | Cofidis |
| 117 | ZAMPERINI Edoardo | Cofidis |
| 121 | BENNETT Sam | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 122 | DE GENDT Aime | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 123 | FRISON Frederik | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 124 | PIDCOCK Joseph | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 125 | VADER Milan | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 126 | VANHOUCKE Harm | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 127 | BAX Sjoerd | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling |
| 131 | PRADES Eduard | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA |
| 133 | IBANEZ Javier | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA |
| 134 | LARRONDE Ellande | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA |
| 136 | PENUELA Francisco Joel | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA |
| 137 | VILLAR Iker | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA |
| 141 | BELLETTA Dario Igor | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 142 | BAIS Davide | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 143 | BESSEGA Gabriele | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 144 | PIETROBON Andrea | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 145 | MUNOZ Francisco | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 146 | RACCAGNI Gabriele | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 147 | SERRANO Javier | Team Polti VisitMalta |
| 151 | DEMAN Brem | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 152 | LANHOVE Milan | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 153 | MARIS Elias | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 154 | VAN HEMELEN Vincent | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 155 | TORNEY Artuur | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 156 | VAN HAUTEGEM Leander | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 157 | VANHOOF Ward | Team Flanders – Baloise |
| 161 | MARCEROU Nicola | TotalEnergies |
| 162 | BRUNEL Alexys | TotalEnergies |
| 163 | DELBOVE Joris | TotalEnergies |
| 164 | DELETTRE Alexandre | TotalEnergies |
| 165 | DUJARDIN Sandy | TotalEnergies |
| 166 | RETAILLEAU Valentin | TotalEnergies |
| 167 | THIERRY Pierre | TotalEnergies |
| 171 | STOCKMAN Abram | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 172 | TOUPALIK Adam | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 173 | VENTURINI Clement | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 174 | BLOEM Joren | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 175 | LOOCKX Lander | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 176 | TOWNSEND Rory | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 177 | MOURIS Wessel | Unibet Rose Rockets |
| 181 | COBO Ivan | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 182 | BRUSTENGA Marc | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 183 | ELOSEGUI Inigo | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 184 | GOMEZ Iker | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 185 | ROMEO Sergio | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 186 | SOTO Antonio Jesus | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 187 | WENZEL Mats | Equipo Kern Pharma |
| 191 | SUTTON Louis | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 192 | LOPEZ Jordi | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 193 | MARTIN Gotzon | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 194 | ISASA Xabier | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 195 | BERASATEGI Xabier | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 196 | UGARTE Gari | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 197 | VAN DER TUUK Axel | Euskaltel – Euskadi |
| 201 | BRAND Sam | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 202 | DE GRAEVE Quinten | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 203 | IRVINE Declan | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 204 | POLI Umberto | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 205 | POLGA Antonio | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 206 | RIDOLFO Filippo | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 207 | LOPEZ Juan Jose | Team Novo Nordisk |
| 211 | CRETTI Luca | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 212 | DINA Marton | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 213 | BUDZINSKI Marcin | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 215 | MASNADA Fausto | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 216 | VALENT Mark | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 217 | ZOCCARATO Samuele | MBH Bank CSB Telecom |
| 221 | ARNES Daniel | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 222 | AVOINE Kevin | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 223 | HEREMANS Joppe | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 224 | HUCK Leandre | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 225 | JARNET Maxime | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 226 | MOLLY Kenny | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 227 | OOSTERLINCK Joes | Van Rysel Roubaix |
| 231 | BAGUELIN Jocelyn | Aarco |
| 232 | DALLEMAGNE Leopold | Aarco |
| 233 | DOCKX Gilles | Aarco |
| 234 | MEENS Johan | Aarco |
| 235 | HANNES Victor | Aarco |
| 236 | LOY Oscar | Aarco |
| 237 | PLACE Maxence | Aarco |
| 241 | MELOTTE Matteo | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 242 | JACQUES Lucas | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 243 | CAILLET Camille | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 244 | DESMARETS Julien | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 245 | WERTZ Hugo | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 246 | DAIX Guillaume | Color Code – Alu Center |
| 247 | DEMARCIN Theo | Color Code – Alu Center |
Mats Wenzel is a professional Luxembourgish road and cyclo-cross cyclist who currently rides for the Spanish ProTeam Equipo Kern Pharma. Known for his versatility, explosiveness, and aggressive, breakaway-heavy riding style, Wenzel is one of Luxembourg’s most promising young cycling talents.
