After a record-breaking summer and a two-month break, the Kroon-Oil Belgian Rally Championship returns in Roeselare for the 66th A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen. With champion Maxime Potty having already secured his second Belgian title, the focus shifts to a fierce battle for the day win in a field stripped of its usual front-runners. In that vacuum, the storyline writes itself: Vincent Verschueren against Bjorn Syx, with a notably empty space at the front of the field for others to exploit.
The main fight: Verschueren vs. Syx
Vincent Verschueren arrives as the logical favourite in his Skoda Fabia Rally2. He followed his Ieper podium with a dominant display in the Rally van Staden, where he won every stage and further dialled in the car to his liking. Add in his deep experience around Roeselare and a well-honed partnership with co-driver Mathieu Vynckier, and the Harelbekenaar has all the ingredients to control the event.
Bjorn Syx, in the Toyota Yaris GR Rally2, is the most credible threat. He has stood on the Omloop podium before, has posted fastest stage times here, and brings a car that is always among the quickest on dry asphalt. With the usual title contenders absent, this is Syx’s best opportunity to convert raw pace into a headline victory on home soil.
A big emptiness at the front
The other defining feature of this rally is the gap left at the sharp end. Maxime Potty, Jos Verstappen, Cédric Cherain, Bastien Rouard and Thomas Martens – the top five in the standings heading into the second half of the season – are all absent. That clears the path for a more open fight for the win and elevates the stakes for everyone who would normally be battling for the podium rather than the top step.
Who can capitalise?
Davy Vanneste looks well placed to benefit after a clean, consistent run in Ieper with his Citroën C3 Rally2, while Enzo Ide returns with more experience than in 2024 and will be aiming to improve on last year’s ninth place alongside co-driver Pieter Tsjoen. Steven Dolfen, meanwhile, earns the honour of opening the road as the highest-placed BRC driver in the standings, a reward for a strong start to the season that included third in the Rallye des Ardennes.
Further down the order, the Renault Clio Rally3 contingent – Thibaud Mazuin, Benoit Verlinde, Olivier Decoene, Xavier Dekeyser, Stefaan Crombez and Bram Couvreur – can play a major role in the sub-top, especially if rain falls. Paul Lietaer, honoured with start number 50 for his 50th rally season in his Subaru Impreza WRC S5, and Pieter-Jan Maeyaert in the rapid BMW M3 E30 are both capable of pushing into the top ten and perhaps higher. In the GT category, Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco is the sole entrant with his Porsche 992 Rally GT and will relish the chance to drive again for a home crowd after handing over the wheel in Ieper. Keep an eye on Lander Depotter too, who impressed with a second place overall in Kasterlee and now makes his debut in the MATS Performance M-Cup with a rear-wheel-drive BMW M3 E36 against seasoned rivals Franky Boulat, Tobi Vandenberghe, Andy Lefevere and Philip Lommers.
What to expect
Over 17 stages across Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September, the 66th A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen promises an open, tactically rich rally where the championship battle takes a back seat but the fight for victory intensifies. The central question is straightforward: can Verschueren translate his Staden rhythm and Roeselare know-how into another win, or will Syx seize his moment in a field where the usual suspects at the front are missing?