Personal Profile
- Date of Birth: December 19, 2002
- Nationality: Luxembourg
- Height: 1.87 m (6’1″)
- Weight: 68 kg (150 lbs)
- Primary Disciplines: Road and Cyclo-cross
Early Career & Background
Wenzel was introduced to cycling at a young age by his parents, along with his sister Liv. He began his journey in the sport through mountain biking, which remained his main passion until about the age of 15. He joined a cycling club in Schifflange, Luxembourg, which allowed him to hone his bike-handling skills early on.
As a junior and under-23 (U23) rider, Wenzel quickly proved his versatility by securing podium finishes and national titles across multiple disciplines, including road racing, individual time trials (ITT), cross-country mountain biking (XCO), and cyclo-cross.
Team History
- 2021–2023: Leopard Pro Cycling / Leopard TOGT Pro Cycling Wenzel signed his first continental contract with the prominent Luxembourgish-based pipeline team. During his time here, he consistently placed well in national U23 championships and achieved a breakthrough moment on home soil by winning the Mountains Classification at the 2023 Tour de Luxembourg.
- 2024: Lidl–Trek Future Racing Following the collapse of the Leopard project, Wenzel moved to the newly formed development squad of the WorldTour giant Lidl-Trek. This was a breakout season for him, highlighted by a dominant performance at the National U23 Championships, where he won both the Road Race and Time Trial titles. He also placed an impressive 9th overall at the Tour de l’Avenir (the “Tour de France for U23 riders”) and 4th at the U23 European Continental Championships Road Race.
- 2025–Present: Equipo Kern Pharma Recognizing his immense climbing capability and engine, the Spanish UCI ProTeam signed him to a professional contract. Wenzel quickly established himself as a breakaway specialist in major European races. In his debut season with the team, he finished 10th overall at the Arctic Race of Norway and repeatedly animated major breakaways, showcasing his high endurance threshold.
Major Career Results
Road Cycling
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National U23 Road Race Championship (2024)
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National U23 Time Trial Championship (2024)
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National Junior Road Race Championship (2020)
- 1st 🥇 Mountains Classification, Škoda Tour de Luxembourg (2023)
- 2nd 🥈 Luxembourg National Elite Road Race Championship (2024)
- 4th European Continental U23 Road Race Championships (2024)
- 9th General Classification, Tour de l’Avenir (2024)
- 10th General Classification, Škoda Tour de Luxembourg (2024)
- 10th General Classification, Arctic Race of Norway (2025)
Cyclo-cross & Mountain Bike
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National U23 Cyclo-cross Championship (2023, 2024)
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National Junior Cyclo-cross Championship (2020)
- 1st 🥇 Luxembourg National U23 Cross-Country XCO Championship (2021)
The 2026 Circuit Franco-Belge (1.Pro) concluded with a thrilling uphill sprint on the Mont-de-l’Enclus. Fresh off the Giro d’Italia, New Zealand’s Corbin Strong secured his first victory of the season.
Here is the top 10 general classification from the 195.6 km race:
Race Results
| # | Rider | Team | Time / Gap |
| 1 | 🇳🇿 Corbin Strong | NSN Cycling Team | 4h 32′ 18″ |
| 2 | 🇩🇰 Anders Foldager | Team Jayco AlUla | + 0″ |
| 3 | 🇫🇷 Paul Magnier | Soudal Quick-Step | + 0″ |
| 4 | 🇳🇱 Rick Pluimers | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 0″ |
| 5 | 🇧🇪 Jenno Berckmoes | Lotto Intermarché | + 0″ |
| 6 | 🇻🇪 Francisco Joel Peñuela | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA | + 0″ |
| 7 | 🇫🇷 Clément Venturini | Unibet Rose Rockets | + 0″ |
| 8 | 🇪🇸 Eduard Prades | Caja Rural – Seguros RGA | + 0″ |
| 9 | 🇳🇱 Marijn van den Berg | EF Education – EasyPost | + 0″ |
| 10 | 🇫🇷 Alexandre Delettre | TotalEnergies | + 0″ |
Race Note: Strong took the victory out of a highly reduced front group, executing a perfectly timed surge on the final climb to edge out Foldager and Magnier.
The Circuit Franco-Belge is one of the oldest and most historically rich classic races on the European cycling calendar. Over its century-long existence, the event has undergone dramatic transformations, evolving from a local amateur stage race into a prestigious, aggressive single-day classic in the UCI ProSeries (1.Pro).
Here is the breakdown of its fascinating history:
1. The Early Years and Origins (1924–1939)
The race was first organized in 1924 by a local cycling club. Its primary goal was to foster cross-border friendship and athletic competition between the neighboring cycling-crazy regions of Western Belgium (Flanders/Wallonia) and Northern France.
- The First Winner: French rider Julien Perrain won the inaugural edition in 1924.
- Early Status: In its initial decades, the event was a regional stage race held primarily for amateurs or independent riders.
2. Post-War Era and Professional Transition (1955–2004)
The race was halted due to World War II and faced several scheduling breaks in the mid-20th century before returning consistently in 1955.
- Going Pro: Originally an amateur proving ground where future legends (such as Vyacheslav Ekimov in 1989 and Rudy Dhaenens in 1982) cut their teeth, the race fully transitioned into a high-level event for professional trade teams in the late 1990s.
- The Sprinter’s Playground: Historically, because the route traveled through the windswept plains of the border region, the race became famous for crosswinds (waaiers) and mass bunch sprints. Legend Robbie McEwen won the overall title twice (2002, 2011).
3. The Identity Crisis: Name and Format Changes (2005–2021)
With the introduction of the UCI Europe Tour in 2005, the race experienced a series of major structural and branding changes:
- 2011: Briefly renamed the Tour de Wallonie-Picarde.
- 2012–2021: Renamed the Tour de l’Eurométropole to reflect a broader, more modern European political and economic identity.
- The Big Shift (2016): Facing logistical hurdles of organizing a multi-day event across international borders, the organizers made a drastic decision. They transformed the race from a 4-day stage race into a single-day classic.
- The Route Adjustment: Though it kept its cross-border heritage in spirit, the physical race route increasingly shifted to be run almost entirely on Belgian soil.
4. Modern Era: The Return to Roots and 1.Pro Status (2022–Present)
In 2022, the organizers listened to cycling purists and officially reinstated the historic name: Circuit Franco-Belge.
- UCI ProSeries Elevaton: The race joined the prestigious UCI ProSeries (the tier just below the WorldTour), ensuring that top-tier WorldTeams would consistently line up at the start.
- A Tougher Finale: Recognizing that modern cycling fans love explosive racing over predictable bunch sprints, organizers revamped the route in 2023. They moved the finale to the Flemish Ardennes/Hainaut border, utilizing circuits featuring the punishing Côte du Trieu (Kluisberg) and Côte de l’Horlitin.
- Recent Champions: The modern course format has attracted a mix of elite sprinters and “puncheurs.” Recent winners include:
- 2022: Alexander Kristoff (NOR)
- 2023: Arnaud De Lie (BEL)
- 2024: Biniam Girmay (ERI)
- 2025: Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR)
Historical Fast Facts
- Most Successful Nations: Belgian riders have historically dominated the palmarès, followed by France.
- Shared Victory: In a quirky piece of cycling history, the 1970 edition resulted in a shared victory between two Belgian riders, Ronny Van Marcke and Ronny De Bisschop, who couldn’t be separated at the line.
